billy idol : eyes without a face classic or unbelievably amazing.

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So much typing. So little content.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Wednesday, 29 December 2004 01:43 (nineteen years ago) link

I keep reading the thread title as "Billy Joel: Eyes Without a Face," which would have been horrifying.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Wednesday, 29 December 2004 01:52 (nineteen years ago) link

How were yer holidays, Ned?

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Wednesday, 29 December 2004 01:54 (nineteen years ago) link

Yowsa!

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Wednesday, 29 December 2004 01:57 (nineteen years ago) link

alex is it yr contention that 'eyes without a face' isn't billy idol's most prince like hit or that when it charted top 40 radio wasn't riddled with prince like traxx? is it your position that a track that sounds fairly prince like released into a market very friendly to prince like traxx (cf. sheena easton, shalamar) and charting higher than other more typical 'billy idol'ish cuts but then subsequently declining in popularity (enough so that you can confuse it with another song) with the concurrent decline in the popularity of that prince sound that the success of the track had nothing to do with the, how you say, zeitgeist (which is just a fancy word for market here)? i mean if you want (since rebel yell did come out before purple rain ergo 'eyes without a face' did come out before 'the beautiful ones') we can say 'most gary numan but with a funky drum machine like track' instead but 'most prince like' seems quicker to the chase and more to the point yknow 'zeitgeist wise' which if you want to examine why 'eyes without a face' was his biggest hit at the time you might want to look at yknow, the time (note: not meaning morris day and the time)(who were pretty damn prince-like obv.). although since i gave myself an out by saying 'probably' (lesson o the day: moral certainty/obstinancy not an attractive trait - cf. ari in nyc, dubya) i'll say now that PROBABLY 'eyes without a face' was billy idol's biggest hit AT THE TIME cuz it was SLOWER and hence more ac and maybe am friendly AT THE TIME (was am radio still a factor with music in the early eighties? i know wabc went talk around then right?). o and it had the best video which, AT THE TIME, woulda definitely been a factor. probably.

― jj dncr, Wednesday, 29 December 2004 01:58 (nineteen years ago) link

haha alex does that really count as 'so much typing' for a timewarner hack nowadays? i remember when journalists * cough * knew how to read in this country (of course now they just retype white house press briefs)(and put pretty paintings of dubya on the cover of their mags).

― jj dncr, Wednesday, 29 December 2004 01:59 (nineteen years ago) link

Uncle! I give, I give. I don't have time to wade through your masturbatory gobbledigook. Moreover, I already conceded that "Eyes Without a Face" could be considered Prince-like (like I mentioned upthread, I initially mistook the subject of this thread as "Flesh for Fantasy", which I wouldn't consider Prince-esque at all) My intial point way back when was to give Billy Idol the credit for the song in question (Prince gets enough handjobs here on ILM, why give him another?) This wasn't supposed to touch off World War fuckin' Three.

And as a final thought before I go pick my wife up at the airport, while it's true that I do indeed work as a tiny cog in the vast corporate Death Star that is Time Warner, I do not define myself by my job. I dearly love a lot of the folks I work with at TIME magazine, but if you've been reading ILX over the past year and a half, you might've noticed a thread or two wherein I lament the fact that I'm working where I'm working and that I'm actually trying to leave the magazine (although my reasons have nothing to do with the magazine's hotly debated political leanings). You never honestly answered my question about how you pay your rent and feed your family, so I can't grill you in kind.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Wednesday, 29 December 2004 02:07 (nineteen years ago) link

http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20041229/ap_on_re_us/noodling_experiment

― Riot Gear! (Gear!), Wednesday, 29 December 2004 02:09 (nineteen years ago) link

I just wanted to give a shoutout to cozen and agree that Les Yeaux Sans Visage is indeed a great MOVIE and I felt bad he/she was so drunk they weren't able to properly spell the word and the meaning was lost.

Other than that, you're all just a bunch of wet noodlers.

― Bimble..., Wednesday, 29 December 2004 05:39 (nineteen years ago) link

Readin' murder books tryin' to stay hip!

― My name is Kenny (My name is Kenny), Wednesday, 29 December 2004 07:49 (nineteen years ago) link

ah, to be a teenager again ...

... both wr2 "eyes w/t a face" (a big hit when i was a teenager) and a certain poster's lefter-than-thou rhetoric (and who has, undoubtedly, never worked at a REAL job a day in his life, has no loans/mortgages/etc. to worry about, yadda yadda yadda).

― Eisbär (llamasfur), Wednesday, 29 December 2004 08:31 (nineteen years ago) link

― Riot Gear! (Gear!), Wednesday, 29 December 2004 09:53 (nineteen years ago) link

The ludicrous bridge about the "psychedelic bus" is unbelievably amazing for sure.

