Tag: To Be A Lover

Billy Idol – ‘Idol Songs: 11 of the Best’ (1988) – Album Review (The Billy Idol Series)

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While I was recording a show on Grant’s Rock Warehaus, we were discussing the Billy Idol Chrysalis Years and as I was gathering my vinyl for that show, I realized that I was missing the ‘Idol Songs: 11 of the Best’ from my collection. I could’ve sworn I had bought that one before as I remember holding it in my hand at one time. But, I apparently didn’t buy it. So, I told Grant I would remedy that situation and so I head over to discogs to see if I could get one and what the best one to get. Well, it turned out the best version to get was the UK 1988 version which came with a 12″ Limited 4 Track E.P. exclusive to this set. Sold. I bought it from someone in Sweden and a week later, it was in my hands. It still had the stickers on the front and back cover talking about the 12″ Exclusive 4 Track E.P. and it was in pristine shape.

The album was released on June 20, 1988 on Chrysalis Records and contains 11 tracks from his first three studio albums as well as the E.P. and includes a live version of “Mony, Mony” which wiki says comes from the ‘Don’t Stop’ E.P. but my E.P. does not have a live version, it is the studio track. You can get another limited edition version with 2 bonus tracks, but why do that when you get one like I have with the the 4 bonus tracks. The album went to #2 on the UK Charts and was certified Platinum. I don’t really remember this album here in the States as it came out after Vital Idol and I felt that was pushed way more than this compilation. But I have one now, so all is good. In 2003, they did reissue this album with a different cover and called it ‘Essentials’…I like my version better.

The opening track is the title song “Rebel Yell” which actually opened the ‘Rebel Yell’ album.  It is a scorcher of a song, high energy and attitude.  The opening of the song is all done with the guitar even though it sounds like both a guitar and a keyboard.  Steve is showing off right out of the gate.  Vocally, Billy is on fire and you can see his lip curling up while he is signing which is amazing as it is on vinyl.  “Rebel Yell” was actually inspired by the Rolling Stones according to Billy on VH1 Storytellers.  Billy was at a party thrown by the Stones and everyone was drinking Rebel Yell Bourbon Whiskey.  I guess he loved that whiskey (along with a lot of drugs at the time).

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Billy Idol – ‘Icon’ (2013) – Album Review ( the Billy Idol Series)

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Apparently compilations are always a big hit with the music buying public. No one wants full albums anymore of new material…nope. They just want the hits. Universal Music & Capitol Records are capitalizing on that and have a series called ‘Icon’. You might have seen one from Kiss, Megadeth, Limp Bizkit, even Billy Ray Cyrus. In 2013, Billy Idol was treated with his own ‘Icon’ greatest hits compilation.

Here is my thing with these releases. They are LAZY! No new edits, no unreleased tracks and only room for a handful of the hits. Not even all the good ones. This Billy Idol release is no different. It only draws from his biggest albums, the first three and one Generation X song. It is missing the good stuff from Charmed Life, Cyberpunk or even Devil’s Playground. However, what is here is good, great in fact. These songs are classics for a reason so I can’t complain about that, but it is still a safe collection. The songs are in chronological order which is also pretty damn lazy.

The albums first is the now classic, “Dancing With Myself”.  I say now a classic because this song failed to chart upon its release and didn’t really do much.  It wasn’t until Billy released it as one of his solo songs, but that is for another discussion.  The song was inspired by what the band saw while on tour in Tokyo.  They noticed at that dance clubs, the people were dancing more with their own reflections in the mirrored walls than they were with other people. The song is pure New Wave dance music with a slight punk edge…classic Billy Idol solo.  It is so melodic and catchy.  The guitars are a little louder on this version and not as much bass, but other than that it is the song you know.  A great way to start out the collection. This track is off the Generation X album ‘Kiss Me Deadly’.

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Billy Idol – “To Be A Lover” 12″ Single (The Billy Idol Series – Bonus Edition)

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Back in April 2019, the family took a trip to Paris and I found a lot of records while shopping in a few really cool French Record Shops.  This particular one, which I am not sure why I didn’t include in the Billy Idol series in the timeline it belongs, was nothing really special.  It didn’t have any thing I didn’t already have, but I didn’t have it.  That was the only reason I bought it.  I guess the really cool thing it has is this French price sticker in the upper right corner of the back cover.

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The single is a 12″ Max-Single of the single “To Be A Lover” off the album ‘Whiplash Smile’.  Now this also has two other songs.  A remix of the single as well as another song off the album called “All Summer Long”.  Let us get in to the music.

