Conference napalm::heavy_metal

    He looks like he's trying to bite his ear   
                                                (^8
    
    
    
    
    

    
    
    
    	I don't think he's heavy metal at all.  I used to like
    	him quite a few years back when I was about 15-16 years
    	old.  But that was because no one else did and I wanted
    	to be different.
    
    	Tig~~

    Billy Idol is the balls.
    
    His music is unique, and a refreshing change, and it kicks ass.
    Check out the album Rebel Yell. It's great. 
    I wouldn't classify his music as HM, or even as straight Rock and
    Roll. He sometimes has his punk influences, sometimes a new-wave
    type influence, sometimes a HM-type influence.
    
    	I don't really care for the work that Generation X did, however.
    
    /Motorbreath
    

    Personally, whether Billy Idol is HM or not (not IMO), I love his
    stuff. 
    
    SET FLAME/LEVEL=*HIGH*
    
    I see no problem with dicussing Billy Idol here, as his hard rock music
    is as close to HM as many of the other artists/groups discussed here
    (BonJovi, new DefLeopard, new VH, etc).  I'm also sick and tired of
    reading a bunch of complaints that "this isn't metal or that isn't
    metal" on every new topic!  Half the notes in this conference are
    saying "don't discuss that here crap".  At least this topic is music
    related and could be of interest to those noters interested in HM/rock
    music in general.  I find it particularly ironic that there aren't a
    lot of complaints about totally off subject notes not being HM... 
                        
    This conference was originally created to give a place for discussion
    of rock bands that many people don't like as a direct result of the
    extreme levels of flack we were getting in our discussions of them in
    more generic music related conferences.  Billy Idol fits this catagory.
    Try putting a note about him in MUSIC and see the volume of
    disapproving/degrading notes which will inevitably follow. 
    
    If you don't feel that something is suited for discussion in this
    conference, please STOP WRITING THESE PI*SY NOTES AND SEND MAIL TO ONE
    OF THE MODERATORS.  I'm tired of reading it and know of many other
    noters that are too! 
     
    SET FLAME/LEVEL=OFF
    SET MODE/ON_TOPIC
    
    I like Idols voice and I LOVE Steve Stevens guitar playing. I thing
    they wrote good, catchy, commercial rock songs together. I've loved
    everything of theirs that I've heard, but much prefer the originals
    over the covers. 
    
    Why is he taking so long in coming out with anything new? 
    
    gh
                   

    
    	re .5
    
    	I was told the reason he was taking his sweet time was Steve
    S..left the group and was recording with some one.. I  have Billy
    Sheenan (sp?) in mind but he's doing Mr Big..  
    
    	I'm afraid to ask but didnt he do something (an album or tour)
    with Mikey J????
    
    BK
    

    
RE: .6
    
    	If Steve S. is the guy with all the hair that was a guitarist 
    	for Billy Idol, then Yes. He DID do something with Michael
    	Jackson.  I don't know about the rest of the tour, but he
    	did do some guitar work on the Dirty Diana video.
    
    	Tigga~~
        

    
        RE: Brian
    
                   Steve Stevens plays guitar and Billy Sheehan plays
                   bass.
    
                   And yes, Steve S. played guitar on "Dirty Diana"
                   and maybe other tracks from "Bad".
    
                                                       GTI
    

    Note: Jeniffer Batton played guitar for Michael Jackson's world
    tour.

    Ok, sorry about the flame.  I looked back at the prior notes and
    they weren't really doing what I was complaining about.  I'm just
    a little oversensative on this issue and completely overreacted.
    Don't completely disregard what I was saying, just disregard it
    in the context of this note.                             
    
    I still think that Idol & Stevens made an excellent team and hope
    that they don't part ways.  Steve doesn't play what I'd call incredibly
    technical parts, but what he plays fits the songs well.  IMO this
    is much more important than being incredibly technical.
    
    gh (feeling better not that I'm getting something to eat)
                                                           

    i used to like him.. then he went commerical..
    
    	wendy o'
    
    

    
    	re Shawn... thanx but I *do* know which instruments each play..
    
