Billy Idol revisited his roaring 1984 self-titled debut album for an expanded edition via Capitol/UMe.
Idol began working on his solo debut following the break-up of his influential punk-era outfit, Generation X in 1981. Produced by Keith Forsey (Sparks, Donna Summer), Billy Idol was an exciting rock album with new wave stylings and it included the singles “Dancing With Myself” and Idol’s Billboard Top 40 debut “Hot In The City” in addition to the record’s signature hit “White Wedding.”
Largely well received by the critics, the record proved was a sizeable commercial success, Fans are also encouraged to celebrate the release of this iconic album with a Dolby Atmos aural upgrade by Grammy-winning engineer Paul Hicks who has remixed albums in Atmos.
The new version of the album features the original 10 tracks, a previously unreleased August 12th, 1982 concert from The Roxy Theatre in Hollywood and a 12-minute Clubland Extended Remix of “White Wedding.”
Billy Idol’s self-titled debut album eventually broke the singer in America, but not without a struggle. In 1981, he had left Generation X and launched his solo career, borrowing the group’s final single, the dance-rock standard “Dancing with Myself,” for his first solo release, Its second single, “White Wedding,” finally caught on after an eye-catching video played on MTV and made the Top 40 in July 1983. An attempt was then made to resurrect “Dancing With Myself,” which was added to the album (the track “Congo Man” being deleted). Those three songs remain the album’s strongest, if only because they are the best realized as songs; elsewhere, Idol and guitarist Steve Stevens have constructed a series of dance-rock tracks along the lines of “Dancing With Myself,” mixing quick tempos with slashing guitar chords and occasional hook elements (a backup choral chant here, a saxophone part there), but seemingly have forgotten to write real songs to go on top of the tracks.
For 46 years, Billy Idol has been one of the faces and voices of rock’n’roll. Between 1977 and 1981, Idol released three albums with Generation X as their camera-ready frontman. In 1982, he embarked on a transatlantic/trans-genre solo career that integrated the bold and simple lines of punk and rock’n’roll decadence. Last year, Idol released his latest project, ‘The Cage EP,’ via Dark Horse Records. The new music follows Idol’s 2021 ‘The Roadside EP,’ which received praise from fans and critics alike.
Additionally, Idol is slated to release a concert film this fall showcasing his April performance at Hoover Dam. Produced by Lastman Media for Vertigo Live docu-concert films, “Billy Idol: State Line” will premiere in theatres this fall with further details on public screenings to be announced soon.
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