Rocktrospectiva: The Emotional "Charmed Life" Turns 35

Released on 30 April 1990, "Charmed Life" was the fourth studio album by English rock musician Billy Idol, the album shows a more emotional side of Idol, but with a more organic and less technologically-dependent sound. It's primarily a hard rock album, but experiments with other genres, such as jazz on "Endless Sleep" and electro-blues on "Trouble With The Sweet Stuff." Accroding to Idol: "The album is about how great life is and how bad it is just to throw it away, which I almost did." 

The album spawned three singles "Cradle Of Love", "L.A. Woman" & "Prodigal Blues." Unlike Idol's previous three albums, Charmed Life did not feature guitarist Steve Stevens, and most of the guitar work was handled by Mark Younger-Smith instead. Idol finished sessions for the album on 5 February 1990. During the following morning, after picking up the final mixes from Conway Studios, he was seriously injured in a motorcycle accident.Indeed "Love Unchained" was inspired by a friend of Idol's who died in a motorcycle accident.

The whole album experience took two years to assemble, but when it was finally finished, disaster struck. Just hours after wrapping the sessions in February 1990, Idol took his motorcycle out for a ride in Hollywood and suffered a horrific crash which left him in hospital for months. The album was delayed and released on April 30, 1990, it was still primarily a hard rock album, but Idol was determined that it would have a more organic feel than the often technologically-dependent Whiplash Smile.

According to Idol: "The whole idea of (Whiplash Smile) was to get more of an emotional side of me, not just the frustrated or angry side, but it was hard to do because of all the technology," Idol told the Los Angeles Times in 2015. "Instead of it being the freewheeling music of Rebel Yell, it was turning into something very stagnant or standard. So I wanted to get back on this album and tour to more of a real feel – real musicians playing the songs."

Idol achieved that aim with Charmed Life, as the record’s widescreen rock anthems such as "The Loveless" and "Love Unchained" were the result of the singer and his band performing live in the studio. Yet while these raw, anthemic songs were quintessential Idol, he also proved he could thrive outside his comfort zone on intriguing, hybridized tracks including the noir-infused jazz of "Endless Sleep" and hedonistic electro-blues of "Trouble With The Sweet Stuff." 

The Charmed Life's three singles were also extremely well chosen. Promoted by a brilliant video directed by David Fincher, the exuberant "Cradle Of Love" peaked at No. 2 in the U.S. while its follow-ups, "Prodigal Blues" and Idol’s pile-driving cover of The Doors" 1971 classic "L.A. Woman" also drew attention to Charmed Life’s inherent quality.

The three singles allowed Charmed Life to carry right on from where Whiplash Smile left off on the Billboard 200, where it eventually peaked at No. 11 on its way to going platinum. This result surely helped reinvigorate Idol, who, post-recuperation, was able to return to work and complete his touring obligations. “I didn’t let my injury get me too down, he later wrote in his memoir Dancing With Myself. 

 

Charmed Life Track List: 

 

1. The Loveless

2. Pumping On Steele

3. Prodigal Blues

4. L.A. Woman

5. Trouble With The Sweet Stuff

6. Cradle Of Love

7. Mark Of Caine

8. Endless Sleep

9. Love Unchained

10. The Right Way

11. License To Thrill