Billy Idol [Original recording reissued, Original recording remastered, Import]

Billy Idol | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (January 28, 2002)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Original recording reissued, Original recording remastered, Import
• Label: EMI Europe Generic
• ASIN: B00005UOXL
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (22 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #62,664 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

It may be debatable when the punk and new wave subculture of the late '70s and early '80s first broke through to the mainstream, but this album remains a perennial contender. Indeed, the cover shot alone perfectly encapsulates the clichés--the sultry pout, black leather vest, tattoos, and spiked bleached hair--of an entire era. After leaving the popular British punk outfit Generation X (represented here by their ubiquitous, if belated American breakthrough hit, "Dancing with Myself"), Idol was shrewd and/or lucky enough to pump up his image just in time for the rise of MTV, infuse his music with guitarist Steve Stevens's metal flash, and hook up with Kiss's former manager--though not necessarily in that order. Former Gen X producer Keith Forsey further burnished Idol's trademark snarl with accessible pop flourishes and yielded two sizable hits, "White Wedding" and "Hot in the City." While "Love Calling" weds some catchy vocal hooks with a Burundi beat to good effect, much of the rest comes off as flaccid, rushed filler. Though 24-bit mastering enhances the sound greatly, the album's brief 10 tracks could have benefited greatly from the inclusion of an original-release track ("Congo Man" was replaced by "Dancing with Myself" shortly after the album's initial '82 release) and several contemporary EP songs that are strangely MIA here. --Jerry McCulley

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Post-Punk, Pre-New Wave Hard Rocker Billy has it all here, December 5, 2003

By 

Get What We Give (Georgia) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Billy Idol (Audio CD)

New Wave may have been on the way in and punk may have been receding (for a bit) when Billy Idol released this, his solo debut album, but both gained new ground because of this album's release.

Those may sound like strong words for a solo album from someone that many either revile or revere. But that is exactly the case.

Billy Idol announced his presence with a snarl. He was no longer a pretty boy stuck in a punk band (Generation X), nor was he a pretty boy playing synthesizers ala Duran Duran (who would come later). Billy Idol carved a niche for himself.

Today, many people consider his music to be hard rock rather than either punk or new wave. And while that is probably a fair assessment, Billy Idol never rested on his laurels and gave us the same type of music for too long.

On this album, as I said before, his solo debut, Billy gives us the chart topper - White Wedding - and a song from his former group (Generation X): Dancing with Myself. These are only two of the great songs on this album, but they are the most easily recognizable by those not familiar with his music.

This album no doubt gained even more popular play and attention due to Billy's snarling good looks and the fact that it was released just as MTV was debuting, allowing the world to experience the visual experience of White Wedding.

Not all of this albums songs are "hits", but none of them is bad. Often gritty, and frequently obnoxious, "Billy Idol" is a music "must have" for anyone serious about ground breaking music.

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars BRING BACK CONGO MAN!!, March 12, 2008

By 

Don Hudgens (Redondo Beach, Texas) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Billy Idol (Audio CD)

The original album's cover has Billy in an '80s Oriental shirt, and the last song was "Congo Man". Bring those elements back, and I shall grant this album 5 stars. Until then, I don't care how many times you remaster it, it's still being used as a tool to sell "Dancing with Myself", which stains the beautiful vibe of this album. Is there any guitar work on this planet that can match "Shooting Stars"? Billy, there ARE actually fans of "Congo Man" out here, and I'll even go so far to say it's "part 1" of "The Dead Next Door". I'm WAY beyond fed-up with the "attention shoppers" attitude of Billy's marketing dept., mostly because it puts us true fans in the back seat.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Nice day for a white wedding, and to start again..., February 7, 2005

By 

Daniel J. Hamlow (Narita, Japan) - See all my reviews
(HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Billy Idol (Audio CD)

A year after the dissolution of Generation X, its lead singer, William Michael Albert Broad, a.k.a. Billy Idol, embarked on a solo career and released his eponymous solo debut. Some of the harder tracks recalled the wild youth of the Gen X years, but the singles indicated a polishing of that style, meaning less punk guitar, but an emphasis on carefully synced bass and drums, airy synths, and glitzy production.

"White Wedding Part 1" encompasses the successful formula, pulsing bass, Steve Stevens fiery guitar, thudding techno drum beats, airy backup vocals, and Idol's menacing deeper voice which ratcheted to its old punk fury when he screams "start again!" Though cracking the Top 40, it's an Idol and essential 80's classic.

"Hot In The City," another single, with synths and soulful backup singers adding to the lounge-like ambience of the mid-paced song. Idol's crooning is a far cry from "Your Generation," to be sure. As for "Love Calling," it's a bit of punk with some Caribbean-style rhythms mixed in with horns and rock guitar, relying on a constant drum backbeat, which is the sole thing playing, giving this song a somewhat minimalist visage.

Of the non-singles, it's kind of a potluck. "Dead On Arrival" is a return to Gen X-style Idol with its pulsing drums and bass, sounding like a poppier cousin of the Pistol's "EMI" at parts. The mid-paced "Nobody's Business" veers more towards pop rather than punk, and with its Van Halen-like synths and catchy vocal hooks, would've been a decent single, as would have "Shooting Stars." Other tracks like "Come On Come On" makes one think what Gen X could've done with this stuff, and "Hole In The Wall" is pure filler.

"It's So Cruel" is a calm and quiet ballad, with the loungy sounds of the Stones' "Waiting On A Friend" coming through. It also serves as a nice prelude to the final track, which is a familiar one-none other than Billy Idol's song with Generation X, "Dancing With Myself." It's by far the hardest driving track on here, a replacement for "Congo Man" that was on the original. BTW, thanks to Eric Andrews for this bit of info.

The album marked Idol's collaboration with guitarist Steve Stevens, whose fiery and squealing guitar theatrics would prove invaluable on the hit Rebel Yell album, and producer Keith Forsey, who helmed Idol's albums through Charmed Life. Idol's image had a lot going for him, that platinum spiked hair and that sneer that became his trademark. But the music here, while uneven in consistency, showed promise, especially in the midnight hour.