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Cyberpunk

Billy Idol - Cyberpunk Audio CD

A fair review of the Billy Idol "Cyberpunk" Audio CD. Please note that the below review is the views of the authors, and authors only. You can get a complete list of all Billy Idol reviews here, or go back to the Billy Idol tabs.

Band: Billy Idol
Title: Cyberpunk
Rating:

Release Date: 2006-08-22
Media: Audio CD

Tracks: 1: Intro 2: Wasteland 3: Shock to the System 4: Tomorrow People 5: Adam in Chains 6: Neuromancer 7: Power Junkie 8: Love Labours On 9: Heroin 10: Shangrila 11: Concrete Kingdom 12: Venus 13: Then the Night Comes 14: Mother Dawn

Listen without prejudice...
Ok, from where do I start. .

1st of all, it's very simple bashing the hell out of this album, and a lot of people like to go with the flock, so just because EW, Allmusic or Rolling Stone said the album is garbage, then everybody says that also.

This is not you ordinary Billy Idol album, you won't find the likes of "Rebel Yell" or "Flesh for Fantasy" here. I admit that the idea of a conceptual album by Billy is weird, but the honest and unbiased listener will enjoy this album.

"Shock to the System" is very nice, as are "Neuromancer" and most of all "Venus", this one being pure Idol. The electronic beats are indeed strange, but no way bad.

Another highlights are "Adam in Chains", with its relaxing hypnotizing intro, and "Love Labours On", a nice and soft ballad.

Not his best work, of course, but this is a great blend of rock and electronic music, with Billy vocals sounding great all over it.

The main issue is that Billy's fans don't like this because is different from his classic sound, and the people who would enjoy this kind of music won't even give a chance to a Billy Idol record.

Easily my favorite Billy Idol Album
Rolling Stone magazine was particuliarly brutal in their commentary. I too remember how when this album was originally released, the critics had a field day slamming it. And despite all of that, I still loved it. If music is in anyway about artistry, then this album is for any music lover. Yes, it's a concept album. Yes, Billy Idol took a risk and dared to stray from his typical fare. I'm glad he did. What I like most about the album is that their is a very linear quality to the songs. It feels as though each song could be part of a story, yet each song stands on it's own as well. I still like to just listen to it sometimes with my eyes closed. If you are truly open minded, and ever liked Billy Idol, this is definitely worth your time.

Perfect Music for The RPG!
BRAVO! . For those who are a fan of the RPG "CyberPunk", who will find this album is perfect background music! As it turns out, Billy Idol is (was?) a fan of the CyberPunk game and wrote this album to compliment the game.

Billy Idol Proves His Versatility as an Artist
It does not follow the same format as Idol classics like Rebel Yell, Whiplash Smile, or Charmed Life. Cyberpunk is without a doubt a departure for the rebellious rocker. However, the album is a fun journey into a techno/rock atmosphere. Songs like "Wasteland", "Shock to the System", and "Then the Night Comes" contain more than enough snarling and driving guitar to keep his fans happy, while "Adam in Chains" is a conceptual song and one of my favorites on the album.

In 1993, it was nearly impossible for an established rock band or solo act to make a hit album. In fact, try thinking of a different 70s/80s rock act that released an album in that year and I bet you can't. Few in the rock community were even releasing material during the height of the grunge scene, but Billy Idol gave it a shot by tweaking his style and image. It may not have been a massive success, but it is sure a fun album to listen to. He deserves a lot of credit for even trying to release an album in 1993.

Shouldn't have been tossed aside so easily
That's what it is really, a concept album; it isn't Billy Idol gone astray or Billy Idol trying to reclaim popularity with the youth, it's a concept. Looking at the reviews of 1 and 2 star givers it's really obvious that many people just don't get what Billy Idol was trying to do with this concept album.

And second, it isn't techno, like some like to put it, nor is it club music. That's all wrong; the music I'd say is a diconnected mix of industrial and electronica. Idol still manages, however, to retain a lot of pop sensibility in the mix.

When I listen to this album David Bowie's similarily themed, though much more challenging 'Outside' and 'Earthling' albums come to mind, in that it's the brilliant musicians doing something new and just as outstanding.

And some people seem to think that Idol's drug habits at the time had lead to this 'unlistenable' album, but I'm pretty sure that Idol'd had those habits for quite some time, much longer before he recorded 'Cyberpunk'.

Anyway, to the music. Shifting from heavy electronic beats and synths to the punky nuances that are Idol's trademark, C presents itself in a reconfigured sense, almost a remix of the classic Billy Idol. The music seems a little uneasy often, and sometimes the mixing feels muddled with too many ideas and not enough structure, or simply the attempt to break away from conventional song structures. Either way the production does get in the way of the songwriting occasionally, especially in the latter half of the album.

The segues that sift through the songs are placed perfectly where they sit and shouldn't be ignored or skipped through; they add a cohesive element to the story that may be the problem with some listeners, that they don't TRY to take it in, just disregard the segues as a waste of time, which has a very adverse effect on the experience.

My favorite tracks include Wasteland (which could've easily been a single), 'Shock to the System', 'Tomorrow People', and the awesome take on Lou Reed's 'Heroin', which takes lines from Patti Smith's 'Gloria'. There's also a very hard to find remix of this track, but the original is enough.

The last few songs do start to feel tedious and seem to lose some focus, but are individually great tracks. The only track I can't get into would be 'Mother Dawn'; for me the album would've ended well with 'Then The Night Comes'.

The only reason I think that Billy Idol himself disregards this album is because he probably just wasn't used to so much criticism, which probably discouraged him to do anything else like this. But really if you're willing to introduce your ears to something new, go all for this album.

You can see a complete list of all Billy Idol discography, or go back to the Billy Idol tabs. There is also a good guide on how to read guitar tabs here.