Vital Idol

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
Billy Idol's post-Generation X years are well represented on this 1987 hits collection. True, the haunting "Eyes Without a Face" is missing, but this is, after all, a fist-in-the-air party record (check out the cover for proof). Also sad is the fact that "Cradle of Love" hadn't come out yet, but hey, genius takes time. What you do get is the platinum wonder at his rocking best on "Dancing with Myself," "Flesh for Fantasy," "Mony Mony," and a whole lot of "White Wedding," plus enough Steve Stevens fretwork to have you playing air guitar for millennia to come. --Bill Forman --This text refers to the Audio CD edition.

Average customer rating:

TO CORREST THE FALSE

Vital Idol Rocks!

A punk-pop dance oddity...

Excellent 80's remix !!!

IMPRESSIVE DANCE REMIXES

Vital Idol
Billy Idol , and Billy Idol
Manufacturer: Capitol
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Release Date: 2002-01-29

Tracks:

White Wedding (Parts I & II) (Shotgun Mix)
Mony Mony (Downtown Mix)
Hot In The City (Exterminator Mix)
Dancing With Myself (Uptown Mix)
Flesh For Fantasy (Below The Belt Mix)
To Be A Lover (Mother Of Mercy Mix)
Love Calling Rub (Rub A Dub Dub Mix)
Catch My Fall (Remix Fix)

Amazon.com

What would the iconography of the '80s be without Billy Idol? Considerably less leather-bound and blindingly blonde, for sure. And what would the era sound like without its plethora of extended 12-inch "hit" remixes? This album focuses largely on the latter, to the decided disadvantage of the former. While an anthology of the era's best-remixed dance tracks isn't a bad idea, this doesn't come close. Lacking early hits like the rousing "Rebel Yell" and the apparently not-for-the-dance-floor "Eyes Without a Face," it's not even a real Idol greatest-hits collection. Every track here clocks in at five minutes-plus, thanks to ample doses of 4/4 drum loops, pulsing synths, and vocal hooks that are repeated ad nauseam. It may evoke a few dizzy club memories, but it's certainly no way to get acquainted with Idol's punk-pop catalog of hits. --Jerry McCulley

Customer Reviews:

TO CORREST THE FALSE.......2005-11-09

THIS CD IS COMMONLY REFERED TO AS THE CD WITH BILLY'S #1 SMASH HIT VERSION OF MONY MONY. THIS IS FALSE, THE IT VERSION WAS A LIVE VERSION NOT FOUND ON THIS CD BUT ON 11 BEST OR THE ESSENTIAL

Vital Idol Rocks!.......2005-08-03

If you want the best output done by Billy Idol-this is the album for you.

A punk-pop dance oddity..........2005-04-16

I can't say that this release, despite it's popularity is one to be taken too seriously. While it's sometimes slick remixes and extended versions of old tracks make for an interesting listen, they bring little new out in these classic songs to make anyone hooked for more than a moment. By dance standards, these songs aren't as hot as one might think and by rock and roll standards they come across as watered down in this setting.

If you're a huge Billy Idol fan I'd get this...but it's not the casual listener.

Excellent 80's remix !!!.......2004-05-22

I buyed this album because i loved the greatest hits. I buyed it without any expectations and i wasn't disappointed. It' a bunch of remixes made during end of the 80's. Songs have more swing than the original (commercial tinted?).

IMPRESSIVE DANCE REMIXES.......2004-01-21

This 1987 collection of club remixes extends some of Idol's hits to dancefloor length and brings the rhythms to the fore. The eight minutes+ White Wedding works especially well as this version loses none of its ominous, brooding quality while the remixed rhythms certainly turn it into a club stomper. The Uptown Mix of Dancing With Myself also works well as a dance track and I like this lively up-tempo version of Mony Mony (the old Tommy James/Shondells hit) with its hypnotic circular rhythmic patterns.

To Be A Lover is one of my favorite Idol songs but it is rather short in the original version and in this dance mix the patterns become a bit repetitive at times. Hot In The City and Flash For Fantasy are all right, but I would have preferred remixes of some other hits like Sweet Sixteen, Eyes Without A Face or Don't Need A Gun instead. This album is great for retro parties and still gets the feet moving when played at clubs, but might not appeal to all of Idol's rock/pop audience. I think it is a successful dance adaptation of his style and would have given it 5 stars if the aforementioned omissions had been included.

