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Dancing With Myself
In this bold and candid memoir, music legend Billy Idol shares his life story—from his childhood in England to his rise to fame during the height of the punk-pop revolution—revealing intimate details about the sex, drugs, and rock and roll that he is so fabulously famous for—all told in his own utterly indelible voice.
An integral member of the punk rock revolution whose music crossed over into ’80s pop mainstream—and one of MTV’s first stars—Billy Idol remains an iconic music legend. Now, in his long-awaited Dancing With Myself, he delivers a lively, candid account of his journey to fame—including intimate and unapologetic details about his life’s highs and lows—all rendered with the in-your-face attitude and exuberance his fans have embraced. Idol brings to life the key events that shaped his life, his music, and his career, including his early childhood in England, his year at Sussex University, and his time spent hanging out with the Sex Pistols and as a member of punk bands Chelsea and Generation X.
He shares outtakes from his wildly and unexpectedly successful solo career and stories behind his string of popular hits, including “White Wedding,” “Eyes Without a Face,” and “Rebel Yell,” which involved close collaboration with Steve Stevens and ultimately led to the creation of some of the most groundbreaking music videos ever seen.
Featuring sixteen pages of full-color, behind-the-scenes photos, Dancing With Myself is both a tale of survival and a celebration of the heady days when punk was born—a compelling and satisfying insider’s tale from a man who made music history firsthand.
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An integral member of the punk rock revolution whose music crossed over into ’80s pop mainstream—and one of MTV’s first stars—Billy Idol remains an iconic music legend. Now, in his long-awaited Dancing With Myself, he delivers a lively, candid account of his journey to fame—including intimate and unapologetic details about his life’s highs and lows—all rendered with the in-your-face attitude and exuberance his fans have embraced. Idol brings to life the key events that shaped his life, his music, and his career, including his early childhood in England, his year at Sussex University, and his time spent hanging out with the Sex Pistols and as a member of punk bands Chelsea and Generation X.
He shares outtakes from his wildly and unexpectedly successful solo career and stories behind his string of popular hits, including “White Wedding,” “Eyes Without a Face,” and “Rebel Yell,” which involved close collaboration with Steve Stevens and ultimately led to the creation of some of the most groundbreaking music videos ever seen.
Featuring sixteen pages of full-color, behind-the-scenes photos, Dancing With Myself is both a tale of survival and a celebration of the heady days when punk was born—a compelling and satisfying insider’s tale from a man who made music history firsthand.
Show more
Show less
352 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 1, 2014
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 393 reviews
January 14, 2015
I recently had Billy Idol on my flight and I promised him I'd read his book, so I kept my promise :) He was such a gentleman, he helped ladies with their bags, said please and thank you...all the while looking every inch the rock star! In his novel, he is very direct and doesn't hold back. He admits to things that he should be embarrassed of, but he is honest with his readers. You get the history of the English Punk scene, including the Sex Pistols, The Clash and Siouxsie Sioux. You read about his love of history and his childhood growing up in England and the USA. Why 3 stars? Parts of the story seemed repetitious and I skimmed a lot. Even though Billy layed it all out, it just seemed something was missing. I think the best way to describe it was "I did this and that" verse actually making you understand why he did this and that. If that makes any sense? It was lacking depth in his actions. Overall, a read for any Billy fan, even though I don't think you'll learn anything that wasn't covered by VH1's Behind the Music. I did take a nice trip down memory lane though, rewatching his videos. Hands down 1982-1984 rocked musically! I'm glad my childhood was part of the MTV generation.
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August 27, 2022A few years back when I was single, not a stepfather and had time to write epic reviews of any old thing, I wrote one such review of Duran Duran bassist John Taylor’s autobiography, which said a lot of what I’d otherwise be saying here about Billy Idol’s. Suffice it to say that Billy rocks and his book is a more than decent addition to the growing pantheon of rock autobiographies, a genre which I’d mostly avoided till I read Miles Davis’s great example about five years back, but which I now enjoy more with each one I read.
Of course I’m not gonna try and convince you Billy’s a genius. He had about three, maybe four, great songs (Duran Duran had as many, though not as good), but with at least one (“Rebel Yell”) I think he hit the jackpot – tapped a pure gush of adrenalised airbrushed postpunk futurism which I doubt has been topped. The great thing about his book, though, is that it maps the slow route to that briefly-conquered peak, from an American childhood where he picked up a lifelong love of fifties rock ’n’roll through longhaired dope-smoking college years to the punk explosion in London (he was – with Siouxsie Sioux and Steve Severin – one of the infamous “Bromley Contingent”, basically early Sex Pistols hangers-on, and he and his manager scouted and created the Roxy, one of two key London punk clubs) through the inevitable break-up with Generation X and move to New York City in the early eighties with not much more than a dream and a few encouraging words from producer Keith Forsey.
Forsey, he’d drummed for Kraut rockers Amon Düül in the early seventies before hooking up with disco pioneer Giorgio Moroder and playing on Donna Summer records, and as a producer would keep inexperienced recording bands in time with a shaker mixed to a dummy track and later dropped from the mix. (He also played a bit of everything on “White Wedding”, co-wrote (with Nina Hagen guitarist Steve Schiff) Simple Minds’ “Don’t You Forget About Me” and produced and drummed on the Psychedelic Furs album Mirror Moves.) In 1980 he turned up in London producing Generation X’s last album Kiss Me Deadly, from which sessions emerged Billy’s breakthrough “Dancing With Myself”, conceived and orchestrated by Billy and Forsey using a host of UK punk key players (Steve Jones, Paul Cook, PIL guitarist Keith Levene) when the guys from the band couldn’t grasp Billy’s vision. And what was that vision? Simple, in hindsight: the trance/drone propulsion of “Jumpin’ Jack Flash” meets the electronic precision of disco, with a sprinkling of punk. But when in NYC a year or two later Billy stumbled into a basement club where the locals were jiving like crazy to it, he realised he’d struck gold.
