In the early 1980s, Billy Idol exploded onto the American music scene with “Dancing with Myself,” the neo-punk anthem that he originally recorded with Generation X. He had recently left England for New York City, having heard the siren call of MTV. As he recently reflected on the "Everything Fab Four" podcast, the flamboyant Idol and upstart MTV were made for each other, which he proved in unforgettable style with the video hit “White Wedding” on his self-titled debut LP.
But Idol’s incredible coming-out party as a hitmaker was a mere prelude to 1983’s "Rebel Yell," an album that sounds as fresh and arresting as it did more than 40 years ago. In a newly remastered, deluxe edition, "Rebel Yell" underscores Idol’s vaunted place as one of his era’s most dazzling performers, as well as the searing, hard-rocking voice at the center of an increasingly plasticene, synth-driven musical epoch. In short, Idol was the rock ‘n’ roller at the center of the maelstrom.