― Naive Teen Idol (Naive Teen Idol), Wednesday, 29 December 2004 19:05 (nineteen years ago) link

I showed the video to my 12th grade english class when each of us had to bring in an example of "comedy."

― miccio (miccio), Wednesday, 29 December 2004 19:07 (nineteen years ago) link

And Prince couldn't rock this hard if his purple little life depended on it.

Alex, COME ON.

― The Ghost of Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Wednesday, 29 December 2004 20:29 (nineteen years ago) link

Understand that I do not think you are a racist, but I have noticed that you are disproportionally dismissive of black musicians than you are of white musicians. Like, to the point where I'm surprised when you say something positive about black musicians.

― The Ghost of Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Wednesday, 29 December 2004 20:32 (nineteen years ago) link

He likes "Freek-A-Leek"!

― miccio (miccio), Wednesday, 29 December 2004 20:36 (nineteen years ago) link

Every time my dad asks me if I've heard That New Song by Those Black Guys I'm going to say yes, and that its called "Freak-A-Leek."

― miccio (miccio), Wednesday, 29 December 2004 20:38 (nineteen years ago) link

Billy Idol is motherfucking classic. Period.

― Je4nne ƒury (Jeanne Fury), Wednesday, 29 December 2004 20:39 (nineteen years ago) link

Scroll around ILX and you'll see I've said nice things about "Freak-a-Leek" (which does indeed kick butt), Gil Scott Heron, Parliament (I started a damn thread about Mothership Connection, thank you very much), Bad Brains, New Kingdom and even Sade. I didn't say I hated Prince, I just shudder at the amount of fawning undue praise he receives here (hell, I own a copy of Purlple Rain like every other person on the planet). I just don't think his music is necessarily the fuckin' Rosetta Stone.

Don't call me a racist, please.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Wednesday, 29 December 2004 23:08 (nineteen years ago) link

What part of "Understand I do not think you are a racist" was ambiguous in my last post?

― The Ghost of Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Wednesday, 29 December 2004 23:10 (nineteen years ago) link

just please don't invoke the term. i get enough shi asit is. Sorry, Dan.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Wednesday, 29 December 2004 23:11 (nineteen years ago) link

This thread got no human grace.

― What's this place, Biblevania? (natepatrin), Wednesday, 29 December 2004 23:21 (nineteen years ago) link

A Peter Murphy cover of this would be amazing.

― Curt1s St3ph3ns, Wednesday, 29 December 2004 23:30 (nineteen years ago) link

Yes it would make perfect sense!

― the music mole (colin s barrow), Wednesday, 29 December 2004 23:47 (nineteen years ago) link

It could also be well sung by Nick Cave, perhaps. Or any crooner with a taste for the darker side of life.

― the music mole (colin s barrow), Thursday, 30 December 2004 00:15 (nineteen years ago) link

Idol's doing Iggy Pop anyway

― LSTD (answer) (sexyDancer), Thursday, 30 December 2004 00:28 (nineteen years ago) link

this humble little thread has gone to
places i could never have imagined a thread
about a billy idol song could ever go in 24 hours.

sheesh!

― piscesboy, Thursday, 30 December 2004 00:40 (nineteen years ago) link

haha - I wandered around New York today looking for a used vinyl of Rebel Yell so I could play "Eyes Without A Face" (which blindsided me a year or two back) for my New Year's Eve gig.

without having seen this thread!
didn't find it (can always iPod it), but I did find Van Halen II, so whoever shows will "Dance The Night Away"

― Paul (scifisoul), Thursday, 30 December 2004 07:02 (nineteen years ago) link

i would think that rebel yell would DEFINITELY be in a return bin or two. that it isn't is telling about something, i suppose?

― Eisbär (llamasfur), Thursday, 30 December 2004 07:05 (nineteen years ago) link

and what the hell are THESE lyrics supposed to mean:

"i'm on a bus,
on a psychedelic trip,
between burning up books
and trying to stay hip"

does this belong in the same category as the contemporaneous lyrical hash that duran duran were slinging out? or is it actually supposed to MEAN something?

― Eisbär (llamasfur), Thursday, 30 December 2004 07:07 (nineteen years ago) link

didn't hit ALL the stores, but saw lots of other Idol stuff on LP/12" etc, so yup fans beat me to it

xpost

― Paul (scifisoul), Thursday, 30 December 2004 07:07 (nineteen years ago) link

this far in and nobody brings up Henry Booth Luce.

KIDDING!

― hstencil (hstencil), Thursday, 30 December 2004 07:19 (nineteen years ago) link

Oh great. Only ILM could torture me with the tempting idea of Nick Cave doing covers of songs he'll likely never even touch. Gee, thanks.

Although I'm not sure what "tryin' to stay hip" would sound like out of his mouth...hmm. Maybe it's best if he leaves it alone after all.