    	Re Buck I know JB did the world tour.. (isnt she nicknames the
    tap master.???) anyway... but I swore I saw SS in a vid or something.
    
    	I think he's doing the moonwalker stuff..while Jen Batt did
    the BAD tour..correct???
    
    BK
    

    
    
    JB
    
    SS
    
    FTPM
    
    I'm sorry - I'm not up to date on the acronyms...
    
    F.

    JB=Jennifer Batten (teaches(ed?) at GIT, toured with MJ)        
    
    GIT=Guitar Institute of Technology, a renouned school for learning
    	to play the guitar
    
    MJ=Michael Jackson, we can't talk about him here...
    
    SS=Steve Stevens, guitar player on all Billy Idol albums to date
    
    FTPM=For the Practicing Musician, as in the magazine "Guitar for
    the Practicing Musician"
    
    
    gh=Greg House

]    >< Note 454.6 by BUSY::KELLY "I feel the urge..the growing need...." >
    >
    >    	I was told the reason he was taking his sweet time was Steve
    >S..left the group and was recording with some one.. I  have Billy
    >Sheenan (sp?) in mind but he's doing Mr Big..  
     
    
        Sorry Brian - but I couldn't figure out what this was supposeta
        say at first.  I thought u were saying that Billy Sheehan was
        taking over for Steve Stevens.
    
                                                       GTI

        P.S.  Francine - I dunno what 'GTI' stands for.  8^)

    I think anyone with a leather glove needs to see the man
      with the white coat!!!!!  I don't really like him, but that's
    just my 2 cents........
    
           Mr.Rude
    
    
    P.S. I wonder if he and Michael Jackson have the same tailor?  (-:

    
    RE: MR RUDE
    
    YES, HE HAS SEEN THE MAN IN THE WHITE COAT....BOY GEORGE IS GOING
    TO STRAIGHTEN HIM OUT 8-). MY FAVORITE TUNE IS "WHITE WEDDING" AN
    EXCELLENT TUNE. I THINK BILLY...GLOVE OR NOT DESERVES TO BE
    COMMENDED ON A JOB WEE DONE.
    
    OH , BY THE WAY .....BILLY HATES MICKEY'S FU***N GUTZ' , BUT LIKES
    WHIPPING HIS ASS.
    
    
    SAX  ( EAT THE RICH...SUC* IT AND SEE....)
    

             
    Idol is the ballz - but I think he will be stuffed without Stevens
    now.  He's (Idol) rumoured to be hangin' out with Randy whotshisface 
    (ex-Ozzy bassist).        
    
    Jeniffer Batton is good - she has written some good books on tapping
    etc..  
                                         
    FWIW - I was born in the same place as Billy Idol (my claim to fame
    ;-)                                 
                                         
    No CJ, *not* the same bed as him  8-)

    
    
    
    And... to top it all off... he's a hunk!  8^)
    
    
    agagagagagagaga
    
    just trying to get people pissed for "not talking about the musical
    qualities..."
    
    F.

    
    
    	a hunk francine?? we have to talk dear!
    ;^)
    
    
    		wendy o'
    
    

    
    
    YUP...
    
    When he doesn't have a snarl on his face he is very attractive!!!
    
    IMO
    
    PLUS I LIKE HIS MUSIC - (does that make everyone happy!! 8^) x 1000)
    
    F.

    
    		i helped carry his luggage once!!!!
    
    		
    
    		yeh, i know, BIG DEAL!!!
    
    
    		He was taking a vacation at this hot little summer resort
    	in Lake George,N.Y. where i was working as a bus boy during
    	the summer. alright, no i didn't carry his luggage...too many
    	of the house maids were fighting for the honor anyways but i
    	did get a glipse of him and this beautiful babe as they pulled
    	up in their or his nice shiny red Pantera!!!
    		
    		One of the maids who cleaned his cabin said he left
    	a big tip and a couple of half smoked left handed cigarettes
    	when he left. imagine that!!
    
    		 i think his music is pretty good....Forgot To Be A
    	Lover is one of my favorites. dig that guitar solo and those
    	babes singing backup!
    							JAM

    
    
    what are left handed cigarettes...
    
    or do you mean....  like, the illegal stuff...
    
