Rating: 9/10

Track Amount: 9

Running Time: 38 minutes and 22 seconds

Genre: Punk/New Wave

Personnel: Billy Idol (guitars and vocals), Steve Stevens (lead guitars, bass guitars, electronics), Steve Webster (bass guitars), Judi Dozier (keyboards), Thommy Price (drums), plus other contributors

Producer: Keith Forsey

Recording Location: Electric Lady Studios, RPM and MediaSound in New York City, USA

Record Label: Chrysalis

Art Direction: Michael MacNeil

Best Tracks: Rebel Yell, Eyes Without A Face, Blue Highway

Quick Verdict: A dated but perfectly enjoyable classic album

This is the definitive Billy Idol album release that listeners should pay attention to. After the success of Billy Idol’s self-titled debut album, Billy Idol himself moved on from being just the singer of the Punk group Generation X and became a superstar of sorts during the early 1980s. At a party with The Rolling Stones, they were drinking Rebel Yell, which Billy Idol thought was a great album title, hence this album that came out shortly afterwards. This album achieved considerable success, both critically and commercially and cemented Billy Idol as a Punk Rock superstar and a household name. Let’s go back in time to 1983 and take a listen to this album, and we shall hear if it still sounds good today.

1. Rebel Yell begins with some awesome and spacey guitars, launching into a really good New Wave Music piece. Billy Idol sings and commands a fantastic stage presence from the get-go, with some fantastic screams that are awesomely raspy and powerful. This is a fantastic and iconic song that sounds deliciously 1980s. The musicianship and performances are absolutely stunning and wonderful to listen to. Detailing a sexual escapade of youthful vigour, this is, without a doubt, a really excellent and pleasant listening experience that anyone in their 20s will understand. Musically, it is matched by fantastic sounds and guitar shredding galore. The electronics are also really fantastic to hear. A thriving and groovy piece that sounds really cool. Absolutely awesome music with attention to detail that sounds interesting and driven throughout. Billy Idol and his crew are absolutely awesome to listen to. A top song to listen to. Fantastic. The outro is spacey.

2. Daytime Drama continues it all with some great guitar and some rather dated 1980s sounds. Having said that, this is still a genuinely great listening experience to be heard. Billy Idol evokes the spirit of Ian Curtis of Joy Division on this song, and he sings deeply and passionately about more relationship dramas over delayed guitar sounds. A really sweet listen, with some extraordinarily pretty sounds and playing throughout. The electronics on this song literally sound insane. A really magical and interesting tune, with some keyboard solos and guitars to blow your mind. Even if this is your first time hearing this music, Billy Idol reveals himself to be the epitome of the young and out there, horny male who lusts after every woman out there. These days, this would be considered horribly sexist, but no problems anyway in retrospect. A fantastic and spacey listening experience to be heard here. Absolutely fantastic music.

3. Eyes Without A Face is another one of the big hits from the album. It begins with gurgling bass guitar and electronics galore that sound absolutely fantastic to listen to. Billy Idol sounds naked and pure in his vocal delivery on this song. He sounds like he has come of age, and the vocal contributions throughout are also fantastic from Perri Lister. A soft and symphonic listen about pure and mellow love at hand. A magical and pure love song that has some majesty to it all. Absolutely awesome and divine upon listening, which will move the listener emotionally. Very cool and inspired music to listen to. There is an energetic and punchy guitar section that drives this song nicely along. A great five-minute-long song that deserves your listening and attention, and something way better than the Hoodoo Gurus ever were at this time. Some sweet and otherworldly guitar parts are present here as well. All in all, a magically symphonic and very 1980s listen at hand. Awesome music to be heard from start to finish. Brilliant.

4. Blue Highway begins with some guitar sounds emulating fast cars, screams and launches into an upbeat and driven song that sounds great, particularly on the electric guitar. A fast, blistering and enjoyable electric guitar song about living the American Dream as such. A catchy, upbeat and loveable tune that sounds totally enjoyable, fun and fantastic. If you love music and driving at high speed, then this tune is made for you. An upbeat and fun song that is yet another highlight of this album. The guitars in particular are fantastic on this song, and this is very, very cool. Even if you detest 1980s music, this will sound mindblowing to you. A wonderful and upbeat song that blows away many competitors in the Pop world. A very fantastic and enjoyable song from start to finish. Billy Idol was on top form on this album, and he never looked back. A swinging and punchy song for fans to enjoy to the full. The guitar solos in particular are manic indeed. Fantastic.

