"Look Back" 1986: Billy Idol's "Whiplash Smile"

The year was 1986.....

.....and what an incredible year for music! The year that saw the very first induction ceremony into the Rock-n-Roll Hall of Fame, "We Are the World" took home the big Grammy honors, Amnesty International hosted the "Conspiracy of Hope" benefit concert (featuring Bryan Adams, Sting, U2, & more), Queen performed their final concert....chart topping songs like "Take My Breath Away" and "Addicted to Love", "Rock Me Amadeus" and "That's What Friends Are For", "Papa Don't Preach" and "Walk Like an Egyptian" as well as one hit wonders like the incredible "Night Moves" by Marilyn Martin....the year we lost legends like Metallica bassist Cliff Burton and Thin Lizzy bassist Phil Lynott, bluesman Sonny Terry and bandleader Benny Goodman, and future legends were born like Trombone Shorty and Lady Gaga and Drake and Jon Batiste. We saw the birth of bands like Hootie & the Blowfish and Cowboy Junkies and Green Day and N.W.A. and the Pixies, and the death of bands Boomtown Rats and Dead Kennedys and The Police and The Clash....the year Madonna's "True Blue", "Slippery When Wet" by Bon Jovi, Paul Simon's "Graceland", Janet Jackson's "Control" and the soundtrack to the hit movie "Top Gun" dominated the charts.....and so much more!

A host of amazing albums were released in 1986 and I hope to have time to write about many, including "Album" from Public Image Ltd, "Ultimate Sin" by Ozzy Osbourne, Prince's amazing "Parade", "the debut DLR album "Eat 'Em and Smile", "So" by Peter Gabriel, Queen's "A Kind of Magic", the live album "Bring on the Night" by Sting, Queensryche's "Rage for Order", "While the City Sleeps" from George Benson.....

Today, however, we'll look at the amazing follow-up to Billy Idol's "Rebel Yell" album, the incredible "Whiplash Smile".

Idol's third full-length album (hence the "side 5, side 6" on the back cover - see photo below), it leaned more heavily into programming and synths, but still featured some stellar studio talent (most notably jazz great Marcus Miller on bass and the late Richard Tee on keys) as well as the return of Idol's near constant sidekick & songwriting partner Steve Stevens (guitar) and producer extraordinaire Keith Forsey.

Its worth noting at this point that following the incredible success of the previous album and tour (which made Idol a superstar and opened the door for Stevens to collaborate with other top names as well as play the main theme for the hit movie "Top Gun", for which he won a Grammy), egos clashed on direction and writing, and Idol's addictions created even more friction. This famously saw the the duo split following the tour supporting the album, but arguably led to the dynamic tension that produced such amazing music.

Conceptually, they settled on a very synth heavy (with all the drums being programmed rather than played by their live drummer) - a sort of dance-punk approach that stepped almost into the industrial. Add to that the VERY real guitars and they came up with a sound that was quite unique for the time.

Stevens obsessed on his guitar tone (myths flew about his Marshall Plexi amps and sleeping in the studio, but he assures us he didn't actually sleep there - haha!). 

Most of the songs are written solo by Idol, but several ("World's Forgotten Boy", "Man for All Seasons", "Fatal Charm", and "One Night, One Chance") were co-written by Stevens. Possibly Idol's most alliteration heavy writing (see song titles for proof).

Recorded in late '85 and early '86, the album launched in October of 1986 behind the release of the song & video for the lead single, "To Be a Lover" (a a reimagined cover of the William Bell hit from 1969).

It met with typical mixed reviews, but shut down the critics with its success: Stevens was on the cover of every guitar magazine, Idol on the cover of every music magazine, the album charting in the top 30 in 14 countries, and the sales hitting gold and platinum status in 7 countries.

MTV and radio airplay was massive for the three singles (the aforementioned "To Be a Lover" followed by "Don't Need a Gun" and "Sweet Sixteen") and the world tour was a raging success.

Let's look at each song!

side one:

1) "Worlds Forgotten Boy"

The space-age guitar and searing synth pads blast this song off the launch pad, and Idol's voice may be the best its ever been during this time period. 

"Worlds Forgotten Boy" definitely sets the pace for the entire album: storming quasi-industrial dance beats, heavy layered synths, driving bass, moods from full rock rage to hallucinogenic wash, stunning genre-bending guitar work, and incredible full-spectrum vocal performance from Billy.

"....My road is long, it lingers on

You stare at me and I'm holding on
My eyes are dim, my breath is weak
And tears stain my cheeks...."

