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Strip away all the hype, controversy, and attendant craziness surrounding Frankie – most of which never reached American shores, though the equally bombastic "Relax" and "Two Tribes" both charted well – and Welcome to the Pleasuredome holds up as an outrageously over-the-top, bizarre, but fun release. Less well known but worthwhile cuts include by-definition-camp "Krisco Kisses" and "The Only Star in Heaven," while U.K. smash "The Power of Love" is a gloriously insincere but still great hyper-ballad with strings from Anne Dudley. In truth, the album's more a testament to Trevor Horn's production skills than anything else.

Frankie Goes To Hollywood were one of the biggest-selling pop groups of the 1980s, as well as the most controversial. Their debut single, 'Relax', went to No. 1 in ten countries around Europe and its follow-up, 'Two Tribes', was the definitive cinematic soundtrack to the Cold War. They also had a sensitive side ('The Power Of Love'), a rocky side ('Born To Run') and a playful side ('Do You Think I'm Sexy?'). Listen to Frankie afresh, from all sides, with this essential collection.

With a discography that includes a classic debut album (1984's Welcome to the Pleasuredome), a misguided sophomore effort (1986's Liverpool), and very few B-sides but plenty (like tons) of remixes, compiling Frankie Goes to Hollywood in a one-disc set (with Japanese bonus CD) is easy if you don't over-think it. Knocking the new wave circus act's career with ease, Frankie Said certainly avoids just that. The rarities it offers are on the edge of even a rabid fan's interest ("Born to Run" "live" on the Tube is just the studio version but louder, and that Anne Dudley mix of "Two Tribes" is nothing but the piano intro, now isolated), plus all the hits ("Relax," "Two Tribes," "Power of Love") are present in both representative mixes and worthy alternates…

The most popular and successful lineup of Return to Forever – Chick Corea, Stanley Clarke, Lenny White, and Al Di Meola – was coming off the Grammy-winning No Mystery when it recorded its third and final album, Romantic Warrior. It has been suggested that in employing a medieval album cover (drawn by Wilson McLean), using titles like "Medieval Overture" and "Duel of the Jester and the Tyrant," and occasionally playing in a baroque style, particularly in Clarke's "The Magician," Corea was responding to Rick Wakeman's successful string of albums on similar themes. Certainly, the music suggests that the musicians have been listening to Wakeman's band, Yes, among other progressive rock groups.

Strip away all the hype, controversy, and attendant craziness surrounding Frankie – most of which never reached American shores, though the equally bombastic "Relax" and "Two Tribes" both charted well – and Welcome to the Pleasuredome holds up as an outrageously over-the-top, bizarre, but fun release. Less well known but worthwhile cuts include by-definition-camp "Krisco Kisses" and "The Only Star in Heaven," while U.K. smash "The Power of Love" is a gloriously insincere but still great hyper-ballad with strings from Anne Dudley. In truth, the album's more a testament to Trevor Horn's production skills than anything else. To help out, he roped in a slew of Ian Dury's backing musicians to provide the music, along with a guest appearance from his fellow Yes veteran Steve Howe on acoustic guitar that probably had prog rock fanatics collapsing in apoplexy. The end result was catchy, consciously modern – almost to a fault – arena-level synth rock of the early '80s that holds up just fine today, as much an endlessly listenable product of its times as the Chinn/Chapman string of glam rock hits from the early '70s.