"Liverpool" is Frankie Goes to Hollywood
It would be the band's final album of all-new material, and lead singer Holly Johnson would leave the band following the corresponding world tour, followed by a flurry of lawsuits from ZTT.
It would be the band's final album of all-new material, and lead singer Holly Johnson would leave the band following the corresponding world tour, followed by a flurry of lawsuits from ZTT.
This time, the band played a far heavier role in the sound and overall direction, ‘heavy’ being the operative word: many of the tracks are straight hard rock/metal, with the lavish sonics and orchestral pomp typical of the ZTT label dropped on top. Production über-führer Trevor Horn may have withdrawn, but Stephen Lipson, who had worked on Propaganda’s "A Secret Wish" the year before, was on board to keep things pumped and polished. "Warriors of the Wasteland" sets the shrill, histrionic tone. "Rage Hard", the first single, is probably the one that best holds up alongside those monumental first four singles.
"On Kill the Pain" you can hear the compromise between the album the Lads (drummer Peter Gill, bassist Mark O’Toole and guitarist Brian Nash) wanted to make, singer Holly Johnson’s lyrical visions, and ZTT’s more commercial instincts. "Maximum Joy" sounds like an off-cut from "A Secret Wish", while "Watching the Wildlife", despite its symphonic surges and pop hooks, is the one that signalled Frankie’s demise.
"On Kill the Pain" you can hear the compromise between the album the Lads (drummer Peter Gill, bassist Mark O’Toole and guitarist Brian Nash) wanted to make, singer Holly Johnson’s lyrical visions, and ZTT’s more commercial instincts. "Maximum Joy" sounds like an off-cut from "A Secret Wish", while "Watching the Wildlife", despite its symphonic surges and pop hooks, is the one that signalled Frankie’s demise.
01. "Warriors of the Wasteland" (Gill, Johnson, Nash, O'Toole) - 4:58
02. "Rage Hard" (Gill, Johnson, Nash, O'Toole) - 5:03
03. "Kill the Pain" (Gill, Johnson, Nash, O'Toole) - 6:16
04. "Maximum Joy" (Gill, Johnson, Nash, O'Toole) - 5:32
05. "Watching the Wildlife" (Gill, Johnson, Nash, O'Toole) - 4:18
06. "Lunar Bay" (Gill, Johnson, Nash, O'Toole) - 5:42
07. "For Heaven's Sake" (Gill, Johnson, Nash, O'Toole) - 4:29
08. "Is Anybody Out There?" (Gill, Johnson, Nash, O'Toole) - 7:25
09. "(Don't Lose What's Left) of Your Mind" (Gill, Johnson, Nash, O'Toole) (Bonus Track) - 6:14
10. "Suffragette City
Released: 20 October 1986
Genre: New Wave, Synth-Pop
Length: 44:03
Label: ZTT Records
Producer: Stephen Lipson
Executive Producer: Trevor Horn
Personnel
Holly Johnson - vocals
Betsy Cook - background vocals
Barry Diament - mastering
Paul Rutherford - second voice
Peter Gill - drums
Steve Lipson - guitar, keyboards
Steve Howe - guitar
Trevor Rabin - guitar
Brian Nash - guitar
Richard Niles - string arrangements, brass arrangement
Mark O'Toole - bass
Andy Richards - keyboards
Peter-John Vettese - keyboards
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