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

Vital Idol

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

Vital Idol