Billy Idol's Back and Breakin' Down All Over

Billy Idol, the sneer that launched a thousand ships and pioneered MTV in the much longed for time when videos were the rule instead of the exception. He's successfully joined the rest of us in the twenty first century which you can hear in the amply polished tune "Can't Break Me Down" lifted straight from the man's new album "Kings and Queens of the Underground". Only he could get away with foisting a bouncy trifle on the public that Neon Trees wishes it had thought of. You aren't going to discover any of the grit which was a hallmark of his classic hits "White Wedding", "Dancing With Myself", and "Flesh For Fantasy". That shouldn't leave you hopping mad. There's loads of the dangerous flirt about town hidden beneath the neatly creased gent pictured in the video. Billy's smart to have updated his sound a notch so he doesn't come across like he's not done romancing his early '80s halcyon period. The drumming doesn't fail to propel the accompanying leave 'em gasping in the hotel penthouse brash demeanor Mr. Idol's wearing like a familiar pair of racing gloves. If this is Billy updating his image to project maturity we can tell it's "Rebel Yell" guy no matter what apparel he's draped in. As you'd expect from a Billy Idol project guitars figure prominently. You can take your pick. Either the electrified heart stopper or the saucy strings set to match Billy's never met a cocktail he couldn't imbibe ethos. Personally I'll gladly lap up any Billy Idol you throw at me. "Rebel Yell" to this day is one of my all time favorite outings. It offered me a glimpse into how pulse accelerating Steve Stevens could be. With Billy and Steve on the prowl you'd have to assume no London neighborhood was safe. Billy's donned the family dad tights off stage but his edge thrusts eternal. Maybe the video isn't one of those coffin riddled "White Wedding" nightmare fodder pieces. Nonetheless the vicious growl stays in place. Check out the first lyrical passage to restore your faith in Billy's ability to reach those uncomfortable places in your psyche. That whole knife in the apple image must have emanated from a particularly bitter spoonful of creative juice. Mention "devil" at the outset and you know the Generation X leader hasn't completely tossed his fangs into the wastebasket. The commitment shy ought to get reasonable mileage out of seeing chapels and Beelzebub referenced together. The woman he's parted ways with put his gut level survival tale into question. I'm not sure love and glory were the real subjects Billy sang about. Undiluted sexuality maybe but I've never gotten the impression glory was front and center in his mind. Wouldn't we like to know what exactly "cruelest inventions" is supposed to hint at. Kinky toys wouldn't be an off base guess. Billy Idol entertains whenever he's on the record release slate. "Can't Break Me Down" shreds phony hearts Cuisinart style and leaves the pretenders blurred by the anguish of their own tear drenched eye sockets. Broken down into plain English this idol deserves to be worshiped even if his rapscallion days of youth have long since disappeared into the rear view mirror.