Introduction: Billy Idol has never thrilled me too much. I never quite understood where the line was drawn between the persona and the artist. His tough-guy poses, which dominated all the magazines in the eighties, led me to set him aside a bit, mainly because such a look corresponded to a rock-pop built for the charts. To be clear, some songs were good songs, but the production of those years dampened their impact.
Yet Billy Idol’s artistic birth is quite respectable. With his GENERATION X, he was one of the prime movers of the British punk scene as far back as 1975. Generation X was among the first groups in the movement to transfer pop melody to punk energy, something Idol would take to the extreme from '81 when he began his solo career, also adding synths and electronics.
In 2005, a full twelve years after "CYBERPUNK," which divided critics and fans, and at 50 years old, Billy Idol returns with the album of artistic maturity, or better yet, offers a summary of his career by adding new elements that could represent his possible musical future.
Having survived a terrible motorcycle accident in '90 and having overcome the usual problems with his various vices, little has been heard of him in these twelve years. I recall a good vocal performance of his on "Into The Night," a track on the first solo album by Tony Iommi, mastermind of Black Sabbath, released in 2000.
There’s great curiosity, then, for this album which alternates some punk-oriented episodes such as "Super Overdrive", "World Comin' Down", and "Scream", where the raw guitars of loyal STEVE STEVENS are front and center along with Idol’s sometimes more rebellious voice. And if the first two tracks are two very '90s punk songs, "Scream" is very eighties and wouldn’t be out of place on an album by Hardcore Superstar.
Then there are more modern and melodic rock episodes like "Rat Race", "Sherri", "Romeo's Waiting", and "Evil Eye", songs like "Body Snatcher" built on a vaguely metallic guitar riff, and "Yellin' At The Xmas Tree", a "Christmas" parody with lyrics focused on family discomfort.
But in the end, what remained with me from this album are the acoustic songs that revealed a different Idol. The acoustic ballads like "Lady Do Or Die", country and very western seem to come from a JOHNNY CASH vinyl, "Cherie", "Summer Running", and the cover "Plastic Jesus". With this handful of songs, Billy Idol discovers himself as a songwriter and leaves aside his suburban macho appearance to indulge in country and mainstream sounds. Could this be the future of the ex-rebel?
Surely an album to listen to before putting it aside as I was about to do. Surely it went completely unnoticed by the general public, and sometimes that’s a good sign...
Tracklist Lyrics and Videos
01 Super Overdrive (04:18)
In the devil's playground
With an Idol mind
Straight up, ready to go
Announce the time
Does he still have the magic?
Yes he does
He'll be famous
Just because
Just because
You know you're gonna have
To turn around
Just because you have to change
Your mind sometimes
Yeah, you're gonna have to
Turn around
Ride my rocket
Round and round
And round we go
One time before I die
Round and round and
Round the world
In super overdrive
See the world through a little hole
See it fly by
Here I am in super overdrive
Super overdrive
Super overdrive
I'm slidin' on the swings
I'm swinging' on the slides, I'm Alive
Fuel-injected, passion-erected, death-defied
One day it's gonna come, boy
You're gonna pay oh
That ain't today ridin' on the Milky Way
On the Milky Way
You know you're gonna have
To turn around
Just because you have to change
Your mind sometimes
Yeah, you're gonna have to
Turn around
Bite the Bullet
Round and round
And round we go
One time before I die
Round and round and round the world
In super overdrive
See the world through a little hole
See it fly by
Here I am in super overdrive
Super overdrive
In super overdrive
Take it
1,2,3,4
Well in the devil's playground
With an Idol mind
Straight up, ready to go
Announce the time
Does he still have the magic?
Yes he does
He'll be famous
Just because
Just because
Round and round and round we go
One time before we die
Round and round and round the world
In super overdrive
Round and round and round we go
One time before I die
Round and round and round the world
In super overdrive
See the world through a little hole
See it fly by
Here I am in super over
Here I am in super over
Here I am in super overdrive
Super overdrive
Repeat....