I must say the truth is I too disagreed with Alex when he seemed to be saying that Prince couldn't rock. But then I just decided to suspend judgement because he said he was originally thinking of Flesh For Fantasy, and since I can't remember for the life of me what Flesh For Fantasy sounded like, I can't now pass judgement on how it rocketh or not rocketh in comparison to Prince. But originally, yes my thought was "wait a minute - anyone who has heard the Purple Rain album from beginning to end can't possibly make a claim that his [Prince's] rocking capabilities are in any way deficient, if that is indeed what Alex is saying." But again, I decided to suspend judgement.

That said, I do get a little tired of all the Prince craziness around here sometimes. But I think if we were to agree he is not above criticism, then I think we can all live and let live and maybe this thread will go back to being a Billy Idol-only affair. Peace.

― Bimble..., Thursday, 30 December 2004 08:05 (nineteen years ago) link

"White Wedding" > "Catch My Fall" > "Flesh For Fantasy" > "Eyes Without A Face" >>>>>>>>>>>>>> "Rebel Yell"

I'm not really enthralled with any of these tracks really, but I wouldn't turn them off if they came on the radio. shrug.

― donut christ (donut), Thursday, 30 December 2004 08:28 (nineteen years ago) link

LET US NOT FORGET

http://www.rockdetector.com/assets/img/covers/160008.jpg

Actually, never mind. let us forget. A lot.

― donut christ (donut), Thursday, 30 December 2004 08:29 (nineteen years ago) link

Strangely, I feel as if I've just taken a tab of acid.

― Bimble..., Thursday, 30 December 2004 08:38 (nineteen years ago) link

did cybrepunk have 2/3 of wilson phillips ?

― white lightning, Thursday, 30 December 2004 13:58 (nineteen years ago) link

does this song have anything to do with the georges franju movie of the same name?

― Amateur(ist) (Amateur(ist)), Thursday, 30 December 2004 14:01 (nineteen years ago) link

In the bridge, Idol's describing what the couple is up to since the break up; She's stealing cars and whoring around in Las Vegas, while he's on tour trying to keep focus through boyish interests (murder books).

― LSTD (answer) (sexyDancer), Thursday, 30 December 2004 15:23 (nineteen years ago) link

i guess not

― Amateur(ist) (Amateur(ist)), Thursday, 30 December 2004 15:34 (nineteen years ago) link

Noodlers hold their breath for long periods under water and sometimes come up with fistfuls of agitated snakes or snapping turtles instead of fish.

― Jordan (Jordan), Thursday, 30 December 2004 16:16 (nineteen years ago) link

When you hear the music you make a dip
Into someone else's pocket then make a slip.

Does this mean Billy Idol is a kleptomaniac?

― Bimble..., Thursday, 30 December 2004 16:37 (nineteen years ago) link

perhaps the song was inspired by not one but two french movies:

http://theol0.uibk.ac.at/rgkw/film/bresson/bresson_pickpocket4.jpg

― Amateur(ist) (Amateur(ist)), Thursday, 30 December 2004 16:38 (nineteen years ago) link

When you hear the music you make a dip
Into someone else's pocket then make a slip.
Does this mean Billy Idol is a kleptomaniac?

He's accusing his lover of fooling around.

― LSTD (answer) (sexyDancer), Thursday, 30 December 2004 16:41 (nineteen years ago) link

between burning up books

I believe the line is "Reading Murder Books," not between burnin' up books.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Thursday, 30 December 2004 16:59 (nineteen years ago) link

Also, OF COURSE Prince can rock, and plays guitar like a motherfucker, but I'd never say "the rocking" was Prince's strength (he's better at "the funking" and, invariably, "the fucking"). Billy Idol, meanwhile, was in both Chelsea (albeit briefly) and Generation X, who -- though a bit powderpuff next to their Brit-Punk peers, EXCELLED at "the rocking" (certainly more so than Prince, at least).

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Thursday, 30 December 2004 17:01 (nineteen years ago) link

does this song have anything to do with the georges franju movie of the same name?

I believe the line was inspired by the film title (also, the original French title of the movie is song by backup singers in the song)

― My name is Kenny (My name is Kenny), Thursday, 30 December 2004 18:44 (nineteen years ago) link

in what world did generation x excel at the rocking?

― Amateur(ist) (Amateur(ist)), Thursday, 30 December 2004 18:51 (nineteen years ago) link

mine! but prince rocked plenty hard (dis his rhythm section as far as pummel is concerned, but that guitar was scorching)

― miccio (miccio), Thursday, 30 December 2004 19:01 (nineteen years ago) link

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the opening synths are incredible

― Bein' Sean Bean (LocalGarda), Tuesday, 24 January 2017 17:11 (seven years ago) link

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