Customer Reviews

Devil's Playground

5 star:		(80)
4 star:		(28)
3 star:		(8)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

There is only one word to describe Devil's Playground, awesome. This CD is just so wonderful. Many artists whose success peaked in the 80's often release CD's where they try to re-invent themselves. Billy didn't do that. He stayed true to his rock and roll roots. He didn't try to go alternative or really try to be something that he wasn't. Devil's Playground is very reminiscent to his albums Rebel Yell and Whiplash Smile. Yes, Billy took it back to those days. This isn't your Charmed Life or Cyberpunk Billy Idol this is the Billy that you loved in the 80's. It's crazy, but Billy really recaptured the magic of Rebel Yell and the 80's all over again on this album.

Devil's Playground makes the wait oh so worth it. This is the best Billy Idol CD in a very long time from start to finish. The album opens up with two really good, but different songs, "Super Overdrive" and "World Comin' Down." Billy's voice sounds a bit different on these two songs, either due to the key he is singing in or just experimenting with the track. The song "Rat Race" is a slow rock song, but not a ballad and it just rocks. I can't say enough good things about this album.

The first single from Devil's Playground, "Scream," is a safe first single because it just rocks and Billy's fans are sure to embrace this first single which would be perfect for a movie's theme song or for a car commercial. Start to finish, Devil's Playground is a really good album. The song, "Cherie," is an up-tempo love song. The guitar riff of "Romeo's Waiting" will just take you back to the 80's. Think about the album tracks from "Whiplash Smile" and "Rebel Yell" that didn't get released. "Romeo's Waiting" is just a really great song.

Start to finish, Devil's Playground is an awesome CD. If some of your favorite artists from the 80's took long breaks only to come back with a sub par CD, fear not. Billy Idol didn't do that. He went in the lab and came out with a masterpiece that will go down as one of the best CD's he has ever released.

I was at South By Southwest last week, and Billy Idol's performance was THE buzz of the whole festival. Everywhere I went people were talking about what a tremendous rock show he and guitarist Steve Stevens put on. There was also discussion about how ravaged by the rocker lifestyle his body was, that he looked about 65 rather than his actual age. Anyway, now here's the new Idol CD, his first in several years, and it rocks as hard as anything he's ever done. The single "Scream" is just a spectacular piece of rock heaviness, and many of the other songs are pretty amazing too. However, one thing that's strange to me is how different his voice often sounds now compared to the old days. I'm sure it's from the effects of the previously mentioned ravages, but listen to Billy's singing throughout the CD and compare it to songs like "White Wedding" and "Rock the Cradle." You'll hear what I mean. On the rare slower or softer passages (such as on the verses of "Plastic Jesus") he even has a raspy quality that sounds a bit like modern-day Bob Dylan! Most strange. The voice thing really doesn't really matter, though. He can still "scream" as well as ever, and Steve Stevens' stratospheric guitar playing is still just as powerful.

This cd is flat-out FUN to listen to. You can tell that time was taken by all of those involved with this cd to put out a decent product. The band sounds good and rocks hard, and Steve especially sounds excellent. You could tell that he brought his A-game to the studio sessions. Billy sounds a little bit more growly than he used to, but he still sounds great and, more importantly, enthused. I was half expecting this to be a by-the-numbers lame comeback, and I was surprised by just how solid this cd is. I'm happy to rank this as one of Billy's best.

Personal faves on this cd are 'Scream', 'Super Overdrive', 'Sherri', 'Evil Eye', and 'Lady Do or Die'. The only skippable song is 'Yellin at the Xmas Tree', but even THAT is listenable. Listen to the samples on here and see for yourself how he sounds, you'll be pleasantly surprised. I hope that this comeback is successful for him, as this cd deserves to be heard.

Were you ever a fan? Then buy this.

(My review scale: 1- Bad, 2- Average, 3- Good, 4- Very Good, 5- Excellent/Classic)

I hesitate to give out too many 5-star ratings to newer music, simply because when I compare these albums to older classics (my opinion of course) from days gone past, they don't hold up over the test of time. However, I feel confident that Billy Idol's comeback album, Devil's Playground will be an album I will play fifteen years from now and enjoy as much as I do today.

What saddens me is that as I write this, only three weeks after it's release, this superb disk has fallen completely out of the Billboard top 100 in the USA, and sits at only #68 in my home of Canada. Meanwhile, garbage like 50 Cent, and Kelly Clarkson are topping the charts!!?? It just makes me lose faith in the music scene even more.

However, let's focus on this album. We all know that Steve Stevens is back and as good as ever. It certainly has brought Billy back to his heyday sound of records like Rebel Yell, but there are some modern influences. I hear small doses of the Sum 41 "sound" on several songs, showing that Billy can adapt to the times. But for the most part, this is classic Billy Idol.

