Hot off the heels of last year's expansion of Billy Idol's self-titled album, the blonde icon is at it again with a 2CD/2LP edition of 1983's Rebel Yell.
Available April 26, the deluxe Rebel Yell will pair the original U.S. Top 10 album - which spawned the hit "Eyes Without a Face" and beloved singles "Rebel Yell," "Flesh for Fantasy" and "Catch My Fall" - with a bonus disc featuring seven unreleased demos and outtakes, a modern remix of one track, and on the CD, an assortment of additional rarities from a 1999 remaster of the album.
Highlights from the material include two wholly unheard recordings from the Rebel Yell sessions: "Best Way Out of Here," an original tune written by Idol and longtime writing partner/guitarist Steve Stevens; and a cover of the '70s soul standard "Love Don't Live Here Anymore," originated by Rose Royce. (By sheer coincidence, another blockbuster album released almost a year to the day after Rebel Yell - Madonna's sophomore album Like a Virgin - featured a cover of the same song.) Idol's version of "Love Don't Live Here Anymore" serves as the lead single to the project; a 2021 remix of "Eyes Without a Face," done by the duo Poolside, is also available as a single ahead of its inclusion on this set.
After scoring two Top 40 hits with his self-titled album, Idol - the sneering former frontman of British punk group Generation X - had another album of slick pop/rock tunes at his disposal, all buoyed by appealing videos that made the rocker one of MTV's earliest breakout stars. Rebel Yell opened with the terrific title track, anchored by one of Stevens' greatest electric guitar solos - but Idol, Stevens and producer Keith Forsey (also returning from the previous album) never met a pop melody or a keyboard they didn't like, either, and the album's biggest successes were mostly ballads. The dreamy "Eyes Without a Face" (featuring Idol's longtime girlfriend Perri Lister singing in French on the refrain) became Billy Idol's first Top 10 single in America, and the driving "Flesh for Fantasy" and "Catch My Fall" - the latter featuring a sax solo by the late Mars Williams of The Waitresses and The Psychedelic Furs - also reached the Top 40. When the dust had settled, Rebel Yell had reached No. 6 on the Billboard 200 and moved more than two million copies - still his bestselling studio album to date.
The full specs for the expanded Rebel Yell are below, along with pre-order links. As an Amazon affiliate, a reminder that we do earn a small percentage from those links!
Rebel Yell (40th Anniversary Edition) (Capitol/UMe, 2024)
2CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada
2LP: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada
CD/LP 1: Remastered album (released as Chrysalis FV 41450, 1983)
- Rebel Yell
- Daytime Drama
- Eyes Without a Face
- Blue Highway
- Flesh for Fantasy
- Catch My Fall
- Crank Call
- (Do Not) Stand in the Shadows
- The Dead Next Door
CD/LP 2: Bonus material (previously unreleased except +, which are also exclusive to CD)
- Best Way Out of Here
- Love Don't Live Here Anymore
- Daytime Drama (Demo)
- Flesh for Fantasy (Demo)
- Catch My Fall (Early Version)
- Crank Call (Demo)
- (Do Not) Stand in the Shadows (Demo)
- Rebel Yell (Session Take) +
- Blue Highway (Original Demo) +
- Flesh for Fantasy (Session Take) +
- Catch My Fall (Original Demo) +
- Motorbikin' (Session Take) +
- Eyes Without a Face (Poolside Remix)
Tracks 8-12 released on expanded edition of Rebel Yell - Chrysalis/Capitol 72435 20695 2 1, 1999
Track 13 released as Capitol/UMe digital single (no cat. #), 2021
Stefano says
There are a couple of period single remixes that would fit this release perfectly, but alas... They dig up a few demos from the vaults, but fully neglect the remixes. I really don't understand it.
OMAR says
Agreed. No 7"/12" Mixes. What s shame.
Guy Smiley says
Nice for Idol fans!
Now if only Sony would release special editions of Billy JOEL’s albums. In the U.S. I mean. Not just a select few in Japan only.
kyle lunsford says
I wish they would have made the second disc a live album. The self titled album from last year had a great show as the second disc from that period. If not an entire show at least some live tracks. Fingers crossed that Whiplash Smile finally gets remastered soon.
Andemoine Winrow says
Am i missing something or this album came out in 1983 which means LAST YEAR commemorated the 40TH anniversary of it's release. Why are they releasing this now ?
Andemoine Winrow says
Do you have any information if there will be a 40th anniversary box set of Tina Turner's 1984 album ''PRIVATE DANCER'' ?