04 Sherri (03:17)
Chorus:
Come home, it's a brand new day
Come home, my Sherri, Sherri runaway
Come on, there's a devil to pay
Come home, my Sherri, Sherri runaway
Sherri's on the run
'Cos no one seems to listen
There's something deep inside
Heartfelt that she's missing
They are not in your shoes
They are not you
Poor fools
You know it's a world of confusion
All usin' and self-abusin'
So...
Chorus
"When I'm out having fun
The whole world seems to glisten"
She said
"There's a fire going on
The choppers ain't detecting"
She said
"We have such simple veiws"
So I must see inside of you
Now that my world is changing
C'mon back, I should be celebrating
So...
Chorus
Duckin' in and out
Hiding from authority
Sittin' in a wayside home
I said come back to me
Duckin' in and out
Hiding from authority
Sittin' in a wayside home
I said come back to me
Chorus
There is a day in a life as it happens
Play by play, minute by minute
This is the way of life as it happens
Day by day, hour by hour
Chorus
Sherri runaway
Sherri runaway
Sherri runaway
Sherri run
Come home
There's a brand new
Brand new day
05 Plastic Jesus (04:53)
I DON'T CARE IF IT
RAINS OR FREEZES
AS LONG AS I GOT MY
PLASTIC JESUS
RIDIN' ON THE DASHBOARD
OF MY CAR
THROUGH MY TRIALS
AND TRIBULATIONS
AND MY TRAVELS
THROUGH THE NATION
WITH MY PLASTIC JESUS
I'LL GO FAR
RIDIN' DOWN THE THOROUGHFARE
WITH A NOSE UP IN THE AIR
A WRECK MAY BE AHEAD
BUT HE DON'T MIND
TROUBLE COMIN'
HE DON'T SEE
HE JUST KEEPS HIS EYE ON ME
AND ANY OTHER THING THAT LIES BEHIND
CHORUS
WITH MY PLASTIC JESUS
GOODBYE AND I'LL GO FAR
I SAID WITH MY PLASTIC JESUS
SITTING ON THE DASHBOARD OF MY CAR
WHEN I'M IN A TRAFFIC JAM
HE DON'T CARE IF I SAY DAMN
I CAN LET ALL MY CURSES ROLL
'COS JESUS' PLASTICO DOESN'T HEAR
'COS HE'S GOT A PLASTIC EAR
THE MAN WHO INVENTED PLASTIC
SAVED MY SOUL
CHORUS
AND IF I WEAVE AROUND AT NIGHT
POLICEMEN THINK I'M VERY TIred
THEY NEVER FIND MY BOTTLE
THOUGH THEY ASK
'COS PLASTIC JESUS SHELTERS ME
FOR HIS HEAD COMES OFF YOU SEE
HE'S HOLLOW AND I USE HIM LIKE A FLASK
WOA WOA WOA
SAVE ME
I DON'T CARE IF IT'S DARK OR SCARY
LONG AS I GOT MAGNETIC MARY
RIDIN' ON THE DASHBOARD OF MY CAR
I FEEL THAT I'M PROTECTED AMPLY
I'VE GOT THE LOVE OF THE WHOLE DAMN FAMILY
RIDIN' ON THE DASHBOARD OF MY CAR
WITH MY PLASTIC JESUS
I SAID GOODBYE
AND I'LL GO FAR
AND I SAID WITH MY PLASTIC JESUS
I SAID SITTING ON THE DASHBOARD OF MY CAR
OUTRO
WHEN I'M GOIN' FORNICATIN'
I'VE GOT MY CERAMIC SATAN
SITTIN' ON THE DASHBOARD OF MY CAR
WOMEN KNOW I'M ON THE LEVEL
THANKS TO THE WIDE-EYED STONEWARE DEVIL
SNEERIN' FROM THE DASHBOARD OF MY CAR
06 Scream (04:42)
Ooh, yeah!
