Billy Idol cuts a contented figure these days. Happy with his role in the rock ‘n’ roll circus, he always seems to be enjoying being BIilly Idol, whether fronting the short-lived but well-received GENERATION SEX, pulling off an acclaimed Vegas residency, or performing a historic first live concert at the Hoover Dam. The one area of his life, as one of the last great rock stars, that Idol has neglected is his recorded output. Largely reliant on a sturdy greatest hits for his live shows, he has seemed reluctant to commit to making more than occasional trips to the studio. “Dream Into It” is his first full-length album in over a decade, with only two recent EPs, “The Roadside” and “The Cage”, breaking the silence since 2014’s “Kings & Queens of the Underground”. As with the album that preceded it (2005’s “Devil’s Playground”),“Kings & Queens…” showcased a revitalized BILLY IDOL, liberated from the musical expectations of a former age, and newly reconnected with his diehard punk spirit. Some of that spikiness can be found on “Dream Into It”, but the prevailing mood of the British legend’s ninth studio album is one of cheery acceptance. A surprisingly brief collection of breezy, radio rock anthems, glossy pop-punk and smoke-shrouded, downbeat ballads, it takes a relaxed approach to prolonging a noble legacy.
A feint hint of a sneer lingers on BILLY IDOL‘s top lip throughout “Dream Into It”, but that is the full extent of this album’s obnoxiousness. The opening title track is a polished but poignant rocker, with an enormous production and a chorus that just about avoids winsome cliché. As one of punk’s elder statesmen, Idol can just about get away with misty-eyed aspiration, and his voice has no shortage of gravitas to back it up. Similarly, “Too Much Fun” is a big, daft, futuristic punk indulgence, with the great man reciting a litany of self-inflicted woes, a blinding twinkle in his road-worn, veteran eyes. The self-effacement is genuinely endearing (“I crashed my bike… but I didn’t die!”) and the tune itself, while undeniably simplistic, has more than enough charm to carry the conceit. The same applies to “People I Love”. Firstly, “I’ve got to find a way to stop pissing off people I love!” is a chorus hook for the ages. Secondly, BILLY IDOL is a wild old codger, and despite the obvious tongue-in-cheek tone, he sings it all with deadpan sincerity, oozing pathos and opting not to wink at the camera. Even better, his duet with Alison Mosshart (THE KILLS / THE DEAD WEATHER) on the intriguingly named “John Wayne” is a moment of pure magic. Embellished with twinkling synths and rich with the wistful twang of cinematic Americana, the duo exchange angsty endearments, their voices perfectly balanced, amid a gorgeously sleepy-headed atmosphere and a slow-motion avalanche of guitars. Steve Stevens‘ gravelly solo is magnificent, too.
Elsewhere, “Gimme The Weight” is a fleet-footed new wave rager with echoes of Idol‘s “Rebel Yell” heyday, and an overblown AOR undertow; “I’m Your Hero” is another downbeat campfire croon with bullet holes in its Stetson; and “Still Dancing” is the perfect, self-referential restating of cherished values. A distant cousin of “Dancing With Myself”, it deserves to be a permanent addition to the set list.
There are downsides, too. “77” is a textbook, Disney Channel pop-punk banger. It has been overproduced to within an inch of its shiny, sub-three-minute life. Pitched as a song about “two generations of rebellion”, it is a duet with Avril Lavigne, who, with all due respect, is nobody’s idea of a rule-breaking badass. Weirdly, it sounds more like one of the Canadian singer’s songs than one of Idol‘s. Depending on your perspective, it will either be a cast-iron banger or a slightly grating missed opportunity. Likewise, “Wildside” makes rather less of Joan Jett‘s instinctive coolness than it should, leaving two punk legends adrift in likeable but curiously edgeless radio rock. It seems a shame.
At this late stage in the game, nobody is looking to BILLY IDOL to produce an experimental masterpiece. Instead, he is having a fabulous time doing whatever takes his mood. “Dream Into It” is a little inconsistent and slightly too eager to court a pop audience, but as with everything that comes out of that rock star brain of his, it is wholly impossible to dislike.
Source: blabbermouth.net