Vital Idol
Average customer rating:

Not so vital, though with a few interesting remixes

Unnecessary But Fun Remixes

Extended Mix Heaven

american idol has lost

Billy's best but with a warning...

Vital Idol
Billy Idol
Manufacturer: Capitol
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music
New Wave | New Wave & Post-Punk | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music
General | Pop | Styles | Music
Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music
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Release Date: 1990-10-25

Tracks:

White Wedding-Parts I & II (Shot Gun Mix)
Mony Mony (Downtown Mix)
Hot In The City (Exterminator Mix)
Dancing With Myself (Uptown Mix)
Flesh For Fantasy (Below The Belt Mix)
To Be A Lover (Mother Of Mercy Mix)
Love Calling (Rub A Dub Dub Mix)
Catch My Fall (Remix Fix)

Amazon.com

Billy Idol's post-Generation X years are well represented on this 1987 hits collection. True, the haunting "Eyes Without a Face" is missing, but this is, after all, a fist-in-the-air party record (check out the cover for proof). Also sad is the fact that "Cradle of Love" hadn't come out yet, but hey, genius takes time. What you do get is the platinum wonder at his rocking best on "Dancing with Myself," "Flesh for Fantasy," "Mony Mony," and a whole lot of "White Wedding," plus enough Steve Stevens fretwork to have you playing air guitar for millennia to come. --Bill Forman

Customer Reviews:

Not so vital, though with a few interesting remixes.......2005-11-16

Released in 1987 when Billy Idol reached #1 with a live version of Tommy James and the Shondells' "Mony Mony," Vital Idol became at that time, the closest thing to a best of until the much-needed Greatest Hits compilation. Thing is, it was a bunch of remixes and in the case of "White Wedding," the concatenation of a Part II, namely more guitarwork, space age synths, and an additional verse to make it an eight minute plus number. And face it-key numbers like "Rebel Yell" and "Eyes Without A Face" were missing, which given this collection, may be a relief, because they avoided being tampered with.

Unfortunately, the version of "Mony Mony" here isn't the live version that made it to the top. Rather, it's the Downtown Mix. And as if to capitalize on the success of that live version, "Hot In The City" was reissued, where it placed at #48, worse than its original #23 peak in 1982. The Exterminator Mix of this song isn't too bad.

Not much has changed with the Uptown Mix of the punk-disco of Idol's classic, "Dancing With Myself" though an extended bass, the clapping drum track, and reprises of instrumental bridge and last verse make it close to six minutes.

As for "Flesh For Fantasy," from the repeated snarling guitar and tweaked stretching of Idol going "flesh," I recognize the version used in the video for the same song, although there are a lot more added sounds and segments in this Below The Belt Mix, which clocking in at 7:04 makes it the second longest song.

"Superstars Return to Splendor with Rock and Roll Inferno" barks Idol before the harder guitar riffs set against the familiar drum machines opens the Mother of Mercy Mix of "To Be A Lover." This mix doesn't tweak the original too much, so I don't mind it as much. The presence of some seductive female vocals in some instrumental parts give it an extra something.

Some poppy techno synths give "Catch My Fall" the Remix Fix an interesting treatment. The thudding opening basso-type synths ironically sound like the same synths that open Tiffany's "I Think We're Alone Now," the other artist who went to #1 covering a Tommy James song. Gee, maybe he could've done his own version as a joke...

With only eight songs, and its being eclipsed by the official domestic greatest hits, the bottom line on Vital Idol now can be summed up as, "Yeah, it's not bad, but why?"

Unnecessary But Fun Remixes.......2004-04-06

Billy Idol songs don't really need to be remixed, so I wasn't expecting too much from this album. However, it turned out to be surprisingly good. "Catch My Fall" is easily the best of the bunch--the song gets a complete overhaul and ends up turning out better than the original. The subtle changes in "Hot in the City" also help make the song a bit cooler than it already was. There are some flaws: "White Wedding Part II" is a boring, mostly wordless addition to "White Wedding Part I" (which is the one you know); "Dancing With Myself" doesn't seem to get remixed at all; there are only eight songs on the album. Additionally, the album sleeve is absolutely pathetic: it's simply a list of all the songs on the album. This is definitely not the album to start an Idol phase off on, but if you already like Idol's music, this a sufficiently entertaining way to hear some of his old songs in a new light.

