Idolize Yourself - Best of Billy Idol (Remastered)

iTunes Review

Billy Idol was “punk” for the MTV Generation. He paid his dues in Generation X during the 1970s and emerged with his spiky, peroxide blonde hair and curled Elvis lips just in time for a solo career where video would indeed kill the radio star. None of which would have been possible, however, without strong radio-friendly songs. “Dancing With Myself” proved playful while “White Wedding” immediately made itself universally known, based on sturdy guitar riffs from Idol collaborator Steve Stevens and a chorus that held just enough pop candy to crossover beyond the average hard rock audience. “Rebel Yell,” “Eyes Without A Face,” and “Flesh for Fantasy” helped continue Idol’s reign and all are featured here on this well-chosen collection that also includes two new recordings, an effectively bleak “John Wayne” and a charged hard rocker in “New Future Weapon.” His version of the Doors’ “L.A. Woman” reveals his classic rock, pre-punk roots, while “Shock to the System” is from Idol’s unexpected turn towards techno during the ‘90s. “World Comin’ Down” returned him a decade later as a re-converted hard rocker.