Billy describes writing “White Wedding” on an acoustic guitar in the studio – a typical “clock ticking” situation which brought out the best in him – and building up a ten-minute mix with Forsey which they’d later edit to the 7” cut. Until then, Billy’s lucid – on drugs, sure, but with it, in earnest, eager and hungry with eyes open wide – but come “Rebel Yell” (basically a rehash, or slight variant, of “White Wedding”, in Billy’s and my favourite guitar key of B-minor) it’s all downhill. Of that tour, he says, if you weren’t a sex addict at the start of it you were by the end, and soon afterwards he was more than that: a crack addict alone in a Manhattan apartment which he kept so dark he’d lose his black t-shirts on the floor, and where he’d watch porn films 24/7. His London girlfriend, meanwhile (another peak experience), was obviously sidelined, and the story of their break-up is sad and inevitable. After which, mega-smash “To Be a Lover”, sci-fi rockabilly almost-hit “Don’t Need a Gun”, postmodern Elvis-does-Dean Martin ballad “Sweet Sixteen” and a slide into obscurity – the charm (which was really his secret weapon) lost in a landslide of hedonism. And redemption to follow, though unless I’ve missed something he never again scaled that peak.
But while the charm lasted, he was a living rock archetype – a rare breed, a “rock ’n’ roll animal”. There’s a classic Letterman interview from ’83/’84 (deleted now from YouTube) that proves it; I defy you not to cheer him on as he blithely sticks it to the man, not in the service of high ideals but of thrills pure and simple. (Letterman: “How do you like New York?” Billy: “It’s great. Everyone knows me. Down in Washington Square they’re naming drugs after my songs: ‘White Wedding’ cocaine, ‘Rebel Yell’ quaaludes, ‘Dancing With Myself’ smoke.” Letterman: “You must be a very proud young man.”) Hell, I once danced to “Rebel Yell” in a Tasmanian nightclub (one of two in Hobart at the time, I think) and two local girls had to save me from getting my head kicked in by some redneck (“bogon” is the more accurate, Australian term) who’d taken offence at my punching the sky. Even today, aged 42, I couldn’t help a bit of fist-pumping when I cranked it up on the seventies hi-fi, and my wife and I cut a rug to “White Wedding” (among other songs; we’re not Billy Idol obsessives) on our wedding day. In fact, I take it back, what my 14-15 year old self said when I won greatest hits package Vital Idol in the Smash Hits crossword: Billy, you are a true punk. Led astray, no doubt, by eighties excess, but wild and fearless and possessed of the spirit of rock nonetheless.
On a side note, most thrilling to me personally was to realise I’d been right about a key source of Billy’s schtick. A Suicide fan since they’d toured the UK with the Clash in ’77, he kept up with Suicide singer Alan Vega’s live shows in NYC and used to spin Collision Drive when he was working on ideas for his solo sound. Plus, I’d say the influence was reciprocated, judging by Vega’s ’83 single and video “Wipeout Beat” (a postpunk classic, IMHO). Thing is, Vega had a vision, a beautiful one, but Billy had the voice. Sure, Billy diluted Vega’s sound in one sense, but he turbo-charged it in another.
Oh yeah, another side note: the section (post-Rebel Yell, pre-Whiplash Smile) where Billy and his manager (I forget his name) make a deal in Hollywood to adapt iconic rock writer Nick Cohn’s obscure noir novel King Death on not much more than the strength of Billy’s sex appeal and the fact he was reading the book on the flight to L.A. is outrageous, hilarious and telling – of Hollywood, the eighties and the general derangement of his associates at the height of Billy’s career. What happens is (a) the film never happens, and (b) Billy’s manager shacks up in a Hollywood hotel for months trying to find another deal, all the while smoking crack and enacting his previously suppressed gay fantasies with young hustler after young hustler. Eventually, Billy pulls away from the Hollywood maelstrom, but with no film contract, no manager and a whole lot fewer brain cells. Similar stories abound. Not that that’s why I read these books, but for a sense of what it was like to ride a whirlwind like eighties pop-rock stardom it might give you some idea.
Oh, and did ya know James Cameron was keen to cast Billy as the T2000 in Terminator 2, till Billy fell off his motorcycle in L.A. and his career took a nosedive.
Of course I’m not gonna try and convince you Billy’s a genius. He had about three, maybe four, great songs (Duran Duran had as many, though not as good), but with at least one (“Rebel Yell”) I think he hit the jackpot – tapped a pure gush of adrenalised airbrushed postpunk futurism which I doubt has been topped. The great thing about his book, though, is that it maps the slow route to that briefly-conquered peak, from an American childhood where he picked up a lifelong love of fifties rock ’n’roll through longhaired dope-smoking college years to the punk explosion in London (he was – with Siouxsie Sioux and Steve Severin – one of the infamous “Bromley Contingent”, basically early Sex Pistols hangers-on, and he and his manager scouted and created the Roxy, one of two key London punk clubs) through the inevitable break-up with Generation X and move to New York City in the early eighties with not much more than a dream and a few encouraging words from producer Keith Forsey.
Forsey, he’d drummed for Kraut rockers Amon Düül in the early seventies before hooking up with disco pioneer Giorgio Moroder and playing on Donna Summer records, and as a producer would keep inexperienced recording bands in time with a shaker mixed to a dummy track and later dropped from the mix. (He also played a bit of everything on “White Wedding”, co-wrote (with Nina Hagen guitarist Steve Schiff) Simple Minds’ “Don’t You Forget About Me” and produced and drummed on the Psychedelic Furs album Mirror Moves.) In 1980 he turned up in London producing Generation X’s last album Kiss Me Deadly, from which sessions emerged Billy’s breakthrough “Dancing With Myself”, conceived and orchestrated by Billy and Forsey using a host of UK punk key players (Steve Jones, Paul Cook, PIL guitarist Keith Levene) when the guys from the band couldn’t grasp Billy’s vision. And what was that vision? Simple, in hindsight: the trance/drone propulsion of “Jumpin’ Jack Flash” meets the electronic precision of disco, with a sprinkling of punk. But when in NYC a year or two later Billy stumbled into a basement club where the locals were jiving like crazy to it, he realised he’d struck gold.
