Billy Idol to release expanded edition of his Rebel Yell LP, the one where Steve Stevens kicks ass

By Steve Newton

I remember when Billy Idol released Rebel Yell back in November of 1983.

That was one impressive chunk of vinyl, boasting the catchy-as-hell hit singles “Eyes Without a Face”, “Flesh for Fantasy”, “Catch My Fall”, and the title track.

I was particularly blown away by the frenzied guitar stylings of Steve Stevens, whose intense playing nearly stole the show from the spikey-haired punk-rocker.

Those tunes got me totally psyched up to see Idol four months later when the Rebel Yell Tour brought him to the UBC War Memorial Gym in Vancouver.

I remember that show well because afterwards I went backstage and the dude greeted me with a bit of ‘tude. Hey, once a punk….

Anyway, Universal Music Canada has just announced that on April 26 they’ll be releasing an expanded edition of Rebel Yell that includes some previously unreleased songs and demos.

As well as demo versions of the tracks “Flesh for Fantasy”, “Daytime Drama”, “Crank Call”, and “(Do Not) Stand in the Shadows”, it will include an early version of “Catch My Fall” and a “poolside remix” of “Eyes Without a Face”.

The package also includes the never-before-heard Idol/Stevens original “Best Way Out of Here”, and Idol’s previously unreleased cover of the Rose Royce single, “Love Don’t Live Here Anymore”.

The Rebel Yell re-release will be available for preorder this Friday (March 8), but the autographed version on two marbled blue and red LPs is already SOLD OUT.

Bummer. I wouldn’t have minded that.

Rebel Yell expanded edition vinyl tracklist:

DISC 1—SIDE A

1. Rebel Yell
2. Daytime Drama
3. Eyes Without A Face
4. Blue Highway

DISC 1—SIDE B

1. Flesh For Fantasy
2. Catch My Fall
3. Crank Call
4. (Do Not) Stand In The Shadows
5. The Dead Next Door

DISC 2—SIDE A

1. Best Way Out Of Here
2. Love Don’t Live Here Anymore
3. Daytime Drama (Demo)
4. Flesh For Fantasy (Demo)

DISC 2—SIDE B

1. Catch My Fall (Early Version)
2. Crank Call (Demo)
3. (Do Not) Stand In The Shadows (Demo)
4. Eyes Without A Face (Poolside remix)                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            To hear the full audio of my 1984 interview with Billy Idol–and my 1989 interview with his guitarist Steve Stevens as well–subscribe to my Patreon page, where you can eavesdrop on over 400 of my uncut, one-on-one conversations with the legends of rock since 1982.