Vital Idol Explained

Vital Idol
Type:remix
Artist:Billy Idol
Cover:Vital_Idol_1985.jpg
Caption:Original 1985 cover
Released:31 May 1985[1]
Length:42:22
Label:Chrysalis
Producer:Keith Forsey
Prev Title:Rebel Yell
Prev Year:1983
Next Title:Whiplash Smile
Next Year:1986

Vital Idol is a remix album by English rock singer Billy Idol, released on 31 May 1985 by Chrysalis Records. It contains remixed songs from his first two albums and the Don't Stop EP. The album was reissued in the United States with one extra track in September 1987, peaking at number 10 on the Billboard 200.[2] The US release was supported by a non-album live single version of "Mony Mony".

The original release, sporting a photo from the "Dancing with Myself" video, was first issued in Europe in 1985. It peaked at number seven on the UK Albums Chart, outperforming Idol's previous studio albums.[3] The US release was expanded to feature the "Mother of Mercy Mix" of "To Be a Lover" and reissued in 1987 with different cover art, featuring a photo still from the live video for "Mony Mony" on CD. The 1987 issue was 24-bit digitally remastered and released globally in 2002.

The album has been certified platinum by both the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) and Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).

Background

Most of the tracks are the original 12″ extended versions,[3] except "Catch My Fall", which features a new remix with some re-recorded instruments.[4] "What we would always do is we knew we had certain songs where we wanted to have some space to do remixes," guitarist Steve Stevens said in 2014. "So we'd leave 16 bars or 32 bars in the middle of the song no matter what the song was and then do an edit on it later and that left us room to experiment for a dance remix."[3]

The album's title was inspired by a 1974 single by reggae artist Horace Andy titled "Ital Vital".[4] [5]

Critical reception

In his review for AllMusic, Steve Huey wrote: "It doesn't really work as a hits collection, since it's missing key songs like 'Rebel Yell' and 'Eyes Without a Face,' and most of the dance remixes are repetitious and uninteresting compared to the originals." In The Rolling Stone Album Guide, Mark Coleman called the album "both a cynical recycling ploy and the essential Billy Idol album".[6]

Personnel

Adapted from the album liner notes.[7]

Charts

Weekly charts

Chart (1985)! scope="col"
Peak
position
Australian Albums (Kent Music Report)[9] 38
European Albums (Music & Media)[10] 19
Finnish Albums (Suomen virallinen lista)[11] 13
Chart (1987–1988)! scope="col"
Peak
position
Australian Albums (Australian Music Report)12

Year-end charts

Chart (1985)! scope="col"
Position
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[12] 36
New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)[13] 50
UK Albums (Gallup)[14] 67
Chart (1987)! scope="col"
Position
Canada Top Albums/CDs (RPM)[15] 21
Chart (1988)! scope="col"
Position
Australian Albums (ARIA)[16] 49
Canada Top Albums/CDs (RPM)[17] 41
US Billboard 200[18] 71

Vital Idol: Revitalized

Vital Idol: Revitalized
Type:remix
Artist:Billy Idol
Cover:Vital_Idol_Revitalized.jpg
Released:28 September 2018
Length:42:43
Label:Capitol
Prev Title:Kings & Queens of the Underground
Prev Year:2014
Next Title:The Roadside
Next Year:2021

Vital Idol: Revitalized is a remix album by English rock singer Billy Idol, released on 28 September 2018. The album has been described as a "modern-day upgrade" of Vital Idol. The digital version features four additional remixes, including a new Billy Idol and Steve Stevens remix of "Mony Mony" and "Save Me Now" (Lost Dog Remix), reworked by Idol's son, Willem Wolfe with Brandon Rauch and Ed Bedrosian.[19]

Release history

Region! scope="col"
DateFormatLabel
Various28 September 2018Capitol
16 November 2018LP

Notes and References

  1. Web site: BPI.
  2. Web site: Greg Prato . Billy Idol | Awards . AllMusic . 2014-04-09.
  3. Web site: 30 Years Ago: Remixes Prove 'Vital' for Billy Idol . . 9 September 2017 . 15 July 2021.
  4. Web site: Rachel Brodsky . Billy Idol On Remixing Vital Idol, Finding New Life In Old Songs, And Listening To Post Malone . . 11 October 2018. 15 July 2021.
  5. Web site: Ital Vital . . 15 July 2021.
  6. Book: Coleman, Mark . DeCurtis. Anthony. Anthony DeCurtis. Henke. James. George-Warren. Holly. 1992. The Rolling Stone Album Guide. Random House. 0679737294. 3rd. 341.
  7. Web site: Vital Idol (Europe, 2002) . Discogs . 15 July 2021.
  8. Web site: Vital Idol (Japan, 1988) . Discogs . 15 July 2021.
  9. Book: Kent, David . David Kent (historian) . Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 . illustrated . St Ives, N.S.W. . Australian Chart Book . 1993 . 147 . 0-646-11917-6.
  10. European Top 100 Albums . . 2 . 37 . 16 September 1985 . 18 . 29800226 . World Radio History.
  11. Book: Pennanen, Timo . Sisältää hitin – levyt ja esittäjät Suomen musiikkilistoilla vuodesta 1972 . fi . 1st . Helsinki . . 2006 . 978-951-1-21053-5.
  12. Web site: Top 100 Album-Jahrescharts – 1985 . de . GfK Entertainment . 1 August 2021.
  13. Web site: Top Selling Albums of 1985 . . 3 February 2022.
  14. Top 100 Albums (January 5–December 28, 1985) . . 18 January 1986 . 11 . 0265-1548 . World Radio History.
  15. Top 100 Albums of '87 . RPM . 47 . 12 . 26 December 1987 . 9 . 0033-7064 . Library and Archives Canada.
  16. Web site: ARIA Top 50 Albums for 1988 . . 4 August 2021.
  17. Top 100 Albums of '88 . RPM . 49 . 10 . 24 December 1988 . 13 . 0033-7064 . World Radio History.
  18. Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 1988 . Billboard . 1 August 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200811124006/https://www.billboard.com/charts/year-end/1988/top-billboard-200-albums . 11 August 2020.
  19. Billy Idol's 'Vital Idol' Is 'Revitalized' . Los Angeles . . . 7 September 2018 . 15 July 2021 . Business Insider.