The song is an obvious nod to Iggy Pop's 1979 punk anthem "The World's Forgotten Boy (Search & Destroy)" (thematic nods & literary references is another Billy Idol hallmark, as we've seen before). Steve's solo on this is somehow both spaghetti western and Star Wars, while Billy's voice moves from quiet and vulnerable to bombastic baritone fury.

2) "To Be a Lover"

Idol heard the reggae cover of the William Bell song and decided to completely rework the track as a dance driven rocker, complete with honky-tonk piano care of Richard Tee, rockabilly-over-synth groove, '50s style slap-back style vocals, and Motown inspired female backup vocals (Jocelyn Brown, Connie Harvey, & Janet Wright).

Classic Stevens rock-n-roll meets soaring "world of tomorrow" guitar, and Billy at his Elvis-is-King best.

3) "Soul Standing By"

Psychedelic vocal echoes and feedback drenched guitar introduce this pulsing and dark dance rocker that seems a science fiction version of a Roy Rogers western that clearly belongs in a fighter pilot fight scene in your favorite sci-fi fantasy movie!

"....Oh moonlight, cool angel, be on us tonight

Oh baby, pretty baby, I'm wild for you alright
You want sunlight, you get moonlight...."

This was the fourth single from "Whiplash Smile" but was only released in Australia and New Zealand, where it peaked at number 20 on the New Zealand charts.

4) "Sweet Sixteen"

Chiming keyboards and brushed percussion along with Idol's acoustic strum drive this ballad-esque lament based on the true story of the man who build the Coral Castle in southern Florida after his fiance' broke off their engagement and left him....though Idol has also said he was writing it with his girlfriend, Perri Lister, in mind.

"....I'll do anything for my sweet sixteen
And I'll do anything for little run away child
Gave my heart an engagement ring
She took everything, everything I gave her
Oh, sweet sixteen...."

Beautifully restrained musicianship and a top-flight vocal performance, this track was the album's third single, charting in 14 countries (top 10 in 8 of those and peaking at #20 in the US)

5) "Man For All Seasons"

Wrapping up side one is a full-throttled rocker with perfectly arrogant vocals, driving rhythm section, and exactly everything you expect from Stevens on guitar!

"....I'm a man for the season

Yes, I love you for a reason...."

Quiet interlude leads to a full fledged jazz style guitar solo which segues perfectly into the song's ride out with the solo transitioning seamlessly into rock frenzy accompanied by Billy's classic wail.

side two:

6) "Don't Need a Gun"

The second side kicks off with the second single from the album, the song peaked at #10 in the US and charted in five countries. It was written by Billy as a hard rockin' dance track with a dark edge, amplified by Steve's near metal guitar approach mixed with sizzling clean chord arpeggios, industrial-strength power chords, and weaponized harmonics.

"....Blood red lights a domination street

I just need your love and to feel that heat
Or you can drive me through that red stoplight
With a whiplash smile...!!"

7) "Beyond Belief"

A quiet quasi ballad reminiscent of the song "Dead Next Door" from the previous album, "Rebel Yell", with a surprisingly aggressive guitar solo and barely contained vocal that seems ready to explode at any and every moment,

"....I'll share, I need you there

All times of rain, all fear like pain
A new moon, a warm sun, a time for us, dear.
He should never make us fear...."

8) "Fatal Charm"

This track picks the pace back up, opening with a synth bassline and kick drum behind Billy's tension rising voice, with guitar and full drums stepping in for the second verse, then finally becoming a total rocker.

"....Yeah, I'm gonna stay on the run

I'm gonna have all the very last fun
They're all gettin' ready for the devil may care

Well who cares? I care!...."

9) "All Summer Single"

Hopping synth dots, falsetto vocals, and clean chord washes over electronica pulse set the pace for "All Summer Single". The tension - and volume - increase throughout the song until the screaming guitar solo propels to song to its apex, then quickly drops into a quiet bridge. 

Incredible vocal work from Billy and the boys!

"....What should I do baby, what should I do?

Where should I go, what should I do?
Yes, I got the blues, the summertime blues...."

10) "One Night, One Chance"

The final song sounds like it was written by Billy and Steve in a moment of clarity in the midst of the '80s excess while alone in a hallway, chaos just outside the door. Possibly Billy's most emotional vocal performance on all of "Whiplash Smile" and possibly Steve's most restrained yet punk-edged playing.

"....Woke up this morning, said, 'Boy, wake up

Nothing will be done if you don't get up
Silence is guilty and the truth can talk
If you got the legs, boy, come on, let's walk'...."

Amazing album and definitely on my list of "100 albums to hear before you die"!

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