    F.

    
    	RE F.
    
    	you're not dumb or hopeless...(^8.
    
    	I dont know what itmeans..probably means a dube but if it's
    a derogaroty thing then I'll resent the terminology..  There's nothing
    wrong with LEFT handed people..right Tig?
    
    BK
    

    IDOL is great.   What I like best about his music is that it can't
    be classified in any one type of music. I mean some is hard enough
    to be called metal, some could be called Punk, and some could be
    called P*p (or Dance).  Got to be a lover and White Wedding have
    relieved me from damnation when I ventured into a P*p Dance club.
    The dance Re-mix of those tunes is the ballz.  He also has some
    great ballads, Eyes without a face and Hot in the City are really
    good.
    
    The Sentinel
    
    (F. Don't drop your eggs over him......8-) )

    	Billy Idol has a powerful voice, a magnetic presence, and the good
    	sense to link up with Steve Stevens however many years ago.  Also,
    	he has the brain power to write better lyrics than he does, though 
    	I like most of his songs.  "All Summer Single" from Whiplash Smile
    	is my favorite.
    
    	He can be a disgusting pig and a really nice guy, and he lives the
    	image he's created for himself.  He really gets into offending some
        of the people.
    
    	Wish he'd dump that girlfriend of his, the one who got him back by 
    	getting preggo.  I saw them at the L.A. Love Run in November.  She
     	was really unattractive (not to mention completely wasted--he had 
    	to prop her up), and I've heard she's who turned him onto heroin.
    
    	His new album is due out this Spring.  Does anyone know if Steve
    	Stevens is completely out of the picture?
    
    						   Carla
    

Billy and his band are cool in my book! His albums tend to be a little
pop-oriented, so he can get the radio airplay. But live, Stevens 
guitar usually blasts through the mix, and it is closer to HM than
anything else. (BTW - I think Stevens kicks *ss - he's got a great sense
of rhythm to his playing, and does some nice harmonic work.)

If you like the earlier stuff, you should also check out his previous band,
Generation X. They did the original of "Dancing With Myself", and a great
song called "Your Generation" (an answer song to the Who's anthem).

cat

    I heard part of a story on the radio yesterday about Billy Idol.
    They said he's completed a new album, but won't give the master
    tapes to the record company yet.  Seems that his label, Chryslis
    may be bought by another label and he wants to see what happens
    with that before releasing the album.
    
    I didn't get a chance to hear the first part of the segment, so
    this was all I heard.  Anyone know anything more?
    
    gh

I dunno about the Billy Idol LP, but Chrysalis is now (as of this week) a
part of Capitol Records instead of CBS Records. I don't think Capitol
*bought* Chrsalis, I think its just a distribution deal....

cat

    	Actually, Thorn EMI (my ex-employer) bought Chrysalis records.
    
    							Carla
    

    
    
        I read in Rolling Stone where Billy Idols new album was
     done but he wouldn't release it because of Chrysalis's 
     financial woes and he didn;t think it would get the proper PR 
     for it.
    
       /Bill
    

    
    	Who's his guitarist now?
    
    /Motorbreath

    I read an interview with producer Beau Hill (Ratt, Winger, others) in
    this months Guitar World (sorry, yes, I do actually read this stuff). 
    Anyway, his current project at the time of the interview was a solo
    album by none other than Steve Stevens!  That's one that I will HAVE to
    get, as Steve is one of my favorite guitar players.
    
    Gh

    I heard on the radio that Billy Idols new album is scheduled to be
    released sometime in July.
    
    gh

    	Tomorrow it'll be July.  Has anyone heard a release date for 
    	Billy's new album?
    
    					Carla chomping_at_the_bit
    

    Nothing firm, see .36, that's all I've heard.
    
    gh

    Billy's going to need a new album out to pay for his law suit.
    
    Chris D.

    
    	What lawsuit?
    

    What I heard is that a person who got trampled at a Billy Idol concert
    is sueing him.  Normaly, I would just say "Oh brother, another law
    suit."  This time though, Billy will probably lose.  While on stage
    he said "Hey, I'm lonely up here, come on down and keep me company."
     That's all the fans had to hear.  They stormed down to the front
    of the stage and this person got hurt in the process.
           