Billy describes writing “White Wedding” on an acoustic guitar in the studio – a typical “clock ticking” situation which brought out the best in him – and building up a ten-minute mix with Forsey which they’d later edit to the 7” cut. Until then, Billy’s lucid – on drugs, sure, but with it, in earnest, eager and hungry with eyes open wide – but come “Rebel Yell” (basically a rehash, or slight variant, of “White Wedding”, in Billy’s and my favourite guitar key of B-minor) it’s all downhill. Of that tour, he says, if you weren’t a sex addict at the start of it you were by the end, and soon afterwards he was more than that: a crack addict alone in a Manhattan apartment which he kept so dark he’d lose his black t-shirts on the floor, and where he’d watch porn films 24/7. His London girlfriend, meanwhile (another peak experience), was obviously sidelined, and the story of their break-up is sad and inevitable. After which, mega-smash “To Be a Lover”, sci-fi rockabilly almost-hit “Don’t Need a Gun”, postmodern Elvis-does-Dean Martin ballad “Sweet Sixteen” and a slide into obscurity – the charm (which was really his secret weapon) lost in a landslide of hedonism. And redemption to follow, though unless I’ve missed something he never again scaled that peak.
But while the charm lasted, he was a living rock archetype – a rare breed, a “rock ’n’ roll animal”. There’s a classic Letterman interview from ’83/’84 (deleted now from YouTube) that proves it; I defy you not to cheer him on as he blithely sticks it to the man, not in the service of high ideals but of thrills pure and simple. (Letterman: “How do you like New York?” Billy: “It’s great. Everyone knows me. Down in Washington Square they’re naming drugs after my songs: ‘White Wedding’ cocaine, ‘Rebel Yell’ quaaludes, ‘Dancing With Myself’ smoke.” Letterman: “You must be a very proud young man.”) Hell, I once danced to “Rebel Yell” in a Tasmanian nightclub (one of two in Hobart at the time, I think) and two local girls had to save me from getting my head kicked in by some redneck (“bogon” is the more accurate, Australian term) who’d taken offence at my punching the sky. Even today, aged 42, I couldn’t help a bit of fist-pumping when I cranked it up on the seventies hi-fi, and my wife and I cut a rug to “White Wedding” (among other songs; we’re not Billy Idol obsessives) on our wedding day. In fact, I take it back, what my 14-15 year old self said when I won greatest hits package Vital Idol in the Smash Hits crossword: Billy, you are a true punk. Led astray, no doubt, by eighties excess, but wild and fearless and possessed of the spirit of rock nonetheless.
On a side note, most thrilling to me personally was to realise I’d been right about a key source of Billy’s schtick. A Suicide fan since they’d toured the UK with the Clash in ’77, he kept up with Suicide singer Alan Vega’s live shows in NYC and used to spin Collision Drive when he was working on ideas for his solo sound. Plus, I’d say the influence was reciprocated, judging by Vega’s ’83 single and video “Wipeout Beat” (a postpunk classic, IMHO). Thing is, Vega had a vision, a beautiful one, but Billy had the voice. Sure, Billy diluted Vega’s sound in one sense, but he turbo-charged it in another.
Oh yeah, another side note: the section (post-Rebel Yell, pre-Whiplash Smile) where Billy and his manager (I forget his name) make a deal in Hollywood to adapt iconic rock writer Nick Cohn’s obscure noir novel King Death on not much more than the strength of Billy’s sex appeal and the fact he was reading the book on the flight to L.A. is outrageous, hilarious and telling – of Hollywood, the eighties and the general derangement of his associates at the height of Billy’s career. What happens is (a) the film never happens, and (b) Billy’s manager shacks up in a Hollywood hotel for months trying to find another deal, all the while smoking crack and enacting his previously suppressed gay fantasies with young hustler after young hustler. Eventually, Billy pulls away from the Hollywood maelstrom, but with no film contract, no manager and a whole lot fewer brain cells. Similar stories abound. Not that that’s why I read these books, but for a sense of what it was like to ride a whirlwind like eighties pop-rock stardom it might give you some idea.
Oh, and did ya know James Cameron was keen to cast Billy as the T2000 in Terminator 2, till Billy fell off his motorcycle in L.A. and his career took a nosedive.
August 19, 2015
First... I LOVE BILLY IDOL!!
Second... BILLY WILL ALWAYS BE MY 80's BF!!!
Third... IDOL WROTE THIS SHIT HIMSELF!!!!
I have had the pleasure of seeing Idol in concert twice and would see him again in a heart beat. He sounds the same as I remember when I danced around my room in the 80's with his poster from Tiger Beat on my wall, you know when you go to a concert and the singer/group sounds horrible in person, well not BILLY IDOL!!
This was an exciting look into his life so far with his up's and down's and how he made it out of the fog of drugs and booze. I read this whole book with a smile on my face. I now have to go and purchase my own book and bring it with me the next time I see him on tour. Because, hell yeah, I'm getting that bitch signed!!!
Second... BILLY WILL ALWAYS BE MY 80's BF!!!
Third... IDOL WROTE THIS SHIT HIMSELF!!!!
I have had the pleasure of seeing Idol in concert twice and would see him again in a heart beat. He sounds the same as I remember when I danced around my room in the 80's with his poster from Tiger Beat on my wall, you know when you go to a concert and the singer/group sounds horrible in person, well not BILLY IDOL!!
This was an exciting look into his life so far with his up's and down's and how he made it out of the fog of drugs and booze. I read this whole book with a smile on my face. I now have to go and purchase my own book and bring it with me the next time I see him on tour. Because, hell yeah, I'm getting that bitch signed!!!
November 14, 2014
I had expected a flimsy recounting of the MTV years, because somewhere in the haze of the eighties (my teen years) I had pegged this guy as kind of a fake. A prettied up boy who lip synced his way through a music career. Was it the bleached hair? The MTV videos? I don't know, but I never realized Idol wrote his own music, much less, his own lyrics. So it was a real treat to learn the origins of all the songs that were iconic of his music in that decade. His early years, living in dive rooms, his euphoric naiveté felt very authentic, and I appreciated that he didn't graze over those formative years, but rather shared the hard road to fame with his readers. Especially since my initial impression of him back then was that he was a former model whom the industry had wrapped in leather and handed a microphone.
