Billy Idol compiled
Billy Idol
The Very Best Of Billy Idol: Idolize Yourself
(Capitol/EMI)
Since Billy Idol’s intentions have always been so clear, he’s a classic debate case: Is it better to acknowledge you’re a sellout from the beginning?
An early MTV icon, Idol never achieved longevity. Idolize Yourself does little to dissuade history either, where 12 of 18 cuts encapsulate eight years, only half of which merit much more than a smirk. Perhaps that’s being harsh, but it’s only fair play for someone who set out to sexy-up punk rock and ended up neck deep in Thai whores and heroin. “White Wedding,” “Rebel Yell,” and “Dancing With Myself” are staples of an era noted for its vacancy, and the sub-hits (“Eyes Without A Face,” “Hot In The City”) cashed-in at best.
Still, there’s a feeling “Cradle Of Love,” despite its exposure questionable subject matter, is underrated. Before he tried to compete with grunge, Idol had a helluva Presley thing going on; it’s his own fault he couldn’t peel his face from the Billboard charts to realize it. Poseur!
— Steve Forstneger
Don’t say anything bad about Billy Idol.
Have you been living under a rock or what?
Billy Idol has been touring his Balls off for the last 11 years…America as well the world!
Try saying this crap over at the American Idol web site or any of the Euro sites…
You will get all the information about AN IDOL SHOW EXPERIENCE!!!It will then be easy for your readers to see YOU listened to the new music *once* just for this review.!!!!!
I take Billy Idol over a Hundred of your rockers of today Half his age….
Don’t be messing with the Idol!!!!!
Very snide and unperceptive review. Billy Idol’s longevity is immense: 3 Gen X albums and 8 solo albums, he’s still touring, and his songs still get airplay on classic stations. The critic reveals his own lack of substance by calling Billy’s songs vacant; in fact, “Eyes Without a Face” references things as disparate as Georges Franjou’s classic French horror film “Les Yeux Sans Visage” and Nikolai Gogol’s “Dead Souls.” It’s true that Billy infused punk’s nihilism with optimism and sex appeal – that’s part of his originality. After all, it takes a true rebel to rebel against the established form of rebellion. Poor review, bad critic.