Flesh For Fantasy: Billy Idol’s Rebel Yell at 40
Looking back on his star-making second solo album
Billy Idol’s journey to success began auspiciously enough, courtesy of his stint in the British punk band Generation X. Yet it quickly accelerated once he went solo.
His old band, however, provided the foundation for much of what would follow, from his pouting, petulant, hair-cropped image, to a musical template that would be repurposed later on. Idol’s initial self-titled solo album went on to set a standard, given that it found him revisiting the song “Dancing With Myself,” from Generation X’s third album, Kiss Me Deadly, while also introducing another song that would serve as his solo standard, “White Wedding.”
Nevertheless, it was Idol’s sophomore set, Rebel Yell, that assured the fact that his individual stardom would easily be sustained. Released on November 10, 1983 by Chrysalis Records, it featured the two collaborators that played a major role in shaping his promo-punk/new wave sound — guitarist Steve Stevens and producer Keith Forsey. The title aptly summed up Idol’s rebellious, devil-may-care image, but according to an interview he did for VH-1 Storytellers, it was actually inspired by a party he attended with the Rolling Stones where the guests consumed Rebel Yell bourbon whiskey.
Whatever the impetus was, it certainly did the trick, reaffirming Idol’s insurgent stance and the snarl and sizzle that quickly made him a darling of the nascent MTV. Naturally, it didn’t hurt that the album boasted several stand-out songs, not least of which was the rowdy, rambunctious title track, which was tapped as the album’s initial single. Like all the tracks on the album, it was co-written by Stevens. The white-hot single boasts an assured swagger and decided defiance that underscored Idol’s approach and effectively conveyed the edgy attitude that would serve him well throughout his career and still does so today.
VIDEO: Billy Idol “Flesh For Fantasy”
“Flesh For Fantasy,” on the other hand, was decidedly dance-oriented, but it too also served as a reliable rocker. Idol’s sensual croon effectively purveyed the seductive nature of the song: “Face to face and back to back/You see and feel my sex attack.”
“Eyes Without a Face,” on the other hand, was markedly mellow, a sensitive ballad, at least by Idol standards. Likewise, its lyrics conveyed a sensitivity Idol rarely shared.
“I’m all out of hope
One more bad dream
Could bring a fall
When I’m far from home
Don’t call me on the phone
To tell me you’re alone
It’s easy to deceive
It’s easy to tease
But hard to get release”
It was hardly surprising then that the song edged its way into the Billboard Top Five, making it Idol’s most successful single up until that point.
In a sense, “Catch My Fall” follows suit. Idol’s sinewy vocals and the song’s suggestive delivery come across as a plea for help (“If I should stumble/Catch my fall”), but the vulnerability isn’t quite as obvious, given that it suggests an aura of elusive intrigue.
VIDEO: Billy Idol “Eyes Without A Face”
In fact, the album boasted several stand-out tracks. “Daytime Drama” maintained those dramatic designs, courtesy of an insistent rhythm and another somewhat atmospheric arrangement. “(Do Not Stand) in the Shadows” starts with a shimmer, but evolves into another sturdy rocker similar in style to “Rebel Yell.” “The Dead Next Door” also has a subdued introduction, but it manages to sustain the eerie ambiance, as its title would seem to suggest.
Idol’s studio band — Stevens, bassists Phil Feit and Steve Webber, drummers Gregg Gerson and Thommy Price and keyboardists Judi Dozier and Jack Waldman — deserve credit for capturing the sensual sound that marked the album overall. It certainly served the album well, boosting it to the top of the charts worldwide. In the U.S., it barely brushed the Top Five, but its sales would eventually qualify it for Double Platinum status, signifying initial sales of two million copies. Likewise, the videos from its four singles — the title track, “Eyes Without a Face,” “Catch My Fall,” and “Flesh For Fantasy” — found regular rotation on MTV.
VIDEO: Billy Idol “Rebel Yell”
(Ironically, Idol was waging war with Chrysalis Records at the time, and in an effort to gain some leverage, he attempted to steal the master tapes. Unfortunately, he later found out that he had inadvertently taken the wrong tapes!)
No matter. Rebel Yell went on to be one of Idol’s most successful albums and the one that helped define a decidedly career. Even now, that rebel yell still echoes far and wide.
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Where are Steve Weber (bass) and drummers Thommy Price and Gregg Gerson NOW?
Billy Idol’s White Wedding and Rebel Yell are two of the all time greats. Also, his Generation X song Your Generation is awesome too.