SIDE ONE:

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“To Be A Lover” (Mother of Mercy Mix) opens it up and this should really be called the Sex Mix with the woman practically orgasming with her sultry, seductive voice throughout.  Damn!!  A total blast.  This is the version you can find on the 1987 album ‘Vital Idol’ along with 7 other re-mixes of Idol’s hits up to that point.  This was not on the UK version released 2 years earlier as ‘Whiplash Smile’ album was not out yet.

SIDE TWO:

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This was the first single of the album ‘Whiplash Smile’ and it was a cover of William Bell’s “To Be A Lover” which was co-written by Booker T. Jones back in 1968.  Billy completely modernized the song and turned it in to a dance track.  It has some great soulful female backing vocals and fancy piano riffs and an all around fantastic track.  The song is actually quite poignant in that with his longtime girlfriend leaving him since he “forgot to be a lover” with his drug use and sexcapades with other women.  It felt like he was confessing that he screwed up.

Then comes “All Summer Single” which has too many effects and no substance.  It is plain and dull for me and I never connected to this one.  It feels lonely like Billy was without his girlfriend Perri…so sad.

And there you have it…a little bonus edition of the Billy Idol Series.  We have one more coming up soon on the Deluxe Edition of the Generation X the band’s debut album.

Now, if you want to check out the full reviews and the entire Billy Idol Series, click on any and all of the links below…

  1. Generation X – ‘Generation X’
  2. Generation X – ‘Valley of the Dolls’
  3. Gen X – ‘Kiss Me Deadly’
  4. Generation X – ‘The BBC Transcription Disc Series No. 126 1978’
  5. Billy Idol – Don’t Stop E.P.
  6. Billy Idol – Billy Idol
  7. Billy Idol – Rebel Yell
  8. Billy Idol – Whiplash Smile
  9. Billy Idol – To Be A Lover – Single Review
  10. Billy Idol – Vital Idol
  11. Billy Idol – Charmed Life
  12. Billy Idol – Cyberpunk
  13. Billy Idol – “Speed” (song from the Speed Soundtrack)
  14. Generation X – K.M.D. Sweet Revenge
  15. Billy Idol – VH1 Storytellers (Live)
  16. Billy Idol – Devil’s Playground
  17. Billy Idol – Happy Holidays
  18. Billy Idol – The Very Best of Billy Idol: Idolize Yourself
  19. Billy Idol – Kings & Queens of the Underground
  20. Billy Idol – BFI Live (#RSD 2019)
  21. Billy Idol – Revitalized
  22. Generation X – Your Generation (7″ Record Store Day Release)
  23. Billy Idol – The Albums Ranked From Worst to First

Billy Idol – ‘Vital Idol’ – Album Review (The Billy Idol Series)

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Mid-way through the tour for Whiplash Smile, there was a new head at Chrysalis Records named Mike Bone.  He wanted to immediately make his mark with Billy and suggested putting a compilation together of Remixed songs along with a live version of “Mony Mony”.  Billy was on board and while on tour, they recorded the live version, slapped a bunch of remixes together and bam…you had an album.

All this above was from Billy’s book, ‘Dancing With Myself’, but doesn’t make sense to me.  As the time in the book was around 86/87 and this compilation had already been released in 1985 in the UK.  In September 1987, ‘Vital Idol’ was released in the US.  Plus, my version doesn’t have a “Live” version of “Mony Mony”.  At least it doesn’t sound live.  Not sure Billy’s memory was correct in the order of things as the book doesn’t mention the UK version and the live take of “Mony, Mony” was on the greatest hits collection that came out in 1988 not the 1987 version of Vital Idol.  Sorry, not completely true as a 1988 Japanese version of Vital Idol does have the live version.  Confusing.

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The UK and US version also differed ever so slightly.  The UK version had one less song and the track order was different.  The US version had a remix of a track off Whiplash Smile which the UK version was out before that album was even released so it wouldn’t have it.

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Billy Idol – ‘Whiplash Smile’ – Album Review (The Billy Idol Series)

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After the tour for Rebel Yell, Billy Idol continued to live like he was on tour.  The drug use was getting worse, his relationship with Perri Lister was over and even his manager, Bill Aucoin was absent due to his own drug issues.  Billy’s world was slowly spiraling out of control.  And so was his ego.

When work was started on his next album ‘Whiplash Smile’, Billy’s ego started to get in the way.  He wanted control.  He wanted to write all the songs.  He wanted to add more synthesizers, more sounds, more stuff that wasn’t Steve Stevens.  And it is noticeable in the music.

What is also noticeable, is that with everyone leaving his life, the loneliness found its way into the music.  And an album that found about as much success as its predecessor, it wasn’t not quite the Billy Idol album people wanted or critics even liked.  It was an album that would lead to the end of a relationship between musicians that really needed each other.

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