Generation X - Generation X

Those who know me well, know that Billy Idol is my homeboy. I have been mad about Billy since I was about 12. As I mentioned in my last post, I was accused of being a "poseur" at times, and my loyalty to Billy did nothing to simmer my accusers down.

I guess in grade 7 Billy Idol had already hit the airwaves with Rebel Yell, that was my first introduction to him. He certainly grabbed my attention away from the soft sounds of Culture Club and raised my eyebrow and piqued my curiosity. Without the web, and living in a small town, there was no way for me to discover that Billy had been the lead singer of a punk band called Generation X. It took me until grade 9, and a chance discussion with someone much cooler than I, to discover that there was more to William Broad (his real name) than White Weddings.

With babysitting money in hand, off I went to the record store and picked up Generation X's self-titled album. It was a life-changing album. It was the kind of album that evoked every imagineable emotion in me. One song would have me bouncing off the walls with sheer joy (Ready Steady Go) while another would have me pining for a punk rocker prince to wisk me away from my boring life (Kiss Me Deadly). This was my first foray into Brit Punk, I bought this album even before my first Sex Pistols album.

I went to see Billy Idol here in Ottawa two years ago. He was opening for Def Leppard. He was a lean, mean, singing machine. The man is sex. In his fifties now, he put the boys in Def Leppard to shame with his stamina. He had the ladies swooning and the audience was adoring. The crowd grew a little quieter when he started singing Ready Steady Go. I did not go quiet. I hopped up and down, first pumped the air and, swear to god, Billy and I locked eyes for a moment. He was pretty much singing to me.

These days, this album is my go-to album when I need some motivation to clean my house. It seems odd to be picking up Polly Pocket bits and and Lego pieces to the sounds of Generation X, but it gets the job done. Except when Kiss Me Deadly comes on. That song still stops me in my tracks.

Side A
Gimme Stome Truth
From the Heart
Ready Steady Go
Kleenex
Promises Promises

Side B
Day by Day
One Hundred Punks
Your Generation
Kiss Me Deadly
Wild Dub
Youth Youth Youth