Tag: Steve Stevens

Album Review: Billy Idol – Dream Into It (Dark Horse Records)

By: Jesse Striewski

My introduction to the latest from Billy Idol (his ninth full-length studio album overall) was via the video for rowdy first single “Still Dancing.” I was alone in a hospital bed at the time, recovering from a recent surgery and unable to sleep in middle of the night. Yet somehow, seeing Idol still doing his thing at age 69, gave me a certain level of hope that I needed.

One of the things on my agenda once free again was to check out the rest of Dream Into It. And it didn’t take long to realize after fully digging into things that it was worth the decade-plus wait (not including a handful of recent EP’s).

The title track sets up the record on a sleek path, while other numbers like “People I Love,” “I’m Your Hero,” and “Too Much Fun” are, well…pretty fun. There’s also some interesting guest spots from the likes of Avril Lavigne on “77,” Joan Jett on “Wildside,” and Alison Mosshart on “John Wayne” (surprisingly one of the strongest tracks here).

While it might not be perfect, it’s great seeing Idol and long time guitarist/collaborator Steve Stevens back together again and doing what they do best. I genuinely hope there’s more of this left in them for years to come.

Rating: 3/5 Stars

Album Review: Billy Idol – The Roadside EP (Dark Horse Records)

By: Jesse Striewski

I’m admittedly late in checking out this latest EP from legendary rocker Billy Idol (his first collection of new music in seven years), and even debated if I should still review something as “old” as it is (it dropped a whopping month and a half ago this past September!). But I was so glad I decided to still give it a listen once I heard how surprisingly good it is. It also helps that Idol is once again joined by longtime guitarist/companion Steve Stevens.

Sure, at just four songs, The Roadside EP is no doubt a short listen. But each song has its own place, starting with the first single, “Bitter Taste.” Inspired by Idol’s near-death motorcycle accident he track is an effective haunting number that’s accentuated with a black and white music video, which gives off a neo-noir type of vibe. I quickly feel in love with the song, and legitimately couldn’t wait to hear what else was in store.

“Rita Hayworth” echoes back to Idol’s early Generation X days, while “U Don’t Have to Kiss Me Like That” maintains that cool swagger found on previous hits like 1990’s “Cradle of Love.” Everything is finally book-ended neatly with “Baby Put Your Clothes Back On,” another banger, as they say in Idol’s homeland.

It’s both tragic and frustrating that the format of modern radio stations is to play a classic artist’s “hits” into the ground on a daily basis, while ignoring any and all new material they release; this is the reason why ignorance runs so rampant among “fans.” Far too often they have no idea that artists like Billy Idol are still even releasing new music based on what’s being presented ted to them, causing them to not know any better (of course there is always the option of seeking out the information themselves, but perhaps lack the motivation to do so). Sadly, there’s so much great music that continues to get overlooked out there on a yearly basis; do yourself a favor, and don’t let this be another case of that.

Rating: 4/5 Stars