Customer Reviews

Essential

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Made in EU in 2003, Serial# 07243-582221-2-8, Playing Time 43:49

This copy-controlled CD is simply the re-issue of 1998's "Billy Idol Songs - 11 Of The Best", with different artwork.

EMI had the opportunity when re-issuing this collection to restore the 5 "truncated" songs ("White Wedding Part 1", "Eyes Without A Face", "Mony Mony", "Flesh For Fantasy" and "Don't Need A Gun") to their original full-length versions... they did NOT !!!

ONLY for the completist... and try to find "11 of the best" instead; the packaging is better, and you can play it effortlessly on your PC as well!

You really don't have to listen to this CD to review it. Anybody who has been awake since the early 80's will know many of these tunes. So even though I'm not a big fan of the original pop punk prince or his trademark sneer I gotta admit he's done some good things in his time.

Originally released as 'Billy Idol songs - 11 of the best' this is a very concise and perfectly balanced purchase that would be perfect for the long term fan who wants a brief disc for his car but is too lazy to burn one for himself or the casual hard rock fan who doesn't want/need the whole back catalogue.

Ultimately this release wanders from anthemic rockers with punk twinges such as Rebel Yell, Mony Mony and semi power ballad To Be A Lover - the 80's electro beats infuse many tracks such as Fresh for Fantasy and Eyes Without A Face which was/is a left turn straight into early 80's style balladeering. With judicious track sequencing this disc scoots along never getting stale at all and material as diverse as the delicate and haunting Sweet Sixteen happily sits on the same disc as the somewhat sneering White Wedding.

This is a great summation of Idols hits and let's face it he's had a few. First seeing the light of day in '88 or so under the aforementioned other title this disc fails to include the punchy rocker Speed from the Keanu Reeves movie of the same name or anything from his later more ill fated releases. But such a minor gripe shouldn' stop the casual rock fan picking up this handy career retrospective.

Although not exhaustive nor complete by any means, this enjoyable compilation does include Idol's biggest chart hits and some quite timeless songs. Many of these tracks found a rhythmic niche between rock and dance, meaning they were indisputably rock songs but very popular in the clubs and the discos. These include White Wedding with its ominous undertones, Eyes Without A Face, the stomping remake of the 1960s bubblegum classic Mony Mony, Don't Need A Gun and Dancing With Myself, a track which dates from Idol's period with the punk pioneers Generation X.

There is something of Elvis Presley's style in the gorgeous passionate ballad To Be A Lover, almost like it was a tribute to the King. Sweet Sixteen is a gentle, lilting ballad with a beautiful tune. The Essential Billy Idol demonstrates his virtuosity as both a rocker and interpreter of moving ballads. Idol helped shape punk history in the 1970s with Generation X and returned the next decade as a versatile musician in his own right, with a distinctive style. This is a great introduction to his music.