Billy
Idol The Very Best Of Billy Idol: Idolize Yourself
[album]
“Billy
Idol — the star with the platinum
sound and the platinum hair —
is
respected as the original punk rocker
who found a way to take that sneering,
punk attitude into the pop and rock
mainstream, creating songs that have
lasted a lifetime. His is a talent that
is reflected in the hot new album:
The Very Best Of Billy Idol: Idolize
Yourself...”
BILLY IDOL'S RICH, HUSKY AND MATURE VOICE seems to get better and
better each time you listen to it — even more so on the hot new
album The Very Best Of Billy Idol: Idolize Yourself, that is to be unleashed
by EMI Music on 21 July (2008).
A visual performer, Billy doesn't have to work too hard to prove he's back on
form — as the two super new tracks on the album confirm. Future Weapon
is a head-banging, feel-good, upbeat creation to get your heart racing: "I'm
after your soul!" sings Billy; reminiscent of Sci-Fi writer Michael Moorcock's
'Stealer of Souls'.
The other is John Wayne — released as a single by EMI Records on
7 July (2008) — and it is a brilliant, well put together song with the
opening music evoking the classic westerns the great man was so good at.
"When I'm singing it," says Billy, "I'm thinking about the characters John Wayne
played. They were usually men with a flaw in their character or something dark
in their past they're trying to rise above before the end of the movie. So it's
not about the kick-in-the-door John Wayne or the bar-room fight John Wayne —
it's more the man who overcomes." We know just what he means: In The Searchers,
John Wayne goes looking for his niece, who has been abducted by Indians —
and he hates Indians… And in True Grit, he has to find himself before
setting off to chase down a pack of wild outlaws.
The Very Best Of Billy Idol: Idolize Yourself comes as a Deluxe Edition
CD/DVD and digital collection and includes three era-defining UK Top 10 hits
among the 18 tracks: White Wedding, which sends tingles down your spine;
the rousing Rebel Yell, and Mony, Mony — a fantastic classic
sound that always strikes a chord.
The new, career-spanning CD opens with a great dance number that has a compelling
beat, Dancing With Myself — but you could bet your bottom dollar
that Billy wouldn't be alone for long! I loved the fascinating melodies of Hot
In The City and Sweet Sixteen is an ambitious track which exploits
Billy's gravely voice. I also like the enigmatic Eyes Without A Face,
Speed and The Cradle Of Love — all cool numbers to get you
hot under the collar!
Billy Idol is still at the peak of his powers, working with long-time partner
and guitar great Steve Stevens and his other current band members: drummer and
song-writing collaborator Brian Tichy and Derek Sherinian on keyboard.
Production duties are down to rock heavyweight Josh Abraham, whose production
discography includes (among many others): Velvet Revolver's double-platinum,
Grammy Award-winning Contraband; 30 Seconds To Mars' platinum A Beautiful
Lie; Staind's eight-times platinum Break The Cycle and double-platinum
14 Shades Of Grey; Limp Bizkit's seven-times platinum Chocolate Starfish
And The Hot Dog Flavoured Water and Courtney Love's America's Sweetheart.
The Deluxe Edition adds thirteen music videos making their DVD release debuts,
including Hot In The City (Uncensored Version) and an alternative edit
of Cradle Of Love — neither of which have been released before in
any format. The CD and CD/DVD packages are both designed by US street artist
Shepard Fairey and include liner notes by David Wild.
The niche that Billy idol has created for himself over these past few decades
is impressive: "It's funny what you have to do to carve out your own niche,"
Idol says with a laugh when asked about the new collection's Idolize Yourself
title. "But everyone should idolize themselves, shouldn't they?" Perhaps they
should…
• John
Wayne is available as a digital download on 7 July and also features on
the EMI Records album release The Very Best Of Billy Idol: Idolize Yourself,
available as a CD, Deluxe Edition CD/DVD & Digital Album that will be released
on 21 July (2008). Catalogue Numbers: CD: 2151402; CD/DVD: 2151432.
"Billy Idol's rich, husky and mature voice seems to get better and better each
time you listen to it — even more so on the hot new album The Very Best
Of Billy Idol: Idolize Yourself" — MotorBar
Tracklisting —
CD, Digital Album & Deluxe Edition CD/DVD:
1 Dancing With Myself | 2 Hot In The City | 3 White Wedding
(Part 1) | 4 Rebel Yell |
5 Eyes Without A Face | 6 Flash For 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 Comin' Down |
17 John Wayne (new, exclusive track) | 18 New Future Weapon
(new, exclusive track).
DVD (Deluxe Edition CD/DVD):
1 Dancing With Myself | 2 Hot In The City (uncensored version,
previously unreleased) |
3 White Wedding (Part 1) | 4 Rebel Yell | 5 Eyes
Without A Face | 6 Flash For 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 (extended Billy
Idol-only version, previously unreleased) | 13 L A Woman.
Check out www.billyidol.net.
