Billy Idol - Devil's Playground (2005)

Twelve years have passed since Billy Idol’s disastrous Cyberpunk album, with which the king of new wave dance rock tried to reinvent himself as a mirror-shaded, futuristic nethead with a blend of techno dance beats and punkish hard rock. Personally, I never thought that Cyberpunk was nearly as bad as the almost universal disdain heaped upon it by critics would have you believe. After all, Idol has some definable talents as a singer and songwriter, combined with a measure of charisma – he’s not Vanilla Ice, for christsakes! At the time of Cyberpunk’s 1993 release, though, Idol also had a monkey on his back the size of King Kong, and simian logic was clearly behind much of the album’s material. Save for a wonderful cameo appearance in Adam Sandler’s The Wedding Singer movie, Idol has mostly been shelved as an ‘80s icon, brought out only for VH-1 specials and oldies radio.

Considering the dismal reception suffered by Cyberpunk, one might think Idol all but through with music. No, the sneering madman still has a few tricks up his sleeve, and with his most pronounced failure a decade behind him (and largely forgotten even by hardcore fans), Idol has come roaring back with Devil’s Playground. Reunited with both guitarist/on-stage foil Steve Stevens and producer Keith Forsey, Idol has delivered a solid collection of songs that rivals his work of 20 years ago. Kicking out the jams with a mix of metallic pop and hard rock aspirations, Idol and crew hit the ground hard with one of the finest, pure rock & roll records that you’ll experience this year.

Devil’s Playgound kicks off with “Super Overdrive,” Stevens’ guitar soaring and screaming like a hungry bird of prey while Idol delivers the album’s mission statement. With chaotic ambience reminiscent of Zodiac Mindwarp, Idol asks, “does he still have the magic?” quickly coming to the conclusion that “yes he does!” The life-is-a-prison tune “World Comin’ Down” opens with a musical quote from “Dancing With Myself” and displays some of Stevens’ most fiery six-string pyrotechnics in a decade. “Sherri” is the best song on Devil’s Playground; a red-hot romantic rocker with soulful vocals and a pop hook the size of a whaling harpoon. In the Reverend’s blueprint for the new world order, “Sherri” would be blasting out of every car radio on the planet at full volume. The song just fuckin’ rocks and on this undeniable fact there can be no argument….

“Plastic Idol” is just a hoot, a folkish farce with spacey guitarwork and great imagery delivered with a straight face by the impish Idol – especially the great verse about using the plastic religious icon as a flask. Priceless! “Yellin’ At The Christmas Tree” is another bit of fun, Idol reminiscing about the hijinx that surround the holidays with tongue firmly planted in cheek. Getting back to serious fare, “Romeo’s Waiting” offers Idol’s breathless vocal gymnastics and great guitarwork beneath a tale of fleeting romance. “Cheri” is, perhaps, the second best song on the disc, bookending “Sherrie” (hmmm…) perfectly, Idol doing his best Neil Diamond impression on this spry, ‘60s-styled rocker. Devil’s Playground closes with the melodic “Summer Running,” gentle, shimmering strings giving way to growling vocals and explosive instrumentation before falling backwards into acoustic balladry. It’s a stylistic departure for Idol, and it works, the cacophony of sound and fury offering a fine counterpoint to the muted passion and forcing Idol to stretch his vocal chords a bit to keep up with the changes.

It’s no stretch of the imagination to say that Devil’s Playground is Idol’s best album since Rebel Yell, some two decades ago. There’s literally not a bad tune to be found in these grooves. Idol’s voice may have mellowed some through the years and his sneer isn’t nearly as menacing as it seemed at the dawn of the Reagan era, but his spirit is unflagging and his dedication to the rock & roll aesthetic endures. Supported by Steve Stevens’ inspired (and vastly underrated) playing and the contributions of a top notch band – bassist Stephen McGrath, drummer Brian Tichy and keyboardist Derek Sherinian – Idol has delivered a magnificent comeback album that stands head and shoulders above much of what passes for rock music these days. Sometimes an old dog does learn some new tricks, and you should give Devil’s Playground a listen before dismissing Billy Idol as yesterday’s news…. (Sanctuary Records)

(Click on the CD cover to buy Devil's Playground from Amazon.com)