Skipping over Billy Idol's 1985 remix album, Vitol Idol, we come to his third studio album, 1986's Whiplash Smile. Commercially, it performed better internationally than his prior record, Rebel Yell. However, sales declined in the USA and UK. It would also be the beginning of a steady decline in his popularity.
As I played through it, I admittedly found myself less interested than I had been for his prior self titled debut, and follow up, the aforementioned Rebel Yell. Lyrically, it just wasn't resonating.
On the opposite side, the instrumentation was top notch. I was really digging the guitar and synth work. These work working in unison to provide an overall pleasant sound. I dare say that this would have worked fantastically for as an instrumental soundtrack. Specifically, over some type of futuristic sci-fi movie.
To Be A Lover was the standout track from the bunch, and would also be a top ten Billboard hit for him, reaching number 6. Don't Need A Gun would also chart and peek at 37, with Sweet Sixteen peeking at 20. However, neither of these two songs really resonated with me personally.
In 1990, Idol was involved in a serious motorcycle accident which not only almost cost him his leg, but resulted in him being unable to appear in the film The Doors, as Jim Morrison's drinking buddy. Additionally, this prevented him from appearing in his own music video for Cradle of Love, the singer's last Billboard hit from that year's Charmed Life album.
The experimental album, Cyberpunk, was released in 1993. It was noteworthy for being created in a home studio using a Macintosh computer, utilizing Studiovision and Pro Tools to record the album. However, the sheer length of the time it took to produce, and overall lackluster performance, ushered in further decline for Idol.
While he would continue to work sporadically in the industry, appearing in films like The Wedding Singer, reuniting with Generation X, and providing vocals on Tony Iommi's debut solo album, he wouldn't return to the studio until 2005's Devil's Playground. This was followed by a 2006 Christmas album, of all things, entitled, Happy Holidays. As of this writing, his last studio album was 2014's Kings & Queens Of The Underground.
Though he's been unable to rekindle the glory days of the 80's, he was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2023. A new album was announced to be in the works as of May 2024. However, with this post being written in November of 2024, this may or may not have come to fruition.
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| THIS WEEK ON THE CHARTS June 15, 1985 |
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