    Chris D. (Don't remember where I heard it)

    Yes, thats true about billing calling people to the stage.  I saw
    his concert in Portland, Oregon , and he did the same thing.  That
    may even be the place where the lawsuit stems from.  The concert
    was for his Whiplash Smile tour.  It was great finally seeing my
    IDOL after being a fan for many years.  
    
    I guess one of the highlights is I ended up with a Whiplash Smile
    CD with Billy and Stevie's signature on it!  
    
    IDOL is the best!
    
    "Bring it on through"
    
    Chris

     For those who care,

    	Vidal Idol was in an motorcycle accident yesterday in Calif. He had
    just finished recording his new album. The report said he ran a stop
    sign and hit a car, damaging his right arm and hand. 

    He was riding a Harley!

    B.A.

    Actually, he ran a stop sign and was hit broad-side.
    
    Which is how he sustained injuries to his leg and arm.
    
                                   fwiw,
                                          rich

    Yarbles ?
    
    Agagagagagagagagagaga...
    
    See what happens when you ride that crap ??
    
    jc

    <- re. "See what happens when you ride that crap ??"
    
    set/flame="cutting torch"
    
    Billy Idol's accident was caused by his own negligence, failing
    to stop for a STOP sign.
    
    IT HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH THE MAKE OF BIKE HE WAS RIDING!!
    
    //flame-off
    
    People who don't operate motor-vehicles responsibly are a threat
    to society. What-ever they choose to ride/drive.
    
                              retch

    
    	I hate to continue this rat-hole, but the paper said:
    
    	"Billy suffered a fracture of the lower leg.  He was not
    	wearing a helmet at the time."
    
    	Geez, does that mean he wouldn't have broken his leg if he
    	was wearing a helmet?
    
    							GTI
    

    RE -1
    
     yeah when I heard that I thouht the same thing.
    Give me a break.
    
    jeff          
    

    Yeah, he should have have that helmet on his leg!
    
    DYLIW you go for Satriani tix and make it first in line and get great
    seats?   8^) x 10000
    
    gh

    Well...
    	Saw an Idol interview on MTV, and heard another on Rockline
    last night. 	
    	They've unscrewed the pins from his leg, but it will be quite
    a while before he's back to normal.
    	He's planning on making some videos,though he's not sure
    just how yet.
    	His latest work will be released May 1st. The release was
    delayed by 2 weeks, to allow him to recover enough to promote the
    album.
    	His acting role in the Oliver Stone movie about Jim Morrison
    has been changed to another character. He's pleased with this because
    his new character is more sympathetic to Morrison.
    
    /Motorbreath

    The new album is called 
    "Charmed Life"
    produced by Keith Forsey
    Featuring the single
    Cradle Of Love
    from the 20th Century Fox Movie
    Ford Fairlane (w/Dice Clay & Priscilla Presley)

    
    	Oh yeah, I heard the song "Cradle of Love" the other night.
    
    	IMO, yuck.
    
    	Danceable, yes - likeable, no.
    
    							GTI
    

    Likeable yes.
    

Billys voice is fine, but the song isn't too original.  I changed the station
about half way through <yawn>.  Just didn't do much for me. 

I do want to hear the rest of the album though, I hope it's better.

Greg

    
    	I heard him say that he got away from "electronic" instrum-
    	ents for this album, and they're using "real" drums, etc.
    
    	That's a step in the right direction, anyways.
    
    							GTI
    

    Idol has Sold Out. 

    	Damn.. did you get tickets?

    no I read an article about how the Newer Gentler Billy has come to pass
    sinse he's a Dad and looking to be the Fine Father Figure who just
    happens to work in Music as a Job.
    
    Has all the sincerity of Frederick's of Hollywood. 

    I heard 3 cuts on the radio coming into work last week and he said it
    was designed to be a dance album - rock, yes, but still very danceable.
    That's not selling out if you're happy with the final product, and I
    think he is.  His music has been drifting that way for quite a few
    years now.  Billy's still a rocker !
    
