I can't believe it has been probably 15 years since I have listened to Charmed Life from top to bottom. This album is insanely underrated. Because Steve Stevens was gone from Billy's band by this time, the album sometimes gets overlooked. Billy went with another gunslinger by the name of Mark Younger-Smith. He is not in the same mold of Stevens or any other shredder. He is more blues based which of course made Charmed Life very bluesy, but with a much harder rock vibe than the last album and even more so than Rebel Yell. That's not to say that Mark doesn't shred on a few songs. It's just that they are more controlled to serve the song instead of just shredding for the sake of shredding.

If there is a "weak" song to be found here, I guess the opening track The Loveless would be it. I think it's just an okay track and most people would say its 'filler'. I guess you could be right. But listening to it a few times more it's growing on me. But after this, the album really starts to smoke starting with Pumping On Steel. It's a very sedated tempo that just keeps building and right before Mark rips into his guitar solo, the song itself has it's own Phil Collin's 'In The Air Tonight" drum solo that requires you to play at max volume.

Don't skip Prodigal Blues, even if it doesn't sound like a typical Billy Idol song. It's a fantastic slow blues song that shows a different side of to his singing. Love it. L.A. Woman and Cradle Of Love get the most plays because of the videos. I was never a fan of The Doors, but have come to really enjoy Billy's take on the classic song. The thing I gotta mention about Cradle Of Love is the guitar solo. Back when I was doing a lot of 4 Track recording in the day, one of the instrumental songs that I worked on, more specifically the guitar solo, almost note for note what you hear in Cradle is what I have on my demo. The only thing, I recorded the song/solo about 2 years earlier. So when I heard Mark's solo, it floored me. What the  f u c k !!! I gotta find my cassette copy and listen to it. I have not heard it in years. Would be fun to revisit it for sure.

The rest of the album is just as good. Just keep an open mind....and ear and give this one a chance. Just because it's a little bit different from what you would call a typical Billy Idol album, sans Steve Stevens, you may find yourself playing this one a lot.

Fave Songs: Pumping On Steel, Prodigal Blues, L.A. Woman, Trouble With The Sweet Stuff, Cradle Of Love, Mark Of Caine and Love Unchained