But this isn't what surprised me the most. He's actually a learned individual whose word choices had me consulting a dictionary on a couple of occasions, and at other times, admiring well-placed quotes from the 18th century poet, Pope to JFK. There are some eloquent and abstract pieces of prose that convey the feelings and chaos of his past in an almost ethereal way. But what really kept me engaged was the honesty combined with the sense of regret, the outright apologies to those he had wronged. I had no understanding that he'd been such a heavy user of drugs. The press coverage was a little thinner back in those days.
A great read for anyone who is looking to get started in music or anyone who was there back then and wants to reminisce. For my part, I'm writing a novel of Lord Byron's celebrity years and the psychology of a star is a thing I'm researching.
But this isn't what surprised me the most. He's actually a learned individual whose word choices had me consulting a dictionary on a couple of occasions, and at other times, admiring well-placed quotes from the 18th century poet, Pope to JFK. There are some eloquent and abstract pieces of prose that convey the feelings and chaos of his past in an almost ethereal way. But what really kept me engaged was the honesty combined with the sense of regret, the outright apologies to those he had wronged. I had no understanding that he'd been such a heavy user of drugs. The press coverage was a little thinner back in those days.
A great read for anyone who is looking to get started in music or anyone who was there back then and wants to reminisce. For my part, I'm writing a novel of Lord Byron's celebrity years and the psychology of a star is a thing I'm researching.
October 15, 2014
I'm not an autobiography person usually but when I saw that this was NOT ghostwritten I opened it in the shop and the first paragraph of the prologue had me hooked. Idol is a surprisingly enjoyable writer and while at times it is very much Sex and Drugs and Rock'n'Roll (hardly surprising really) with some added Drugs and Sex, there's a lot to interest the reader here, particularly if you're interested in the emergence of Punk as told by someone on the inside, it's a slight shame that the latter part of the book skips large chunks of his more recent life as he only seems to want to talk about when he was actually writing music ("I didn't write another album for twelve years") it does come right up to date with a bittersweet chapter regarding his father's terminal illness from which he died in August of this year, which I don't mind admitting brought a tear to my eye.
It's fair to say this is a VERY frank life story though, at times edging into TMI territory but overall well worth picking up, particularly if you like his music, he gives plentiful descriptions of how he came to write his most famous songs, which adds some texture to the music as a bonus.
It's fair to say this is a VERY frank life story though, at times edging into TMI territory but overall well worth picking up, particularly if you like his music, he gives plentiful descriptions of how he came to write his most famous songs, which adds some texture to the music as a bonus.
October 22, 2014
Billy Idol will always have a piece of my heart. His music got me through high school, when I was bullied and marginalised by the so-called "beautiful people". His music (and a few special friends) gave me the courage to stand up for myself and not take any more crap from anyone.
Even though I moved away from his music many years ago, I had been really looking forward to this book. For the most part, it did not disappoint. It was a bit romanticised and he seemed to be trying very hard not to through anyone under the proverbial bus. He really didn't call anyone out for poor behaviour except himself. I think that is pretty mature of him. There were some parts that dragged a bit and I wish he had talked more about his years out of the spotlight. At the end of the book he had me misty-eyed when he spoke of his family and his father's illness.
This book was not as engrossing as other music memoirs I have read, but it was pretty enjoyable. I think Billy and I are having a second moment. Thanks, Billy, for everything. xx
Even though I moved away from his music many years ago, I had been really looking forward to this book. For the most part, it did not disappoint. It was a bit romanticised and he seemed to be trying very hard not to through anyone under the proverbial bus. He really didn't call anyone out for poor behaviour except himself. I think that is pretty mature of him. There were some parts that dragged a bit and I wish he had talked more about his years out of the spotlight. At the end of the book he had me misty-eyed when he spoke of his family and his father's illness.
This book was not as engrossing as other music memoirs I have read, but it was pretty enjoyable. I think Billy and I are having a second moment. Thanks, Billy, for everything. xx
August 26, 2021
Throw everything you think you know about Billy Idol out the window and read (or like I did, listen) to this book.
He is quite the story teller, and he needs to write more books. He is a voracious reader, and it shows in his extensive vocabulary. He is intelligent and a joy to listen to.
This books covers a lot of his life, and I am glad at the end he states that it is as he remembers it. He did A LOT of drugs, among other things, and in my 49 years on this planet, I have never smoked, been drunk or done drugs, and I can't remember what I did yesterday, let alone what I did 40 years ago, with such detail. It is quite entertaining to listen to, nonetheless, because I do believe everything happened, anyway.
I do have to say, though, that the random, explicit sexual memories are really not necessary. Thankfully there are only a handful.
I do like how honest he was with his life story, and how much he loves his parents, Perri and his kids, even though he fought many, many demons along the way.
I was fascinated to learn that his Cyberpunk release was ground-breaking in the digital music world we know today.
While I was listening to this, I also read both books released so far by Ben Vendetta, Wivenhoe Park and Heartworm, and they went well with Billy's story. The last few months of my life were saturated in punk and post-punk worlds, and I liked it.
I highly recommend this book if you are a fan of Billy Idol, because I don't think a random reader will be able to appreciate all this book has to offer if he/she is not familiar with his music and videos, especially his early 80s MTV presence.
He is quite the story teller, and he needs to write more books. He is a voracious reader, and it shows in his extensive vocabulary. He is intelligent and a joy to listen to.
This books covers a lot of his life, and I am glad at the end he states that it is as he remembers it. He did A LOT of drugs, among other things, and in my 49 years on this planet, I have never smoked, been drunk or done drugs, and I can't remember what I did yesterday, let alone what I did 40 years ago, with such detail. It is quite entertaining to listen to, nonetheless, because I do believe everything happened, anyway.
I do have to say, though, that the random, explicit sexual memories are really not necessary. Thankfully there are only a handful.
