Vital Idol [Original recording reissued]

Billy Idol | Format: Audio Cassette

Product Details

• Audio Cassette (October 17, 1990)
• Format: Original recording reissued
• Label: Capitol
• ASIN: B000003JAZ
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (30 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #900,046 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. White Wedding, Pts. 1-2 [Shot Gun Mix]

2. Mony Mony [Downtown Mix]

3. Hot in the City [Exterminator Mix]

4. Dancing with Myself [Uptown Mix]

5. Flesh for Fantasy [Below the Belt Mix]

6. To Be a Lover [Mother of Mercy Mix]

7. Love Calling [Rub a Dub Dub Mix]

8. Catch My Fall [Remix Fix]

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

What would the iconography of the '80s be without Billy Idol? Considerably less leather-bound and blindingly blonde, for sure. And what would the era sound like without its plethora of extended 12-inch "hit" remixes? This album focuses largely on the latter, to the decided disadvantage of the former. While an anthology of the era's best-remixed dance tracks isn't a bad idea, this doesn't come close. Lacking early hits like the rousing "Rebel Yell" and the apparently not-for-the-dance-floor "Eyes Without a Face," it's not even a real Idol greatest-hits collection. Every track here clocks in at five minutes-plus, thanks to ample doses of 4/4 drum loops, pulsing synths, and vocal hooks that are repeated ad nauseam. It may evoke a few dizzy club memories, but it's certainly no way to get acquainted with Idol's punk-pop catalog of hits. --Jerry McCulley

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars IMPRESSIVE DANCE REMIXES, January 21, 2004

By 

Pieter "Toypom" (Johannesburg) - See all my reviews
(HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Vital Idol (Audio CD)

This 1987 collection of club remixes extends some of Idol's hits to dancefloor length and brings the rhythms to the fore. The eight minutes+ White Wedding works especially well as this version loses none of its ominous, brooding quality while the remixed rhythms certainly turn it into a club stomper. The Uptown Mix of Dancing With Myself also works well as a dance track and I like this lively up-tempo version of Mony Mony (the old Tommy James/Shondells hit) with its hypnotic circular rhythmic patterns.

To Be A Lover is one of my favorite Idol songs but it is rather short in the original version and in this dance mix the patterns become a bit repetitive at times. Hot In The City and Flash For Fantasy are all right, but I would have preferred remixes of some other hits like Sweet Sixteen, Eyes Without A Face or Don't Need A Gun instead. This album is great for retro parties and still gets the feet moving when played at clubs, but might not appeal to all of Idol's rock/pop audience. I think it is a successful dance adaptation of his style and would have given it 5 stars if the aforementioned omissions had been included.

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Billy's best but with a warning..., August 27, 2000

By 

Candace Scott (Lake Arrowhead, CA, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Vital Idol (Audio CD)

This collection represents Billy Idol's greatest songs, but be forwarned that these are *not* the original single version of these hit songs. For example, the wonderful "White Wedding" was only 4 minutes in the single version, but included here is the dance version which is 8 minutes. Ditto with Catch My Fall, Flesh for Fantasy and Catch My Fall. I don't know about you, but sometimes less is more, especially when the 10 minutes versions of these songs are utterly inferior to the original and familiar versions. They drone on and on with idiotic instrumentals which play on forever.

The Idol boxed set is much preferable to this collection, and contains the songs as they were originally released. Billy Idol is an under-rated singer and songwriter and the boxed set showcases his talent much better than this disc.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Idol is in excellent form in this pulse pounding CD, September 5, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Vital Idol (Audio CD)

For anyone who doesn't have a Billy Idol CD, this is a great introduction to this rock artist. White Wedding and MONY are the best known songs of the collection but every track on this CD has a great beat and can be enjoyed play after play. My favorite Billy Idol story is that a few years ago Billy was supposedly asked by a reporter if a published report that he was "born again" was true. Billy responded that he was not "born again," he was "into porn again." How can you not love this guy! Vidal Idol will not disappoint.