Extended Mix Heaven.......2001-11-07

Those that are looking only for the songs they heard on the radio are better off looking at one of the greatest hit compilations, but for those of us who enjoy the sheer heart-pumpin' attitude of Billy's best and want more of it will certainly want this one. Some songs - such as Flesh for Fantasy - are drastically remixed and contain even more attitude (if that's possible), while others - like White Wedding, Part 2 - simply give you more of a good thing.

If you enjoy extended mixes, the unbridaled punk attitude of Billy Idol in the 80s, and a leg-thumping good time that'll make you wanna get up off yer rump and dance then this is the one to buy!

american idol has lost.......2001-08-01

what? this guy is a american idol? he is exactly the correct one to take the film's role in the hollywood, but as a rock singer his profile is not correct. what a disillusion and high postage import? money for nothing!

Billy's best but with a warning..........2000-08-28

This collection represents Billy Idol's greatest songs, but be forwarned that these are *not* the original single version of these hit songs. For example, the wonderful "White Wedding" was only 4 minutes in the single version, but included here is the dance version which is 8 minutes. Ditto with Catch My Fall, Flesh for Fantasy and Catch My Fall. I don't know about you, but sometimes less is more, especially when the 10 minutes versions of these songs are utterly inferior to the original and familiar versions. They drone on and on with idiotic instrumentals which play on forever.

Tracks:

Chomsky-15:00
Chomsky-Gravitate
The Deathray Davies-Dont Point At The Stoners
The Deathray Davies-Persuasive Is Your Name
The Fags-List
The Fags-Firecracker (previously unreleased)
[DARYL]-Petition
[DARYL]-Jenny
Sponge-Treat Me Wrong (previously unreleased)
Sponge-Molly (Sixteen Candles) previously unreleased
Macavity-Flowers For Al-Anon (previously unreleased)
Macavity- Rockets In The Stack
Centro-matic-Huge In Every City
Centro-matic-On The Sagtikos
Watershed-Cant Be Myself
Watershed-Anniversary
Clumsy-Dumb (previously unreleased)
Molly-Girlfriend
Kissing Chaos-Lost Evidence (previously unreleased)
Gunfighter-Thirty Three Teeth
Soviet Space-A Clearer Picture Of Me
The Mag Seven-Sweet Jam O Mine

Product Description

1. 00:15:00 (15 Minutes To Rock) - Chomsky
2. Gravitate - Chomsky
3. Don't Point At The Stoners - The Deathray Davies
4. Persuasive Is Your Name - The Deathray Davies
5. List - The Fags (previously unreleased)
6. Firecracker - The Fags (previously unreleased)
7. Petition - Daryl
8. Jenny - Daryl
9. Treat Me Wrong - Sponge (previously unreleased, live, At CBGB's)
10. Molly (Sixteen Candles) - Sponge (previously unreleased, live, At CBGB's)
11. Flowers For Al-Anon - Macavity (previously unreleased)
12. Rockets In The Stack - Macavity
13. Huge In Every City - Centro-Matic
14. On The Sagtikos - Centro-Matic
15. Can't Be Myself - Watershed
16. Anniversary - Watershed
17. Dumb - Clumsy (previously unreleased)
18. Girlfriend - Molly
19. Lost Evidence - Kissing Chaos (previously unreleased)
20. Thirty Three Teeth - Gunfighter
21. Clearer Picture Of Me, A - Soviet Space
22. Sweet Jam O'Mine - The Mag Seven

Format: CD

Vital Idol
Average customer rating:
Vital Idol

ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Pop | Styles | Music
General | Hard Rock & Metal | Styles | Music
Album-Oriented Rock (AOR) | Classic Rock | Styles | Music
New Wave & Post-Punk | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music | New Wave | Post-Punk | Urban Folk
Similar Items:

Charmed Life

ASIN: B0009R243A