Still undisputed King of the Underground
He set the rock n` roll trends back in the 80`s, when he
filled the scene with one hit after another and left nobody equanimous. A
rocker in his late fifties, holding also some punk in his blood, decided to
prove he ain`t one of those names, who were huge only under the rule of rock.
Billy Idol got down to it, for he didn`t only finish his autobiography Dancing
with myself, but also started touring in Europe, North America and Australia,
where he is about to present something fresh, his album Kings & Queens of the Underground.
After almost ten years blonde-haired Brit decided to show
his music once again, while he spent those years forgotten, somewhere in the
background. Without a cause at all. His music could always be described as
something more than rock and not only punk. Idol liked combining different
music genres and styles and which could even cost him his career. After
Cyberpunk, 1993 album, which was badly approved by the public, he started
fading away, but in the final moment got himself in back together and back on
track. He returned in 2005, but even Devil`s playground didnt work according to
expectations.
When he thought he`d give it all away and probably turned
down finding some new melodies, the time has come to meet the Kings & Queens of the Underground. Even
the darkened title is a promise for a good deal of some „Billy“ style, but yet
it might sometimes stay under the surface. The album might be some kind of a
mixture of everything, we`re yet used to at Billy and might recognize it in
some newer image. Good ol` Rebel yell is now Postcards from the past, which
joins great rhytm and guitar intro, creating good vibes in the beggining and
attention grabbing chorus. Even talkative Whiskey and the pills seems to be
pretty energetic, besides guitar accompainment, which were carefully driven by
Idol`s longtime associate and also one of the guitar heroes of the rock era
Steve Stevens, the lyrics seem to be huge bonus of this piece.
Billy also took care of fans of his milder side. Ghosts in
my guitar (nobody knows, if there were really any ghosts in that guitar, but
nevermind, it sounds pretty cool with or without them) is a deja-vu of Eyes
without a face, Idol˙s vocal gets in some point so pure and clear, it`s hardly
recognizable. But no worries, Billy sticks to his raspy vocal colour as much as
he`s dedicated to his blonde hair colour. There he goes in Eyes wide shut,
another calmer balad, where intense guitar accompainment and Billy`s vibrato
makes it so enchanted.
Kings & Queens of the Underground, the song which named
the whole album, seemed to go through some facts on Idol`s life and for its
vocal lines it might even sound a bit like opera. Well, it doesn`t take too
long before the lyrics prove you`re wrong. But yet the flute might be too much
for the old rocker. Nothing to fear,
Love and glory and Save me now, in which rhytm might sound more like dance and
the whole arrangement sounds too modern despite the loud guitars. Even the
electric change of the voice might be to blame in Nothing to fear. It might
even make you feel like you`re listening to one of those DJ compilations. Well,
thank you Billy for the Can`t break me down and Bitter Pill, which changes the
taste in our mouths and gets everybody a good taste of old punkrock
masterpieces from the past decades. Growing rhytm followed by climax in the
catchy chorus is great, but the best part seems to be „it`s just my natural
reaction“. His vocal is well placed in
this one and it sure is a proof Billy is the one you just ca`t be down. Even
down there he still is the King of the Underground.
This year might be pretty royal for blonde punkrocker. Album
promises many different things, what`s a fact about Billy and what might be his
bad side, for sometimes he wants to sound in the way what`s currently
„charts-popular“ way to much. It might be the beginning of some new branch of
punk rock, because the album took high places on Billboard charts, and yet
received different reviews. For what it might be referred to rock or punk or
whatever and if we add it was made by two old rock n` roll legends, the whole
thing might be a little low on the guitar solos and other sweet things the six
strings offers. There`s only a question why, for Stevens stretches his fingers
on the gigs pretty well.
British Fall Out Boy seemed to be on the back pages too many
times in the late music history. Despite his influences on many performers and
as a matter of fact, he was also a fashion icon, he spent his time searching
for some modern tones in his music. So, those, who want to repeat some older
hits once again, should probably join Billy on his gig, but others, ready to
taste something new, should sooner or later open their minds to the King of the
Underground.