You can fill my cup,
You can fill my bowl,
This train is ready to roll,
Your eyes of fire,
Have stole my soul,
Still coming back for more,
You are the lock,
I am the key,
Climb up my lemon tree,
You are the one,
You're on your knees,
You are my little queen,
You know just what I mean,
Climb up my lemon tree
[Chorus]
Make me scream,
All night, all night long,
Gonna get extreme,
All night, all night long,
Make me scream,
All night, all night long,
Gonna get obscene,
All night,
All night long,
All night,
All night long
Pretty baby in the back of my car,
Look now, you've gone too far,
Have a slice of my lemon pie,
One more will get you high
You wanna know,
You wanna see,
How much you can squeeze,
You are the one,
You are a tease,
You love my demon seed,
You know just what I mean,
Climb up my lemon tree
[Chorus]
Suck it!
You took me in the wild,
No one around for miles,
You ain't too proud to beg,
Juice runnin' down my leg,
I want a chick who makes me feel,
Hmm, closer dear,
I want you to be free,
I want you lovin' me,
I want to hear you scream,
I want you just like me
[Chorus]
One more time now
[Chorus]
07 Yellin' at the Xmas Tree (04:14)
Yellin' at the Xmas Tree
When I was a small boy
Here in London town
Seasons snow was falling on the ground
All the friends and family
Here on Christmas Eve
Gather round to dress
The Christmas tree
But daddy’s down at the pub
Full of Christmas cheer
Probably won’t come home
Until next year
Chorus
Oh the Christmas bells are ringing
And the carolers are singing
But Daddy, he don’t hear ‘em
He’s yellin’ at the Christmas tree
Santa’s balls are jingling
Mommy’s hips a-wiggling
But Daddy, he don’t hear ‘em
He’s yellin, he’s yellin’
At the Christmas tree
All right now yeah…
Uncle is a sports fan
Granny likes a joke
But no one laughs when
Daddy’s stumbles home
But he don’t fall asleep
Wah! The night was getting black
You see, oh God,
Dad had too much Jack
Oh Lord!
Every year is the same old thing
Like Rudolph’s red nose
Telling this story will never get old
Chorus
Well alright now yeah…
Well alright now…
Yellin’ at the Christmas tree
Santa came down the chimney
But then he ran upstairs
Jumped in bed with Mommy
She didn’t care
Across the room went the fruitcakes
Ah, the wreath came off the door
If these are holidays I can take no more
Every year it’s the same old thing
Like Rudolph’s red nose
Hearing this story will never get old
Chorus
Santa’s balls are jingling
Mommy’s hips a-wiggling
But Daddy, he don’t hear ‘em
He’s yellin’
He’s yellin’ at the Christmas tree
Well alright now yeah…
He’s yellin’ at the Christmas tree
He’s yellin’ at the Christmas tree
He’s yellin’ at the Christmas tree
He’s sleeping it the Christmas tree
12 Cherie (03:47)
Like the moon moves the tides,
You influence my mind,
Like the planets and the stars,
Keep the rhythm to your time,
Are you happy with him,
Yes, I let you go
[Chorus]
Girl, I love you,
Cherie, I love you,
Girl, I love you,
Cherie, I love you,
I was a fool to let you go
Like the alchemist,
Who couldn't resist the devil's kiss,
Base metal into gold,
And the psychiatrist,
Who's battling deep within his own soul,
I was like them down the hole
[Chorus]
All the memories of our life,
Like Venince in spring,
New York City summers,
Paris, London winters' chill
[Chorus]
I love you so,
Want you to know,
I love you so
As the apples fall, the leaves turn,
Make it to autumn's call,
But you still know your way,
Never be outdone at all,
And if I falter, I see it in our child
Girl, I love you,
Cherie, I love you,
Girl, I love you,
No, I won't let go
Girl, I love you,
Cherie, I love you,
Girl, I love you,
No, I can't let go
Girl, I need your sunshine to feel alright,
Girl, I need your sunshine to feel alright
[Repeat Chorus]
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Other reviews
By pier_paolo_farina
The album in question is only the sixth of his career... this anticipated comeback is resolute and powerful, a more than respectable recycling of his image and talent.
The music is still the same as always: punk tamed to pop metal, abrasive only formally, in reality very attentive to the search for accessibility and commerciality.