After the brief success of Generation X (who disbanded in ’81), Billy went to the States to start a solo career. He joined up with guitarist Steve Stevens and Billy boy hit payday. Success came near enough instantly with White Wedding, and they were off and running. Now, make no mistake here, Billy owes a hell of a lot to Stevens as his inventiveness and creativity drive everything on this album, plus he is one hell of a guitar player.
Opening and title track is a fantastic track and is very eighties in sound and feel – with the addition of keyboards played by Stevens on the album, but this track definitely rocks. Next up is Daytime Drama, and this song is made by the guitar track – incredible rhythm and lead playing – you really get to realize what a lucky boy William Broad is. Eyes Without A Face is all about the keyboards until the fat riff kicks in the middle section – another great tune and a hit single to boot. Blue Highway follows and closes out Side 1. A crazy guitar intro leads into a fairly standard song lifted again by the guitar.
Over to Side 2 and Idol’s best track of his entire career, Flesh For Fantasy. It starts with the simple bass line with an almost funk groove – then it’s all about the guitar. No crazy solo’s, just a great feel for the song with plenty of chorus and echo. Superb track! Catch My Fall is next, and is the only song credited to Billy himself and sounds very new wave. Crank Call follows and starts with a great riff and has a whiff old Gen X about it. Do Not Stand In The Shadows is very old school punk rock in the intro, and again is very eighties in sound but still it’s a good tune. The album closes out with The Dead Next Door which is a very atmospheric electronic slow tune.
This album was never bettered. Sure there is the occasional track that his good, but nothing came close to that quality of songs on this album.
9/10 from The Grooveman.
