Bob Powers
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MARIETTA, OH, USA - I interviewed rocker Billy Idol in my living room more than 20 years ago. Yes, that Billy Idol. You know, the young man born William Broad in Middlesex, England back in November of 1955.
Unfortunately, my memories of that phone call (you didn't think Billy actually sat on the couch, did you?) I recall that he was a strange combination of schoolboy ruffian and smart alec, combined with the dignified young Brit that he really run. The interview went the normal interviews. I asked questions. Idol answered some, ignored others, but was charming enough that I didn't care. I wrote the story about Idol's forthcoming concert date at venerable Veterans Memorial Auditorium, where several thousand roaring youngsters screamed throughout Idol's performance.
Oh, yeah. I didn't go. In those days, concerts came free and the novelty tended to wear thin. Even though Idol seemed a bright young chap, I choose to stay home the evening he came to Columbus, Ohio. It would be a different decision today were Idol to return to the Buckeye State in 2002. And that's a possibility.
Two of Idol's most popular albums are back in record bins across the nation. The sound has been spruced up on both, and if you liked Idol back in the glory days, these two discs deserve a special spot in your collection. Both are re-releases from Chrysalis/Capitol Records.
"Billy Idol" came out originally in 1982. It was Idol's first full-length solo set and it proved a sensation throughout the States. "White Wedding (No. 1)" was heard frequently on MTV and filled juke boxes in every nook and cranny of the country.
Idol came out of the Generation X punk group in England and from those days he did a new version of "Dancing With Myself," which captured the attention of MTV executives and stayed as a heavy-rotation song for weeks. One more single that did well was "Hot in the City," which reached No. 23 on the Billboard chart.
The other album back in stores now is "Vital Idol," an eight-track album that reached the Billboard Top 100. It offers extended remixes of a number of popular Idol tunes, including Parts 1 and 11 of "White Wedding."
The best news is that Idol has reunited with ex-guitarist and songwriting partner Steve Stevens. The two are reportedly busy putting together enough material to allow release of a brand new album sometime soon.
For this graybeard, it's great to hear that one of rock's more pleasing characters has decided to take one more ride on the rock merry-go-round. Maybe this time, I'll actually attend one of his concerts. Think anyone would think it odd to see someone of my accumulated years "Dancing with Myself."
Rockers World Wide
Everywhere one goes, rock lives. That would have been an inaccurate statement say 40 years ago, but today it's stating the obvious. Rock is everywhere.
The mailman recently dropped a package on our porch. Out came a CD called "Artesguitars: Devices in Pop music." In an accompanying letter, guitarist Fritz Knebel wrote that he had studied classical guitar, electric guitar and jazz ensemble. He has led the Hochschule fur Kunste in Bremen. Currently, he's working as a guitar teacher at the conservatory in Cloppenburg.
The CD has 15 tracks with more than 57 minutes of music. Two tracks are classical guitar music, while the rest of the album has rock instrumentals.
Backing Knebel are Fred Frizz on bass, harmonica, and keyboards, and Abe Laboriel (very well known in the U.S.) on drums. Here are two Web sites to help you local the album: www.artesguitars.com and www.guitar9.com/devicesinpopmusic.html.
One More Time, Delbert
I reviewed Delbert McClinton's album called "Nothing Personal" several months ago. Delbert is one of those masters of country-pop-rock with a wonderful sense of humor and always an exceedingly clever songwriter, usually working in collaboration.
I've been enjoying McClinton for more than two decades. He's magnificent at what he does and if you don't like his work, that's your fault, not Delbert's. McClinton writes the tried-and-true country ballads lamenting affairs of the heart or just lamenting. Every song on this New West CD will cause listeners to either smile or shed a glistening tear. And some songs will cause both.
McClinton has been nominated for a Grammy, so let's all salute the Grammy voters, who surely on Feb. 27 will have the good sense to toss one of those awards toward the delightful and wonderfully clever Delbert McClinton.
