Billy Idol
The Roadside
Dark Horse Records
Released: September 17, 2021
It has been seven long years since we last heard from the fantastic Billy Idol – but that seven year itch is finally scratched with The Roadside.
Once the bad boy of mainstream punk, glam, rock – or a fusion of the three, Idol has long been revered for his attitude and image. Songs like Rebel Yell and White Wedding are iconic 80s rock fare, but at 65-years of age and having been absent from the record studio for seven years – many questions are going to be asked about this return. Mainly, has he still got it? For those with a short attention span that don’t want to read through this article – the short answer is a resounding yes. Yes he has.
After all this time, Billy Idol still embodies the ideals of the original punk movement – mixed beautifully with elements of all sorts, from pop to rock and glam. The Roadside may only contain four songs, and last a little over a quarter of an hour – but the wait has indeed been a worthwhile one. Seven years. Where does the time go? As these four compositions show, Idol is still able to sprint from one style of music to the next with seamless ease, while retaining his trademark sound. That gritty, grimy snarl and curled lip attitude – and it’s bloody wonderful.
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With a cat-call, Idol begins waxing poetically about the beauty of the late American actress Rita Hayworth – and someone that apparently looks like the iconic film star that turned Hollywood on its heels with racy (for their time) pin-up posters. The song is an upbeat number with a ravenous guitar lead and Idol’s unmistakable Rebel yell-like choruses. It is as if Idol had never been gone, that the seven year gap between recordings never happened. This is a beautifully boisterous track.
On Bitter Taste, Idol pulls on his boots and spurs, a cowboy hate and gets his country stylings mixed with a little Chris Isaak. A pop romp that sees Idol riding new trails – and doing so wonderfully. Honestly, I kept wanting to start bellowing the chorus to Wicked Game during this track – of course, that never comes. Bitter Taste proves again that Idol can do any style you like, and do it well.
In fact, Bitter Taste, references Idol’s 1990 motorcycle crash, which nearly cost him his leg. “I’ve never really written a song reflecting back on the motorcycle accident because I couldn’t wait for it to be 20 years later, and now it’s 31 years,” said Idol. “I don’t know about everybody else but for me personally, you have to let things marinate, and you never know how long that gestation period is going to last. The motorcycle accident is something I had 30 years to marinate and think about that.”
““Certainly, the motorcycle accident was the catharsis, the wake-up moment,” says Idol. “A little bit of me got left on that roadside. But it wasn’t necessarily a bad thing in the end; it was a wake-up call. Maybe on that roadside I left behind the irreverent youthful Billy and opened the door for a more attentive father and a more sensitive musician.” The Roadside certainly is reflection of that.
On U Don’t Have To Kiss Me Like That, an up tempo pop romp that explores romance and relationships in a Huey Lewis And The News sort of way. Finishing off with Baby Put Your Clothes Back On, which sees Idol entering into the ballad zone, with a a crooners swing and trademark curled lip. Summoning the late Sid Vicious on his rendition of My Way – only in a more serious way, of course.
The unexpected return of Billy Idol, who after such a long time away, many had thought retired – at least from the recording studio, thumps back to retake his place among his peers in the towers of music hierarchy. Hopefully the follow up, if there is to be one, doesn’t take as long to reach our ears.
Pre-orders for The Roadside are currently available with options for compact discs, a blue or black vinyl – as well as digital versions. Order yours here.
For Fans Of: Hardcore Superstar, H.I.M, The Cult
Track Listing:
01. Rita Hayworth
02. Bitter Taste
03. U Don’t Have To Kiss Me Like That
04. Baby Put Your Clothes Back On