I do like how honest he was with his life story, and how much he loves his parents, Perri and his kids, even though he fought many, many demons along the way.
I was fascinated to learn that his Cyberpunk release was ground-breaking in the digital music world we know today.
While I was listening to this, I also read both books released so far by Ben Vendetta, Wivenhoe Park and Heartworm, and they went well with Billy's story. The last few months of my life were saturated in punk and post-punk worlds, and I liked it.
I highly recommend this book if you are a fan of Billy Idol, because I don't think a random reader will be able to appreciate all this book has to offer if he/she is not familiar with his music and videos, especially his early 80s MTV presence.
October 8, 2014
It took him six years but he wrote this by himself. He should have died in a motorcycle accident and from his many excesses with drugs, but he lived, had two children with two women and delivers an interesting read. I would not have wanted to know him then, but the man he is now is honest about his foibles. He uses that word a lot in interviews. As a kid in England he taught himself how to play guitar. His parents made him take violin lessons twice a week and he would ride his bike way out of the area to get to his lessons so his friends wouldn't see him with a violin case. He does not bad mouth anyone in the book. He accepts blame for a lot of bad things, like cheating on the love of his life. And the last few pages where he spends time with his ailing dad made me cry. His life has definitely been a wild ride. Read it!
September 13, 2017
The wild man of punk at times reveals quite an emotional side, especially when talking about his relationship with his father.
A fun read, lots of crazy antics that could just happen in the music world. The book reminded me of so many songs that used to constantly play on the radio, and would instantly transport you back to a certain time and place. Great to revisit so many memories through the music.
A fun read, lots of crazy antics that could just happen in the music world. The book reminded me of so many songs that used to constantly play on the radio, and would instantly transport you back to a certain time and place. Great to revisit so many memories through the music.
October 15, 2014
What a painful book to get through. Not for the tragedy or struggles of the author, but for the writing style and the content.
This is the book to read if you only have one day left to live and you want it to seem like the longest day in history.
There sentences are choppy, repetitive and not fully formed. Information is repeated over and over in several chapters. Paragraphs are inserted in places that don't make sense, like some strange stream of consciousness just written down as it happens and never edited.
Quotes scattered everywhere don't enhance the story but instead call out the lack of originality in this book.
Even the wild stories are tame. Not what you would expect from one of the original Punks.
This is Punk for the masses which means it is without purpose and drivel.
This is the book to read if you only have one day left to live and you want it to seem like the longest day in history.
There sentences are choppy, repetitive and not fully formed. Information is repeated over and over in several chapters. Paragraphs are inserted in places that don't make sense, like some strange stream of consciousness just written down as it happens and never edited.
Quotes scattered everywhere don't enhance the story but instead call out the lack of originality in this book.
Even the wild stories are tame. Not what you would expect from one of the original Punks.
This is Punk for the masses which means it is without purpose and drivel.
November 20, 2014
Billy Idol's memoir is a candid recollection of his life as a bad boy rocker in the 80s and 90s. Unlike some other rock star memoirs, Billy Idol doesn't make excuses for his behavior. He admits fault for the hurt he caused to his longtime girlfriend Perri and his family because of his drug use and infidelity. Idol also discusses his musical influences, and how he went from William Broad to Billy Idol. (Hint: peroxide, leather, and the famous sneer.) A must read for any Idol fan.
Kathleen K. / Marathon County Public Library
Find this book in our library catalog.
July 10, 2016
Billy Idol came into my life when I won a 12-inch single of White Wedding at a teen dance at the local Moose Lodge. I'd never heard of him but it only took one listen to the song to make me a fan. Over the years I think I've bought every album he released here. This might color my opinion of his memoir, but I loved it. I found it to be honest and his love of music comes shining through in his words. He provides insight into the writing of some of his biggest hits, as well as talks about the commercial failures of some of his later works. An enjoyable read from start to finish.
January 24, 2015
No matter how many drugs you think you've heard of, Billy has done more. he's done ALL THE DRUGS and lived to talk about it. Surprisingly insightful, and he comes across a lot smarter than I anticipated. I enjoyed this very much. very fast read.
January 29, 2016
First... I LOVE BILLY IDOL!! I have had the pleasure of seeing Idol in concert twice and would see him again in a heart beat, so it's safe to say my review might not be the most objective of them all. ;) But that being said I think this book was very enjoyable, honest and raw. A little too much detail on the technical aspects of music production, but brutally honest regarding struggles with fame & addiction. I was impressed with how candid he was with his feelings and missteps. I loved it. I found his life to be incredibly interesting, especially the beginning of punk and all of that. He comes across as fairly humble as well, which is pretty amazing.
Full of sex, drugs, rock and roll and any and all sorts of debauchery one can imagine. In other words, just what you'd expect from Billy Idol. I enjoyed reading this book, and recommend it to any Billy Idol fan.
Full of sex, drugs, rock and roll and any and all sorts of debauchery one can imagine. In other words, just what you'd expect from Billy Idol. I enjoyed reading this book, and recommend it to any Billy Idol fan.
April 7, 2015
I was in my teens during Billy's MTV days, and was an avid fan. Had the posters up on my wall, drew pictures of him, bought the albums, wore the t-shirts. By my late teens, I had moved onto other types of music but since those days, I still had a fondness for him.
I learnt a fair bit about Billy Idol from this book. I only had a vague idea of his punk roots in England and that he was in a band called Generation X. By the time Hot in the City came out, he looked punk, but didn't sound all that punk to me. He came across as being slick, commercial and..well... American. This did not bother me, being a girl in her early teens. I mean, he was hot, dangerous looking, could sing and the music and attitude appealed to me.
I was aware of his sex-addict nature (not first hand, alas, haha) but only had a vague idea about his drug problem. This book opened my eyes and I found myself quite surprised that he was a functioning (only just barely sometimes) junkie and alcoholic for a very long time. I found this pretty disappointing, as it was the old rock and roll cliche. Thank gawd he chose to keep his hair short and spiky and didn't fall for the 80's poodle perm that was the fashion for male rock stars back then. Now that would have been the full cliche!
