[rating=8.00]
Punk rock pioneer and icon, William Michael Albert Broad – who is better known to us as Billy Idol, has no doubt stamped his place in the history books of popular music and solidified his presence for just over three decades. Idol has smartly chosen to collaborate once again with musical genius and guitar god Steve Stevens. Idol may be known best for some of MTV’s and rock radio’s most memorable hits including “White Wedding”, “Dancing With Myself”, “Eyes Without A Face” and of course “Rebel Yell”, but he is back with Kings & Queens of the Underground, his eighth studio album and it surely offers music for his trusty legion of fans and many new tracks that clearly illustrate that Idol is in a more mature and reflective part of his life.
Kings & Queens opens with a solid candidate to be included on any classic road trip soundtrack. With “Bitter Pill”, the listener can only imagine cranking this one up after putting the top down, sunglasses on and riding off into the sunset. The lyrics lay it all out on the table, “Ridin’ down this road/Like I’ve ridden down a million/I’ve run through every roadblock in this town/I laughed at all the signs that say speed’ll kill ya/It took you to slow me down. Classic.
The album’s first single, “Can’t Break Me Down” follows – with a mix of classic Idol and Stevens that could rival any of their MTV hits back in the day. It volunteers one of Idol’s catchiest choruses in decades, “Your gun went/BANG BANG BANG/You shot me to the ground/But you can’t bring me down” – words that will surely be echoed by his fans during each show on his upcoming tour. “Save Me Now”, another solid track – could have been plucked directly from any one of John Hughes’ legendary teenage drama cult classics. The cascading synthesizer and hypnotic drum tracks evoke the glory days of MTV, when the hits were big and the hair was even bigger. Good luck, trying to sing along with Idol’s trademark primal fireworks during the choruses.
Another bright spot on Kings & Queens is the complex “One Breath Away” which offers a potpourri of sounds and textures. This moderately reggae influenced track has a little something for everyone with Steven’s space-gun guitar solo and vintage organ support – it’s clear that the boys made full use of the studio’s amenities to create this hip-swiveler. “Postcards From The Past” is truly a retro Idol rocker, which includes emotional lyrics and stellar fretboard acrobatics by Stevens.
The title track, a ballad in which Idol’s lyrics are more reflective and offer a glimpse into who William Michael Albert Broad might be underneath the moniker Billy Idol, which is quite appropriate – as Idol will soon be offering up his autobiography to the public. “Kings And Queens” is admittedly profound and will surely be the song in the set that pushes the audience to raise both hands in the air and sway side to side in unison.
The next cluster of songs mark a significant mood change for most of the second half of the disc. “Eyes Wide Shut” and “Ghost In My Guitar” is a pair of ballads that may have been better suited as bonus tracks or B-sides. “Nothing To Fear” which is reminiscent of the hit “Eyes Without A Face” and “Love And Glory” with a more intense final minute – bring back a livelier pulse adding anticipation to the build up of what may come with the last track.
With “Whiskey And Pills”, the album comes full circle – not only with the pill reference but also, with the rock and the roll. If it weren’t for the wah pedal and whammy bar dive bombs, this track could easily fit into a set of Rockabilly standards – a la Reverend Horton Heat. It’ll be the track that you may just play on repeat, several times in a row.
After almost 40 years in the music business, Idol still has it. The production on Kings & Queens is solid, where the music never over shadows Idol’s trademark sneer and vocal right hooks – all of which sounds great. And, as technically sound and flashy as Steve Stevens can be on the guitar, where he shines is with his brilliant fills and orchestrated, layered tracks that demonstrate his intelligence in the studio with a “less is more” mentality. Idol’s and Steven’s arrangements showcase their ability to respectfully share the spotlight, bringing another chapter of rock and roll music into the fold.