5. Flesh For Fantasy begins with some gurgling bass guitar, 1980s-sounding guitars and launches into a neat and cool guitar work with Billy Idol’s sexually motivated vocals on top. This is very much a 1980s tune at its core, but it has some macho male lyrics and singing over the top of it all that sounds really cool. A really trippy-sounding piece of music that discusses openly love/sexual desire at its core, and it sounds mindblowingly cool. Billy Idol proves himself to be a champion of the music and styles of the time, even if this album sounds very dated today. It is incredibly and consistently interesting, however. The funky bass guitar part sounds sweet as well. A wonderful listen overall that is very cool and enjoyable from beginning to end. A very awesome and idealistic tune about getting it on. Wonderful overall. Fresh, interesting and fun, but very adult music.

6. Catch My Fall begins with some weird keyboards, before launching into an interesting song with some dark overtones about it all. This is a bit of an odd song at hand, but it quickly launches into a sweet and upbeat tune with some weird guitar sounds and a bit of whammy arm abuse. No matter, this is a plea to a lover for assistance in matters of love and relationships. A winner of a song that sounds definitely fresh and different. This music maintains its youthfulness and freshness to this very day. The saxophone throughout is also simply excellent to listen to. A great and unique winner of a tune with some neat guitar soloing to match it as well. Awesome, quirky and very 1980s. A nice song nonetheless to hear, and very pretty indeed to listen to. Classy.

7. Crank Call begins with some interesting guitars and drums, before launching into some straight-ahead music that sounds really classy. Billy Idol is a great singer on these songs, and this one is no different whatsoever on this album. This is a strange song that retains its tunefulness and energy throughout. Billy Idol puts his energy, persona and personality into these songs, just sounding really effortlessly extraordinary throughout. The guitar solo throughout is super insane as well, which is a point of listening as well. Billy Idol releases his pent-up energy and passion for music into this album, and he sounds amazing throughout. A musical winner that deserves one’s attention. Again, simply fantastic music. Very rocking, and very cool as well to listen to. Simply wonderful music. Powerful to listen to.

8. (Do Not) Stand In The Shadows begins with some impressive guitar runs and acoustic guitars, quickly launching into a pounding and upbeat song at hand. This sounds sweet, driven and furiously fun at hand. Billy Idol and his band sing and play extremely well on this song. This is a blast from 1983 that sounds great to this very day. This is a fast, minimalist and energetic song that has power and beauty to it all. This one is a little repetitive in the chorus, but it is matched by a fantastic guitar solo that sounds really awesome and direct. If anything, this is one of the definitive 1980s album releases that sounds simply great. A really great listen for what it is. The outro is insane.

9. The Dead Next Door begins softly with some interesting guitar and keyboard sounds, which are different. Billy Idol sings well on this tune, with some immaculate sounds and production throughout. This builds up into a pondering and thoughtful sort of tune to conclude the album. It sounds a little weaker than what came before it, sadly, but even so, this isn’t outright bad. The sounds and musicianship are admittedly good. A strange addition to a classic album, and something that is an oddity to listen to. This could have been easily rethought or shortened, but it is nonetheless a good finish to a great album at hand. The lyrics are a bit strange as well. Nonetheless, a good but non-essential tune to listen to. It ends with the beats playing alone to finish it all.

This is a great album that has been overlooked a bit in the 21st century. Billy Idol proved well and truly on this album that not only was he a star in the music industry, but he could make some excellent music to listen to as well at the time. If there is a flaw, this album sounds very dated to one’s ears at the time of writing. Having said that, this is a phenomenal and mostly consistent album that many will appreciate, warts and all. Should you listen to this album? If you have nostalgia for the 1980s big time, go for it. Many people who like the music of the 21st century will not wish to explore this, however.

If you like this article, please like, share, comment and follow me on The Ultimate Music Library. Thank you, Chris Airey.