The book is peppered with Billy quoting famous people in a 'Look at me - I am well read and intelligent' kind of way, and that started to jar after a while. I also found some of the 'stream of consciousness' parts a bit too fanciful. His description of his daughter's mother was probably the worst example of this. And speaking of which, he provides very, very little on who she was, how they met, etc., unlike his main (lost) love and mother of his son, Perri, of which we hear a fair bit about, thanks to their on/off/on/off/on/off (you get the idea) relationship.
All in all, an interesting read for a fan. Just try not to expect too much from your Idols, and you won't be too dissapointed when you find out that they too are human.
I learnt a fair bit about Billy Idol from this book. I only had a vague idea of his punk roots in England and that he was in a band called Generation X. By the time Hot in the City came out, he looked punk, but didn't sound all that punk to me. He came across as being slick, commercial and..well... American. This did not bother me, being a girl in her early teens. I mean, he was hot, dangerous looking, could sing and the music and attitude appealed to me.
I was aware of his sex-addict nature (not first hand, alas, haha) but only had a vague idea about his drug problem. This book opened my eyes and I found myself quite surprised that he was a functioning (only just barely sometimes) junkie and alcoholic for a very long time. I found this pretty disappointing, as it was the old rock and roll cliche. Thank gawd he chose to keep his hair short and spiky and didn't fall for the 80's poodle perm that was the fashion for male rock stars back then. Now that would have been the full cliche!
The book is peppered with Billy quoting famous people in a 'Look at me - I am well read and intelligent' kind of way, and that started to jar after a while. I also found some of the 'stream of consciousness' parts a bit too fanciful. His description of his daughter's mother was probably the worst example of this. And speaking of which, he provides very, very little on who she was, how they met, etc., unlike his main (lost) love and mother of his son, Perri, of which we hear a fair bit about, thanks to their on/off/on/off/on/off (you get the idea) relationship.
All in all, an interesting read for a fan. Just try not to expect too much from your Idols, and you won't be too dissapointed when you find out that they too are human.
November 12, 2014
My View:
An insightful read of the evolution of punk/rock/mainstream music. I am amazed Billy Idol I still alive.
I am a fan of Billy Idol – as I I read this revealing autobiography I have been singing those catchy dance tunes in my head (and maybe out loud) those fist pumping, pogoing, frenetic mega hits of the early 80’s to 90’s. If you listened to the radio or watched MTV or the many “music video” programmes on TV at the time ( the 80’s/90’s) you will recognise his music ; songs like White Wedding, Dancing With Myself, Mony Mony, Rebel Yell…the hits continued as Billy Idol became an overnight success. With success came fame, fortune and access to unlimited drugs, sex and his behaviour became even more outrageous and rebellious; Billy Idol unblushingly tells all.
I was transfixed. I was enthralled. I was amazed that the rock legend, Billy Idol, is still living and breathing and writing songs and performing despite or because of a life of excess and substance abuse and addictions all kinds. And he writes openly about it. His recounting of the history of the punk movement was illuminating. I enjoyed reading his story though could perhaps have managed with a few less details of his rabid sexploits. This is rock ‘n’ roll! No limits, raw.
An insightful read of the evolution of punk/rock/mainstream music. I am amazed Billy Idol I still alive.
I am a fan of Billy Idol – as I I read this revealing autobiography I have been singing those catchy dance tunes in my head (and maybe out loud) those fist pumping, pogoing, frenetic mega hits of the early 80’s to 90’s. If you listened to the radio or watched MTV or the many “music video” programmes on TV at the time ( the 80’s/90’s) you will recognise his music ; songs like White Wedding, Dancing With Myself, Mony Mony, Rebel Yell…the hits continued as Billy Idol became an overnight success. With success came fame, fortune and access to unlimited drugs, sex and his behaviour became even more outrageous and rebellious; Billy Idol unblushingly tells all.
I was transfixed. I was enthralled. I was amazed that the rock legend, Billy Idol, is still living and breathing and writing songs and performing despite or because of a life of excess and substance abuse and addictions all kinds. And he writes openly about it. His recounting of the history of the punk movement was illuminating. I enjoyed reading his story though could perhaps have managed with a few less details of his rabid sexploits. This is rock ‘n’ roll! No limits, raw.
May 14, 2019
The first half was amazing, a great introduction to the history of how punk, turned into new wave and how Billy Idol became pop-punk, with his London Caribbean and (hippie) rock influences. He tells so many great stories from this era. Reminded me of the Keith Richards biography which describes Britain during post-war reconstruction.
The huge popularity during the MTV era was entertaining and exciting, he acted like such a rockstar. I feel like he omitted so much. He mentions meeting Debbie Harry and Madonna, but not if he ever interacted with Sting or Adam Ant, and many others...
The last part of the book, the 90's era, was kind of a bummer. Though some of his best music comes from this time, his life seemed very unhappy due to drugs, fame, and isolation. The book still gets 5 stars, because I had so much "ah ha!" and "ha ha." The stories and the writing were very nice, I wish this rock hero of mine had a happier time.
The huge popularity during the MTV era was entertaining and exciting, he acted like such a rockstar. I feel like he omitted so much. He mentions meeting Debbie Harry and Madonna, but not if he ever interacted with Sting or Adam Ant, and many others...
The last part of the book, the 90's era, was kind of a bummer. Though some of his best music comes from this time, his life seemed very unhappy due to drugs, fame, and isolation. The book still gets 5 stars, because I had so much "ah ha!" and "ha ha." The stories and the writing were very nice, I wish this rock hero of mine had a happier time.
Shelved as 'did-not-finish'
September 15, 2023Nah, just can't read anymore - marking it DNF at page 232. It's my own fault, really. I should have known this wasn't my kind of read, but after enjoying The Boys: A Memoir of Hollywood and Family, I thought I'd give it a try. After all, I like a lot of Billy Idol's music (although perhaps less of it after this book). But a person can only read so many unending pages of his being drugged/stoned/wasted, some of which he calls "adventures." "Wasted" is probably the best word for it, as in "what a waste."
The parts I enjoyed most were his descriptions of the punk scene in Britain, but otherwise Billy is too often prone to purple prose.