'Super Overdrive" is a nice rocking tune, which gets things off to a fast start. Billy's voice is a lot deeper than normal on this song. It's the only tune on the disk that sounds like that, though. The traditional snarl returns for "World Coming Down", which mixes the old and new sounds of punk/hard rock. "Rat Race" is very much like old Billy...the song starts out slow and soft, and then rips it up hard and heavy in the chorus. "Sherri" is one hell of a good, Rebel Yell-era song.

"Plastic Jesus" is really catchy and fun, as Billy takes the old classic tune, and revamps it with some new lyrics here and there. Following it is the single, "Scream"- clearly it is "Rebel Yell" pt. 2. It could have fit on Billy's older albums. He hopefully is paying some royalties to Led Zeppelin for the whole "Lemon tree/ juice down my leg" theme. Anyone looking for deep lyrics from Billy is wasting their time on this one.

"Yellin' at the XMas Tree" is what will likely be considered a novelty song. It'll hit the airwaves for years to come at Christmas time on your local rock radio station. It's pretty funny, but by far not the best track here. "Romeo's Waiting" is very good, with a great chorus. The lyrics on this one could be considered a little cheesy coming from anyone else, but somehow when Billy sings, "I don't wanna be, another enemy/ Even though you make me bleed like a Kennedy" it works! The song reminds me a lot of "(Do Not) Stand in the Shadows" from Rebel Yell.

"Body Snatcher" is a fairly modern sounding tune. It's okay. Billy then shows off his Doors-loving past, with "Evil Eye". The vocals off the top sound very much like Jim Morrison. The song then evolves into something that sounds like Alice In Chains.

"Lady Do or Die" is a good little ballad. It is reminiscent of "Sweet Sixteen" from Whiplash Smile. It fits in nicely on this collection. Especially when followed up by "Cherie", which is a catchy, hand clapping acoustic number, which oddly enough reminds me of Neil Diamond's (yes Neil Diamond!) "Cherry Cherry".

Billy tends to end his albums with something unusual, and here you get "Summer Running", which starts out soft and then gets heavier than anything else on the disk, before returning to the soft sounds. Pretty good.

I'm hoping that some people read all these great reviews for this album and go out and buy the thing. Maybe radio/music tv programmers can get their heads out of their butts and play the thing, because it is, so far, the best CD of 2005! Buy it!

The Good
Billy starts things off with a rebel yell (sorry, couldn't resist) on "Super Overdrive". Riff wise, it's just plain heavy. Idol is full of all of the anger and rage that we knew him for. He even throws in a little melody on the chorus (I stress a little). Stevens injects "World Comin' Down" with a piercing little riff while the rhythm barrels down like an out of control freight train. Billy maintains a frantic vocal pace as his surrounding collapse in on him.

Acoustic finger-picking dominates "Rat Race" as Idol softens his tone a bit. When I say a bit, I mean until the rebellious (there I go again) chorus kicks in. Idol and Stevens still manage to keep their edge on "Sherri", which is about a misunderstood runaway. I didn't realize how funny Billy Idol could be until I heard "Plastic Jesus". It's a slow paced, acoustic track about questionable faith. The last verse is priceless.

There's no doubt that you've heard the addictive riffs of "Scream" on the radio by now; classic Idol for sure! The guitar work is pure Steve Stevens. Billy returns with more humor on "Yellin' at the Christmas Tree', which I'm sure will be a holiday classic this year. It's about his drunken father that oblivious to what's going on around him as he carries on with the tree. Thunderous riffs and palm muting add texture to "Body Snatcher". "Lady Do or Die" has Idol and Stevens exploring a country-rock sound.

The Bad
It could be another decade before he follows this one up.

The Verdict
Billy Idol + Steve Stevens = hard rock perfection. This combination is what was missing from Idol's last outings. Billy and Steven stay true to form for their comeback. Devil's Playground may not be the best place for kids to play, but mom and dad will sure have good time.

Oh, yeah! Billy's back...WOW...and that's very cool. Well, here it is...the Devil's Playground IS billy Idol's best album. I still think Rebel Yell is awesome, but this new one is heavier and metal-like. All I put into my cd player is metal now-a-days. This Devil's Playground is a nice addition to my metal collection. Every song on this cd rocks and at times it rocks very hard. Hey, I even like Yellin' at the Xmas Tree! Rebel Yellin' at the Xmas Tree!! Billy's vocals are outstanding and the musician's are excellent. Scream, Billy, scream all night long! My fav's are: Super Overdrive, World Comin' Down, Scream, Body Snatcher, Summer Running, the only song I'll skip at times is Plastic Jesus. Got to see this live! Come on, Billy, keep it rockin' I've missed your screams and snarls.

Billy Idol's new disc is awesome, he comes out of the gates with two great rockers and just keeps pouring it on. His singing and Steve Steven's guitar playing is some of their best ever. Can't say that there is one bad song on this disc, rockers, ballads, pop, metal, its all on the disc and all extremely well done. Billy has dropped his snarly english attitude bit and just sings his butt off on every track. Some of the lyrics are goofy and the xmas song seems out of place but in the overall scope of things these are minor annoyances. I bought my copy at Target for 9.98 and with that i now get to go out to the website and download bonus tracks, the best album of the year just got better, lol.

