The buffed body and trademark sneer on the cover of Billy Idol's latest Devil's Playground are the first clues Idol is back in stride. In the early 90s he veered seriously off track embracing digital music and techno beats, but a 10-year layoff appears to have performed wonders.
Since his days as a punk pioneer leading the band Generation X in the mid-70s, Billy Idol has been most successful when he embraces an over-the-top, almost cartoonish, version of himself as a rock bad boy with vicious hooks. The result, at its most successful, is pure entertainment. Devil's Playground is a welcome return of the Idol of the 80s - sneer, fist, peroxide blonde and crackling pop hooks intact.
The album kicks off in satisfying form with the rock of "Super Overdrive" giving way to the punk speed of "World Comin' Down." Lyrical sillyness abounds, but, filled with Idol's growl and Steve Stevens' guitar pyrotechnics, these songs are likely to raise a smile. The sound of corporate rock nearly shows its ugly head on "Rat Race," but it's quickly buried in the 80s pop glory of "Sherri." Billy Idol tries a bit too hard to reprise the peak he reached on Rebel Yell over 20 years ago with his current single "Scream," but he more than makes up for that misguided effort with a new dysfunctional Christmas classic "Yellin' At the Christmas Tree."
Lest the listener imagine Devil's Playground is merely an effort to recover past glories, Idol does stretch his boundaries somewhat here, and the results are a bit mixed.
His gravelly growl does not carry the soulfulness of the late Johnny Cash as painfully evident on the Cash-inflected "Lady Do Or Die." As he has proved in the past with masterful reworkings of Tommy James classics, Billy Idol is more at home with 60s pop, echoing Neil Diamond's "Cherry Cherry" on the track "Cherie." The effort to craft a heavy metal epic on the album's closer "Summer Running" is a bit of a misstep as it would require us to take him more seriously than we've ever wanted to.
Article comments
1 - Eric Berlin
I've been longing for an Idol comeback ever since he showed up at the end of The Wedding Singer.
I'm glad to hear that Idol is back in form and look forward to checking out his new stuff.
2 - ImonZ
This is what we all have waited for. Glory to you Billy Idol!
3 - Temple Stark
Bill, this was the seocnd review so I put both up.
Launched this on the world - or at least the part of the world that scours Advance.net for the (family-friendly) cream of the BC Web log. That's hundreds of thousands of people a week.
Here's the link. Sorry here. That's hundreds of thousands of readers per week.
- Thanks. Temple
4 - Steve
Thank God Billy's back, I've waited a long time to hear is stuff again. Great new stuff! His 90's music was just as good, I don't care what anybody says, Charmed Life and Cyberpunk were way beyond their time. Billy is a pure musical genius measured up against anyone in the business, past or present!
5 - Steve
Pure Genius, don't let his raw look fool you in thinking this guy doesn't know what he's doing.
6 - mike
This is a great cd, i was hesitant at first but when i listen to it, its awesome, balls to thw wall rock is what i would describe this cd, This billy idol is the best since rebel yell, Billy idol is back
7 - jay
Billy is the #1 rock god and i'm
glad that sneer is back he's a brilliant singer and needs to show his stuff more I don/t care how old he is he'll always be great. P.S. he is so hot
8 - Amz
I caught Billy Idol in concert this past saturday and I have to say that he rocks hard as ever. Steve and the entire band were beyond perfect! Everyone there knows how to put on a show. A great break from the whiney-crybaby emo crap...his new songs were in the fantastic rock-n-roll sex god style!
Unlike the above, I really like the song Summer Runnin. I don't think that a lot of the general population realizes that Billy is extreamly talented. True, he knows what sells and I'll buy it anyday ;) Just like all of us though he has many sides and it is fun to see a different angle.
9 - Pattie
I just saw Billy in concert and damn does he look fine!!!!!! It was over 100 degrees in the theater but still managed to be one of the best shows of the year.