    Scary

    	Selling Out has nothing to do with Rock, or Dance.
    It has to do with making a record that will sell , whose purpose is
    short term sales/promotion. Making production/writing/playing decisions
    based on what is popular and presently commercial rather than putting
    a strange, maybe not popular ( yet ) sound or composition on the album
    which just makes better music.
    
    I'd sell out in a second if I had the opportunity!

    -1
    
    I disagree.  It's so very EASY to say what SELLING OUT is.  SELLING OUT 
    **IS NOT** making a quality product!!!  My last band was all hung up on
    the same freaking b-s as you toenail!!  That is why I said "See ya!"
    
    Buck -- Quality CAN also have integrity

    BS MY FOOT. I don't play in a band or even play out now . 
    But I really shouldn't say that about Billy's new disk, I haven;t heard
    it.   Really Buck, you shouldn't compare someone like myself with
    people in a band. It's just not fair. Mostly I stick to writing things
    I enjoy the sound of for it's own sake, and what Classical music I
    know. Maybe I'm lazy  or because I don't feel I have
    anything which has enough music and commercial viability.
    
    Probably I'm too concieted or stuck-up so much I don't throw my hat in
    the ring of commercialism for fear of losing...   must be it....
    

I think that a lot of people take the term "selling out" to mean "producing
a commercially oriented product" and I don't think that they are necessarily 
mutually exclusive.  To me it's only selling out if what you produce is 
not something you enjoy doing.  

If you like unusual, obtuse music and you record stuff that sounds like 
Bon Jovi for the purpose of being able to sell it and nothing else, then 
you sold out.  (This is just an example of someone that puts out music fit 
for mass comsumption, I'm not necessarily saying he sold out or putting
him down or anything).  However if you enjoy commercial pop music and play 
in a band that records some, I don't see that as selling out at all.

I know a band that plays original music that I'd consider commerical rock,
but they enjoy that and a lot of what they listen to outside the band 
context is bands that play that style music.  I don't believe they are 
selling out at all.

I think that if you feel you have to compromise something that you put value
on for the sake of sales or popularity or something, then you're selling out.
If you can sell records or be popular without losing something of yourself
then it's not.

On the subject of Billy Idol, I've only heard one tune off the new album so
far ("Rock the Cradle?"?) and I thought it was incredibly lame.  I've never
heard any of his older songs that I thought were this weak.  If the rest of
the albums like that, I'll pass.

Greg

    Touche' !
    
    In my current band we play a LOT of material that I wouldn't play for
    my own listening pleasure at home - HOWEVER, we do it very well and get
    great crowd responses, and numerous repeat bookings.  To me, this is
    not selling out because I have a good time playing it and I also enjoy
    watching the crowd have a good time. If you see smiles at both sides of
    the monitors, that's not a sell out.
    
    Now I *did* do a country thing for about 2 months - the music was
    tight, the crowd's liked us a lot, lots of room for recording
    potential, blah blah blah, but I wasn't very happy there and found
    myself learning the songs so I could grab some of the easy cash
    floating around for CW (CowWaste) bands.  I was not happy, therefore
    that *was* a sellout.
    
    Go get 'em Billy .... I'd buy it !
    
    Scary (selling Scary, not selling out ...)

    
    Too much piano in Billy's new stuff, not enough guitar...
    
    

    I saw his new vid and heard the new song for the first
    time last night and had two thoughts....1st his vid reminds
    me a lot of Rod Stewarts videos and mostly how much Steve
    Stevens is missed !!!!
    
    TW

I always thought that Stevens was very much an integral part of Idols sound.
I can't imagine a "Billy Idol" album without him...

Greg (who figured Billy would replace him with a "sound-alike")

I don't like it.  I did like it...until I head it a million + 1 times.

I hear it on FNX and BRU.
I hear it on WAAF.

I hear it on the various dance stations I've listened to.


Can you say "overplay"?????




Decent song, but it's not NEAR Billy's best.


kath

    That's the glory of NEVER listening to radio.  I'm a die hard tape
    dude, in the car anyway.  MTV ruins good songs, so does the radio. If I
    like it, I'll buy it (or dub it ...) and get tired of it on my own !
    
