Billy Idol

This is probably Billy Idol's best record, as it captures the polished punk doing what he does best -- writing songs for mainstream radio. Hard Rock guitar work, ultrasleek studio polish and the songs "Rebel Yell" and "Eyes Without A Face" brought the cartoon Punk into homes everywhere.

Equal parts hard rocker, glam rocker and punk rocker, Billy Idol has managed an estimable
synthesis of the music of three decades on Rebel Yell, his second solo album. From the
Sixties, he's brought a fair measure of pop economy and a kaleidoscopic palette of sound
effects. From the Seventies, he's taken the larger-than-life sound of big guitars, thunderous
drumming and industrial-strength singing. And from the Eighties, he's adapted th... More >

Videos have been the making of this born poser's career and the unmaking of his music. Not that they've changed how hard and hooky it is, much less turned off the unwitting many who find sexism sexy. But if you've got no taste for the sound of the sneer, the visuals definitely aren't fantasy enough. (Grade - C)