Here is my position: I don't care how old an artist is or how long they have been away from the 'music scene' just as long as the material they put out is good. That being said...I can tell you that 'Devil's Playground' is as good as 'Rebel Yell', if not better. I was a bit surprised at what a wide range he could take his voice. All the way from a somewhat higher key to the low growl (the Billy Idol we all know and love!) and even lower. It is a rare thing to really like all the tracks on one album. I can count on one hand w/ a finger lopped off how many albums I've really liked from start to finish the first time around. You know what I'm talking about...you put it in, play the radio hit a few times and then venture out a little and so on...not this case. 'Super Overdrive' grabs you and it's all over. He really does well at mixing it up. Everything from a nod to his Gen x days with 'World Comin' Down' to 'Sherri' the 80's sing along (and I mean that in a good way) to pure out and out rock! ('Rat Race' 'Body Snatcher' 'Scream'). How could anyone be disappointed with this piece of work? And if that's not enough, some of the tracks are really funny ('Plastic Jesus' 'Yellin' at the x-mas tree' 'Romeo's Waiting'). I never gave Steve Stevens proper credit for being such a great guitar player (and trust me,on this album he really gives it to you) but I was fortunate enough to see the live show at the Roxy in Hollywood recently and got the chance to tell them ALL how great the music really is. Bottom line: Billy Idol is in top form musically (and physically for that matter...49 yrs old and in better shape NOW than he was back in the day!). Do yourself a favor and go out and get this cd. You will love it!

Just when I thought rock music was dead and buried, here comes something that restores my faith in musicians - in that life (and the partying) doesn't end after age 30 - that it IS possible for musicians to still create fantastic new music and be even more fun and accessible than ever before - without repeating yourself - or putting out trash - or going off on some metaphysical journey nobody in this country can relate to (sorry Peter Murphy fans).

Wonder how many dashboards will now carry plastic Jesuses because of this? :)

Billy and Steve still "have it" ! After listening to this album, I HIGHLY regret not seeing them play Vegas live when they came through town in mid-March (before the album was released).

Almost think that Billy Idol is doing a post-JohnnyCash-death tribute to his bad-boy mentor - making the kind of "bad-boy" songs Johnny Cash can no longer record - because some of the songs on this album could very well have come from Johnny - only the student in this case surpasses the teacher! :) This album gets an A+ !!!

(but I suggest that you skip track #1 - listen to the CD starting at track #2 and then play #1 at the end).

Also think they have made the kind of song they wish Neil Diamond should have done - had Neil had a couple more drinks in him... (cherie)

My money is where my mouth is -- I've bought this album for friends at the store instead of copying it illegally. I suggest you get your own too.

PS and I disagree with previous reviewer -- I've seen pictures from their live show in the paper, and Mr.Idol's physique is *definitely* something he should be proud of and show off at every opportunity!

Billy Idol has turned out some excellent alternative/punk influenced tracks in his time - certainly Rebel Yell (perhaps his most well-known single) would appear on a lot of favorites lists, both close to his core fan base and further out in crossover audiences. With Devil's Playground, we have an entire album of first class, well composed, effectively arranged, gut-hitting rock - with a couple change-of-pace, cool-down numbers in the mix.

While his last entry, Cyberpunk, seemed to alienate a lot of his long-time listeners, it was the first Idol album I listened to straight through again and again. That album had a sonic consistency and superb production that I found less articulated in earlier works. Many of the lessons learned on Cyberpunk discreetly show up here on Devil's Playground, most notably drum mixing (like on Plastic Jesus and Rat Race) or the delightful techno-flavored break on Summer Running.

Devil's Playground will please the old-timers with its generally faithful return to earlier instrumentation as well as please a younger Radio Buffy audience (Romeo's Waiting, Evil Eye and Rat Race naturally seek a younger ear). Here we have a fairly successful marriage between punk sensibility and attractive audio, wrapped around Idol's sometimes sardonic, sometimes sexualized, sometimes straight-ahead passionate, lyrics - and his vocals still come through clear, on-key, guttural, delicate, as the need demands. Here's a singer that uses his voice as an instrument.

Anyone old enough to have listened to Billy Idol early on will hear some cues from other English acts here and there: Super Overdrive and World Comin' Down will remind some of us of early Queen's Roger Taylor-penned songs. In the same breath, Scream and Cherie will pull us right back to hearing something singularly Idol.

My only criticism might be that the keyboards (while rare, and effective for that) seem mixed a bit high, and not always well integrated into the rest of the fabric of sound.

This album deserves to make a big splash in the market - this is Billy Idol speaking to his core audience, especially if you've grown up along the way and also enjoy Buffy or The Craft soundtracks.