    Thankyou !	8^)
    
    Scary (who likes dancin' and by default likes Billy's new one ..)

    
    I just saw the video for it today.  I liked the video, although I'm not
    too partial for the song.  The ending is funny!  "Is Devin here?"
    Agagaga!
    
    J-Dot Who_likes_Rebel_Yell_alot!

    I don't know if it was mentioned earlier in this note but here is an
    interesting tid-bit.  Billy's real name is William Broad.  Billy never
    liked school so he would just sit in class and never participate.  His
    teacher would ask why he was always "idle".  From this, Billy took the
    other spelling for idle, idol.  The rest is history.
    
    During Billy's career, he would sign into hotels as William Alucard. 
    Alucard spelled backwards is Dracula.  Pretty neat huh?
    
    Grant 

From: clarinews@clarinet.com
Newsgroups: clari.news.law.crime.trial,clari.news.law.crime.violent,clari.news.music
Subject: Billy Idol charged with hitting woman
 
	WEST HOLLYWOOD, Calif. (UPI) -- Rock star Billy Idol turned himself in
	to sheriff's deputies Wednesday to face charges that he punched a young
	woman in the face while riding in the back seat of a car, inflicting
	cuts and bruises from the large silver rings he wore.
    
	Idol, whose real name is William Michael Broad, walked into the West
	Hollywood sheriff's station about 9 a.m., where he was booked on
	suspicion of assault and battery.
    
	The 35-year-old blond singer was released about 10:30 a.m. on his
	promise to appear Dec. 18 in Beverly Hills Municipal Court for
	arraignment, Deputy Bill Linnemeyer said. If convicted of both counts,
	he could serve a year in jail.
    
	Deputy District Attorney Mark Vezzani said the charges stem from an
	early morning incident Oct. 11 when Idol and his manager, Arthur Joseph
	Natoli, met two women in Stringfellows, a West Hollywood restaurant.
	About 2 a.m., Amber Nevel and Laurie Bailey offered to drive the men
	to their car after dinner. Idol sat in the back seat of the car with
	Nevel, 22.
    
	On the way, Idol began shouting at Nevel and struck her twice with
	his hand, once on the mouth and once in the left forehead, Vezzani said.
	The prosecutor said Idol was wearing large silver rings on his
	fingers that gave Nevel cuts on her mouth and bruises on her forehad.
	She also suffered a slight concussion.
    
	The women forced both men out of the car and drove immediately to the
	West Hollywood sheriff's station to report the incident. Nevel was
	treated at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center and released.

    Well, they probably saw it as a trip to the bank more than a trip to
    the sheriff's office.  I could imagine him doing something like that.
    Hmmm ... if that had happened in the south, they probably would have
    gotten engaged.  8^)
    
    Scary

    
    Agagagaga!

I haven't tried it, so I'm not sure that it works, but supposedly Billy Idol
now has an e-mail address. For those interested:

                           idol@well.sf.ca.us

alan

    alan...i'd try to send him mail if i could think of even one thing that
    i'd be interested in his opinion/input.........but i'm drawing a total 
    blank.....;').../k

    Speaking of Billy, I've heard the title track from his new album "Shock
    To The System" on the radio a couple of times now.  Seems like he's
    getting back to the more rockin stuff that he did on his earlier solo
    albums and I like it better.  I wouldn't call it my favorite of his
    songs, but it's listenable.  Interestingly enough, it sounds like he
    tried really hard to cop Steve Steven's old guitar style on this, but
    it sounds to me like it's a synth playing the part.
    
    Greg

    
    
    
    Saw the video the other day.. didn't really pay attention.. nice 
    hair due... 

 >   Saw the video the other day.. didn't really pay attention.. nice 
 >   hair due... 

ya that's about the right attitude... :^)

-a

    
    hair due???
    
    

He should take his own advice when he called Led Zeppelin dinosaurs when
they were recording In Through the Out Door.  He was in Generation X at the
time I think...

Tim
    

    
    
    
    due.. do.. dew.. they all sound the same! 
    
    :')