The parts I enjoyed most were his descriptions of the punk scene in Britain, but otherwise Billy is too often prone to purple prose.
February 10, 2016
I am lovingly calling this book my short history of Punk.
I have always liked Billy Idol's music, but have never known much about him. This whole book feels so intimate, and honest it's wonderful to feel like you just got to know someone so iconic of a generation.
Quite Dennis Hunt L.A. times, early '80s. "Idol, 28, is arrogant, abrasive and often snarlingly sarcastic. But he's still very likeable. His intelligence and, believe it or not, sensivity temperature those other qualities, but his most distinguishing characteristic is his smoldering intensity. When talking about something he feels strongly about, he gets so wound up that he seems ready to explode."
The whole book really reads just as Hunt described Idol. Truly a worth while read for anyone interested in music, and the '80s rock and roll lifestyle :)
I have always liked Billy Idol's music, but have never known much about him. This whole book feels so intimate, and honest it's wonderful to feel like you just got to know someone so iconic of a generation.
Quite Dennis Hunt L.A. times, early '80s. "Idol, 28, is arrogant, abrasive and often snarlingly sarcastic. But he's still very likeable. His intelligence and, believe it or not, sensivity temperature those other qualities, but his most distinguishing characteristic is his smoldering intensity. When talking about something he feels strongly about, he gets so wound up that he seems ready to explode."
The whole book really reads just as Hunt described Idol. Truly a worth while read for anyone interested in music, and the '80s rock and roll lifestyle :)
September 3, 2015
The landmark EDM recording, "Vital Idol", is the result of a kid's punk/rebel days merging first with rock and then with disco. And now, thirty years later, this recording still sounds great. That story, in and of itself, is a great one. On top of that, Billy Idol is a solid writer (which shouldn't surprise us given numerous classic lyrics.) And, there is the added, gritty stories of survival. This all makes for a classic true-to-heart autobiography, one of the best I've ever read. I'm now a bigger fan than ever!
June 23, 2015
I thought this was pretty fascinating overall. It's written in a straight-forward, refreshingly direct way with Billy freely owning up to past mistakes & regrets. His fantastic personality shines right through. And what do you know, a music autobiography that tells a lot about the songwriting process! Egads, I never thought I'd see it! ;)
October 11, 2014
This is a definite must read for all Idol fans. An incredible roller coaster ride through the life of a rockstar. You catch a glimpse of someone with steely determination and knack for being one step ahead of the game. A boy who knew what he wanted from a young age and didn't let anything from stopping short of his dream. His story will leave an indelible impression on you.
March 10, 2020
As a huge Idol fan since I was 15, I knew I had to read this autobiography. I found it surprisingly honest. There's always a will as human beings to gloss over our mistakes and forget our flaws when speaking about ourselves. Billy lays out every regret and misstep with as much detail and humility as he does his accolades. Idol covers his battle with drugs, infidelity, and even his health. There's also a lot of information about his childhood and his movie career that is truly interesting! I have to say I really enjoyed the book and would recommend to other Idol fans!
October 21, 2014
Billy Idol chose to name his autobiography "Dancing With Myself," borrowing from one of his most famous songs and lyrics. I might suggest a different lyric for the title, one that I've always felt was a quintessionately Idol philosophy: "More, More, More!"
As Idol so succinctly and eloquently says in his afterward: "It’s true, I’ve been down a sick and twisted path strewn with darkness but also glowing with life and love..." In his autobiography he goes into graphic details about that "sick and twisted path." This is a no-holds-barred confession of rock n roll decadence that leaves you wondering just how the writer is actually still here to tell the tale.
One of the things I loved about "Dancing With Myself" was how Idol puts his career in context with the rest of pop music in the 60s, 70s and 80s. No art is created in a vacuum, and understanding the zeitgeist of a time often allows one to fully comprehend the music that came from it. From the influence of The Beatles ("They were the single most important band in my life, because they made me want to do what they were doing") to the angst of the 70s which created the perfect environment for punk to emerge ("it was a declaration of war against the self- indulgence and indifference that had come to permeate not only British bourgeois life but even what passed for the counterculture in the ’70s") to the emergence of MTV ("it was the beginning of radio opening up their playlists to many new artists as MTV began to gain influence. A new generation of listeners was emerging, hungry for new music") Idol puts his music in perspective with these and other changing musical trends. Indeed there were times (especially when talking about the punk movement) when I felt Idol was almost writing a "history of rock music" rather than an autobiography.
One of the things I love about books by or about musical artists is when I get to learn about how a song came about. Idol shares many of these stories in "Dancing With Myself," going so far in depth at times that he even explains the chord progressions of some of his hits. I loved learning what inspired songs like "White Wedding," "Rebel Yell," and the title track, just to name a few.
Along the way Idol also tosses in some life advice ("Never be in thrall to anyone but your own wants and desires, because only you can make yourself happy. Fly your own flag, and be true to it. Your soul is the true captain.") and he also makes no excuses for his miserable actions ("Self- sabotage is one of the things I’m truly gifted at."). He could have glossed over some of his more boorish behavior (like cheating on his long time girlfriend Perri even while she was pregnant with their child) but he takes full responsibility and even offers up some apologies (like this one to Steve Stevens: "I succeeded in driving Steve to the end of his tether, forgetting all he’d done for me. Sorry, Steve, you didn’t need your mate disappearing in front of you, but that’s exactly what happened.")
All in all I loved "Dancing With Myself" and I don't think you have to be a big Billy Idol fan to love it too.
As Idol so succinctly and eloquently says in his afterward: "It’s true, I’ve been down a sick and twisted path strewn with darkness but also glowing with life and love..." In his autobiography he goes into graphic details about that "sick and twisted path." This is a no-holds-barred confession of rock n roll decadence that leaves you wondering just how the writer is actually still here to tell the tale.
