Whiplash Smile

by Billy Idol

Overview

Although it was ultimately an unsatisfying album, failing to live up to the promise of its fabulous single "To Be a Lover," Whiplash Smile still burned clean with an immediately recognizable 1980s energy. Like Billy Idol himself, who affected the punk archetype but cut it with a two-dimensional, cartoonish plasticity perfect for the decade, Whiplash Smile expands on the sound of the 1983 breakthrough Rebel Yell while cleverly leaving its key elements unchanged. Idol's inherent Jim Morrison-ness was fleshed out, and Steve Stevens' already atmospheric guitar work was blended even more seamlessly with a percolating pot of shifting styles, new wave dance beats, and synth-heavy production. "Soul Standing By" and "Man for All Seasons" certainly rocked -- Stevens' guitar work crackles with inventiveness, even augmented as it is with multiple overdubs. But like most of Whiplash, the songs seemed to exist in a phantom zone akin to the prismatic holding cell of General Zod and his cohorts in Superman II. The plodding "Beyond Belief" and the weird, Marty Robbins-meets-Del Shannon-in-space vibe of "Sweet Sixteen" are similarly opaque. There's plenty to listen for on Whiplash Smile, and Idol's attempt to expand his palette is admirable. Unfortunately, there's nary a memorable hook here outside of the single and whatever mileage can be gained from his trademark sneer. In that sense, the album is similar to so much music of the decade, which got by with rayon flash and giddy video posturing but little in the way of reality. But that means that Whiplash Smile is also disappointing: Idol's best work was equally as era-defining, yet it lived on to be just as memorable after the calendar flipped on the 1980s. ~ Johnny Loftus

Product Details

Release Date:	08/15/2025
Label:	Capitol
UPC:	0602465558562

Tracks

1. Worlds Forgotten Boy
2. To Be A Lover
3. Soul Standing By
4. Sweet Sixteen
5. Man For All Seasons
6. Don't Need A Gun
7. Beyond Belief
8. Fatal Charm
9. All Summer Single
10. One Night One Chance

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Billy Idol   Primary Artist,Bass,Guitar,Vocals
Harold Faltermeyer   Keyboards
Connie Harvey   Vocals (Background)
Jocelyn Brown   Vocals (Background)
John Regan   Guitar (Bass)
Phillip Ashley   Keyboards
Richard Tee   Keyboards
David Frank   Keyboards
Marcus Miller   Guitar (Bass)
Steve Stevens   Bass,Guitar,Keyboards
Janet Wright   Vocals (Background)
Phil Ashley   Keyboards

Technical Credits

Moira Marquis   Engineer
Herb Ritts   Cover Photo,Photography
Dave Wittman   Engineer
George Marino   Mastering
William Bell   Composer
Dave Concors   Engineer
Gary Langan   Mixing
Steve Stevens   Composer,Programming
Booker T. Jones   Composer
Neil Dorfsman   Engineer
Freddy DeMann   Management
John Dworkow   Equipment Technician,Production Coordination
Albert Sanchez   Cover Photo,Photography
Caroline Greyshock   Photography
Debi Cornish   Engineer
Bill Miranda   Engineer
Steve Tjaden   Engineer
Olinsky   Art Direction,Illustrations
John Peden   Cover Photo,Photography
Craig Vogel   Mixing,Assistant,Assistant Engineer
Bobby Deluca   Engineer,Equipment Technician,Production Coordination
Brigid Waters   Personal Assistant
Dave Whittman   Engineer
Artie Smith   Engineer,Equipment Technician,Production Coordination
J.D. Dworkow   Engineer,Production Coordination
Gary Allen   Stylist,Clothing Design
Billy Idol   Composer,Art Direction,Illustrations
Keith Forsey   Composer,Producer