Here’s a tune that cheered me up immensely on my commute home tonight. Sitting there morosely with my pod on shuffle and the book I’m reading still sitting on my desk back at work, all seemed as grey and dull as the weather. Then Shazam! along came Generation X Dancing With Myself. First the beat, sounding processed as hell, then that weedy, incessant guitar line and then Tony James’ bass kicks in right before Billy Idol saves my day.
On the floor of Tokyo
Or down in London town to go, go
With the record selection
With the mirror reflection
I’m dancing with myself
Okay so it’s not quite Leonard Cohen, but there again ‘Tower of Song’ never made me tap my foot, nod my head and contemplate dancing in a crowded railway carriage with the hot chick sitting just over from me, in the manner of a cheesy soft drinks advert. Probably just as well since it would probably have broken the terms of my last Restraining Order imposed on me after what became known in the papers last May as the Deee-Lite Outrage’, which stated that:
‘the accused (name redacted) shall not gyrate his hips, or wave his hands in a vaguely rhythmic fashion, or shout ‘get down!’ in any public means of conveyancing defined in the 1866 Public Transport Act (2)(a – f), particularly in the direction of any entirely blameless chick of warmer than average hotness, as defined in the 1908 Hot Chicks Act (2)(ii – iii)’
Pah! Bloody Philistines! Regardless, this is a really great pop punk tune – please don’t confuse it with the neutered version Billy Idol re-recorded for his solo act later, this version has real teeth. Funnily enough before tonight I had always taken the song at face value to be about dancing by yourself in a nightclub, it has only just occurred to me that it may in fact me a paean to, umm, the solo act. What d’ya reckon? If it was that would just make it even better. I know real punks used to whinge about Generation X not being ‘proper’ punks but after this distance, none of that silliness and virulent internecine politics that scenes attract matters a cuss, you’re left with the music and that either cuts it, or doesn’t. This does and more to the point, it makes me happy.
Unusually for me I’ve no recollection at all about buying this 12″, only that it happened 7 years ago. I really don’t like the sexualized girl on the cover though, it just seems a tacky way to attempt to drum up some tabloid outrage.
But, let’s overlook that, put the needle back to the beginning of the record again and now, family safely in bed, I’m off to dance with myself …
If I looked all over the world
And there’s every type of girl
But your empty eyes
Seem to pass me by
Leave me dancing with myself
433 Down.
P.S – B-side contains two crap dub versions of ‘Dancing With Myself’, which I will never play again as long as I live.
And on an unrelated note, 1537, you’ll be pleased to know that our kids discovered Ninjago this week, via a DVD from the library, and they LOVE IT.
(smiley face thing)
I have two Gen X LPs here, and you’re right. Greatness!
Holy fuck. You even have Billy Idol looking Legos. Amazing, dude!
My buddy Peter is a huge Billy/Gen X fan. Me, I only own the greatest hits.
It appears Dr. Terry Chimes ex The Clash ex Black Sabbath has a writing credit here?
Thank you, one does one’s best.
I think a Greatest is ll you need, but it is all silly and enjoyable.
What Sabbath did Terry Chimes play on then? he was Gen X drummer for a spell and I assume the pants remixer here.
He didn’t play on any Sabbath albums but he replaced Eric Singer for their 1987 Eternal Idol tour.
Pants remixer!
Everyone should have their pants remixed once in a while.
I am going to remix mine tonight. If you don’t hear from me in 12 hours, call the fire department.
Good luck – see you on the other side.
I feel it appropriate to make a Lego Movie joke here:
Honey, WHERE ARE MY PANTS???
LM was great! I have the ‘Pants Guy’ figure too, I used his shirt for Prince once.
This is a great song. I do like a bit of Billy Idol. I always assumed this was about shaking hands with the guv’nor of love, but then that could just be how my mind works.
I’m clearly just such an innocent! You’ll be telling me there’s a drug reference hidden in ‘Puff the Magic Dragon’ next!
Is there?! I thought that was about wanking!
No, you’re thinking of ‘Yesterday’ by Beatles.
(I genuinely Lol’d at your comment then (as we youngsters say))
Haha OMG (like you youngsters say these days) I’d forgotten about Yesterday. That’s an onanism anthem!
It is a real humdinger this one!
I’m with the ‘vinyl collection’ here. When Billy closed his eyes (without a brain) to dance with himself, he imagined not Siouxsie Sue or Pauline Penetration or even Debbie Harry, it was his own sweet self. Worse than Adam Ant.
But if you like it, who gives a fuck? I quite like White Wedding. And I used to sniff glue.
Absolutely, a solipsistic little git. But this still rocks and rolls.
Effn LOVE this song! I saw Billy Idol perform 3 years ago at one of the casinos around here. Amazing show. I never tire of Idol!
Cool me too – it’s just daft good time music.
Our kids danced around to his Mony Mony recently. They had a BLAST.
Just some great tunes. My kids always love ‘White Wedding’
Whenever I see a pic of Billy Idol I instantly recall a cartoon from the late 70s where a Mother is standing with her middle-aged friend, smiling indulgently at her punk son as he preens and postures in a mirror.
“He’s very dedicated,” says Mum, “Each day he practices his guitar for 5 minutes and his leer for an hour”.
I like that. I’ve always thought of him as Bart Simpson’s developmentally limited older brother. This is a fun tune though.
“Kiss Me Deadly” is the single best thing Billy Idol ever did. It’s also one of my favorite punk songs. Ever.
That is all.
That is enough.