Billy Idol: The Very Best Of Billy Idol – Idolize Yourself

Elly Roberts reviews

Billy Idol: The Very Best Of Billy Idol – Idolize Yourself
Distributed by
EMICover

  • Released: June 2008
  • Format: CD and Deluxe CD & DVD
  • Rating: 6/10
  • Vote and comment on this album:

Peroxide rocker’s career spanning best-of.. with two new songs.

William Michael Albert Broad wasn’t exactly rock’n’roll. So, Billy Idol wascreated.

American born Broad moved to Surrey aged four, settling eventually in GoringSussex. Later in life he attended Sussex University to study English andPhilosophy in 1975.

Punk erupted in the mid 70s, with Broad becoming a huge fan of the Sex Pistols.During 1975 he formed his first band The Rockettes, then came punksters GenerationX who had a string of mid table successes with songs like Your Generation,Ready Steady Go and their biggest hit King Rocker peaking at 11 in January1979.

When the band broke up he headed to New York where he met guitarist Steve Stevenswith whom he had a run of singles, in an attempt to make punk sexier, which heachieved with modest success, becoming one of the first stars of early MTV.


It’s a G-X song, their last, that’s used as the starting point here – Dancing With Myselffrom 1980.

This beat heavy, and much popier sound, failed to give them a good send-off,peaking at 62 in the UK charts.

Two years later, 1982, his solo career began with a classic – Hot In The City.Gone was the penchant snarl, adopting a crooner’s style, though his rasp doesresurface as he yells “New York”. Despite its lowly charting at 58, itremained a firm favourite at clubs and parties. It took a further two yearsfor Rebel Yell to emerge. This was return to his punkier roots with acommercial edge, and again was a huge club record, but surprisingly fairedless well at 62.

Brilliant synth ballad Eyes Without A Face made it to the top 20, thoughits follow up Flesh For Fantasy, sounding much like Simple Minds, was abackward step at 54. The came his purple patch. A pulsating White Wedding,popular at, er, weddings, shot to 6 in 1985, with Rebel Yell re-issued hot on itsheels, matching White Wedding’s position.


Three singles over the next two years – the dire To Be A Lover, club-orientatedDon’t Need A Gun and mellow Sweet Sixteen brought little success.A cover of Tommy James and The Shondells 1968 smash hit Mony, Mony inOctober 1987 zoomed into the top 10.

The exhilarating party format remained thesame, though brilliantly brought up to date. Capitalising on its success, aremix of Hot In The City in January 1988 made it to 13, thereafter hispopularity waned with his last single, Speed, trickling in at 47. Ofthe news songs, Future Weapon is marginally the better, but unlikely tochart.

With up and coming gigs in North America and Europe, from June to September2008, this nothing more than a pre-tour promotion album.

File under: Good collection. Not essential.

Weblink:billyidol.com


The full list of tracks included are :

1. Dancing With Myself
2. Hot In The City
3. Whiter Wedding (Part 1)
4. Rebel Yell
5. Eyes Without A Face
6. Flesh Or Fantasy
7. Catch My Fall
8. To Be A Lover
9. Don’t Need A Gun
10. Sweet Sixteen
11. Mony, Mony (Live)
12. Cradle Of Love
13. L.A.Woman
14. Shock To The System
15. Speed
16. World Coming Down
17. John Wayne (New track)
18. Future Weapon (New track)

[Up to the top of this page]


Loading…