One of the things I loved about "Dancing With Myself" was how Idol puts his career in context with the rest of pop music in the 60s, 70s and 80s. No art is created in a vacuum, and understanding the zeitgeist of a time often allows one to fully comprehend the music that came from it. From the influence of The Beatles ("They were the single most important band in my life, because they made me want to do what they were doing") to the angst of the 70s which created the perfect environment for punk to emerge ("it was a declaration of war against the self- indulgence and indifference that had come to permeate not only British bourgeois life but even what passed for the counterculture in the ’70s") to the emergence of MTV ("it was the beginning of radio opening up their playlists to many new artists as MTV began to gain influence. A new generation of listeners was emerging, hungry for new music") Idol puts his music in perspective with these and other changing musical trends. Indeed there were times (especially when talking about the punk movement) when I felt Idol was almost writing a "history of rock music" rather than an autobiography.
One of the things I love about books by or about musical artists is when I get to learn about how a song came about. Idol shares many of these stories in "Dancing With Myself," going so far in depth at times that he even explains the chord progressions of some of his hits. I loved learning what inspired songs like "White Wedding," "Rebel Yell," and the title track, just to name a few.
Along the way Idol also tosses in some life advice ("Never be in thrall to anyone but your own wants and desires, because only you can make yourself happy. Fly your own flag, and be true to it. Your soul is the true captain.") and he also makes no excuses for his miserable actions ("Self- sabotage is one of the things I’m truly gifted at."). He could have glossed over some of his more boorish behavior (like cheating on his long time girlfriend Perri even while she was pregnant with their child) but he takes full responsibility and even offers up some apologies (like this one to Steve Stevens: "I succeeded in driving Steve to the end of his tether, forgetting all he’d done for me. Sorry, Steve, you didn’t need your mate disappearing in front of you, but that’s exactly what happened.")
All in all I loved "Dancing With Myself" and I don't think you have to be a big Billy Idol fan to love it too.
November 10, 2014
In 1984, when I was 8 years old, my sister bought an album called Rebel Yell, and proceeded to play the heck out of that album, night and day. Because of that, I became a big fan of Billy Idol. At that time, only my grandparents had MTV, so it was such a treat to go spend the night at their house and get to watch the videos for White Wedding, Rebel Yell and Eyes Without a Face. Great memories!! I wasn't sure what to expect from this book, since I had heard that Billy wrote this all himself. No Ghostwriter. I was pleasantly surprised! The man can write! I was a little shocked with the graphic nature of some of his sexual exploits, but I guess that's to be expected from a rocker like Billy. That being said, I really enjoyed all the behind the scenes stories of the making of his albums and the stories behind the songs. I also was pretty shocked to find that Billy has a soft, sentimental side to him. This book kept me interested, I was never bored which says a lot for Billy's writing style. It was written in a style that was like sitting down with him and just having a nice little chat. I highly recommend it! 4.5 STARS!
December 23, 2017
Colour me disappointed. (insert sadface here)
I love Billy Idol…his music, his charisma and that awesome hair!
This is why I was so disappointed with his book.
I really enjoyed reading all about the Generation X years. Since I was too young to experience those years the first time around it was cool to read about.
It was the lack of organization that made it a bit of a bear to get through.
This is a pet peeve I have with most biographies. They have so many stories to tell and try to cram all of them into one book making it more jumbled and broken than exciting.
I much prefer when bio’s have a few main memories they take great detail in and bring the emotions of the moment to the pages. This gives me a better connection to what they're trying to share.
I love Billy Idol…his music, his charisma and that awesome hair!
This is why I was so disappointed with his book.
I really enjoyed reading all about the Generation X years. Since I was too young to experience those years the first time around it was cool to read about.
It was the lack of organization that made it a bit of a bear to get through.
This is a pet peeve I have with most biographies. They have so many stories to tell and try to cram all of them into one book making it more jumbled and broken than exciting.
I much prefer when bio’s have a few main memories they take great detail in and bring the emotions of the moment to the pages. This gives me a better connection to what they're trying to share.
April 28, 2015
I totally enjoyed reading this. I loved Billy Idol in high school and college (80s), and this was like a backstage pass to those concerts. I didn't love knowing how much drug use was a part of his life when he was recording the songs I love (Dancing With Myself, Mony Mony, White Wedding, Rebel Yell, etc...), but I know that's the story behind a lot of bands from that time (including my beloved Go-Gos!). But still, if you love/loved Billy Idol and you enjoy rock autobiographies, put this on your list.
January 8, 2016
DNF. I got to page 160 and gave up.
Finally found the cure for insomnia and it is this book. I think I would of rather watched paint dry. Watch that beast turn from dark to light.
I felt like I was missing the punchline. His sentences were choppy and misplaced at times. Was there something Im missing? An inside joke that flew to high?
Billy Idol is a complete badass. His songs are killer and loved his music since Chelsea. Just stick to what feels right and stay away from books.
Let's hope this didn't ruin other books for me.
Finally found the cure for insomnia and it is this book. I think I would of rather watched paint dry. Watch that beast turn from dark to light.
I felt like I was missing the punchline. His sentences were choppy and misplaced at times. Was there something Im missing? An inside joke that flew to high?
Billy Idol is a complete badass. His songs are killer and loved his music since Chelsea. Just stick to what feels right and stay away from books.
Let's hope this didn't ruin other books for me.
February 9, 2016
I must admit. I had pre-conceived thoughts about Billy Idol's book. Yes, as expected, there are stories of sex, drugs, and rock 'n roll. What was unexpected is how insightful, articulate, and seemingly intelligent he is. He gives credit and lists many influences, so when David Bowie died as I was reading this, all of his nods of respect to David Bowie became all-the-more poignant and meaningful. If you are a rock bio fan, I recommend.
October 20, 2015
I love Billy Idol and I loved this book. I admire his honesty when writing about some of the uglier aspects of his past. I also admire that he didn't place blame on others, and apologized to several people.
The only thing I wish was that he would have given us more about his life in the 21st century.
Anyway, his voice still sounds as strong and good as it did back when he was younger. Rock on, Billy F'ing Idol!!
The only thing I wish was that he would have given us more about his life in the 21st century.
Anyway, his voice still sounds as strong and good as it did back when he was younger. Rock on, Billy F'ing Idol!!
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