Lost Hits of the New Wave #41

"Blue Highway" by Billy Idol

There was a time in the mid-1980s when Billy Idol, despite his look and punk origins with Generation X (yeah, remember when it was a band and not a demographic?), was considered pop music and played to death on the radio and MTV.

Yeah, I loved "Rebel Yell" the first ten times I heard it, but man, the next thousand were downright painful. This song, "Blue Highway," got some minor play on radio and in the clubs, and was a nice change of pace. It still had the strong vocals of Billy and the screeching cool guitar of Steve Stevens, the vibe of "Rebel Yell," all without the overplay souring. It's almost like a new song.



"Blue Highway" has since become, and deservedly so, a staple on 1st Wave Classic Alternative Satellite Radio. And for the record, the above is not the real video, as the song had no video. The clips are from Billy's later album, Cyberpunk, also highly recommended.

Lost Hits of the New Wave #21

"Blue Highway" by Billy Idol



This was never a single by Billy Idol, and yet it did receive its share of airplay and clubplay. From the album Rebel Yell, it is surprisingly almost a tone clone of the title track. Perhaps it was for folks who had grown tired of hearing the real "Rebel Yell" over and over and over again… and yet still wanted more of the same…

The Wedding Singer

ONLY FOR DREW

A Video Review of The Wedding Singer

Copyright 2002 Glenn Walker

This one has got so many things that should make me hate it. It's got karaoke, it's a sappy love story and most of all it's got Adam Sandler - the kiss of death. But, I do kinda like it, if only for Drew Barrymore.

I think I might actually even pay to see Ms. Barrymore read the phone book in a muumuu. Even though Adam Sandler is in this, it is better than the phone book muumuu thing.

I love 1980s music, not enough to listen to radio stations that program eighties music (sorry, there's only so many times a sane mind can hear "Hey Mickey" and "Safety Dance" in one day before going on a shooting spree) but I did grow up in the time so it holds a warm spot in my heart.



Sandler doesn't use any stupid voices or act mentally retarded and is tolerable as The Wedding Singer who falls for a waitress (the irrepressible Drew) about to get married. Everything works out for the best (duh) and we get a lovely cameo by Billy Idol (my god, that must be one hell of a painting he's got in his attic) who helps Sandler court Drew and a whole lot of eighties music. This soundtrack is like a K-Tel album from hell.

Christine Taylor (Marcia of The Brady Bunch) is sexy as ever and Steve Buscemi (as always) steals the movie by being the Steve Buscemi-est. And don't miss the old lady doing karaoke of "Rappers Delight." Get the DVD, corny as it sounds, the DVD has karaoke and it's funny.

Come for the music, stay for the Drew, you won't regret it.

The above previously published at Project: Popcorn
http://www.whitevioletpictures.com/popcorn

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