Cyberpunk (album)
| Cyberpunk | ||||
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Cover art by Mark Frauenfelder.
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| Studio album by Billy Idol | ||||
| Released | 29 June 1993 | |||
| Recorded | April 1992 – January 1993(≈), in Billy Idol's home studio in Los Angeles. Doug Wimbish performed bass at a studio in New York City. |
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| Length | 67:23 | |||
| Label | Chrysalis | |||
| Producer | Robin Hancock | |||
| Billy Idol chronology | ||||
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| 2006 re-release | ||||
The 2006 reissue of Cyberpunk was included in Collectables Records' Priceless Collection series.
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| Singles from Cyberpunk | ||||
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 "A Creative Moment with Tim Leary and Billy Idol", Allan Lundell, YouTube, 11 February 2009. Billy Idol is joined by Timothy Leary and other musicians in the process of recording one of the many intermission tracks for the album. Leary's voice in this recording was later used for track number 15 segue. |
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"Shock to the System", EMI America Records, YouTube, 9 March 2009. |
| Cyberpunk: Shock to the System | ||||
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Cyberpunk: Shock to the System box cover.
The tagline reads: "Outlaw Tech. Rebel Science. Information is the ammunition,
your mind is the target." Cover art by Mark Frauenfelder.
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| Video by Billy Idol | ||||
| Released | 29 June 1993 (VHS) | |||
| Genre | Rock music Electronica | |||
| Length | 24:16 | |||
| Label | Chrysalis Records | |||
| Billy Idol chronology | ||||
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| Professional ratings | |
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| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |   |
| Entertainment Weekly | B+ |
| Robert Christgau | C− |
| Rolling Stone | |
| Spin | (1/10) |
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"Tim Leary and the Cyberpunks", Allan Lundell, YouTube, 11 February 2009. Timothy Leary promoting the cyberdelic subculture which thematically informed the creation of the album. |
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"Timothy Leary Interviews Billy Idol – In Concert with The Ramones" (1993), an interview discussing the Cyberpunk album for the ABC television show, In Concert, hosted by the Internet Archive. |
Cyberpunk is the fifth studio album by English rock vocalist Billy Idol. A concept album, it was released in 1993 by Chrysalis Records. Inspired by his personal interest in technology and his first attempts to use computers in the creation of his music, Idol based the album on the cyberdelic subculture of the late 1980s and early 1990s. Heavily experimental in its style, the album was an attempt by Idol to take control of the creative process in the production of his albums, while simultaneously introducing Idol's fans and other musicians to the opportunities presented by digital media.
The album featured a cyberpunk-styled narrative as well as synthesized vocals and industrial influences. Despite the critical and financial failure of the album, Billy Idol set several precedents in the process of promoting the album. These included his use of the internet, e-mail,virtual communities, and multimedia software – each a first for a mainstream celebrity. Idol also based his fashion style, music videos, and stage shows on cyberpunk themes and aesthetics.
Released to negative reviews, Cyberpunk polarised the internet communities of the period. Detractors viewed it as an act of cooptation and opportunistic commercialisation. It was also seen as part of a process that saw the overuse of the term "cyberpunk" until the word lost meaning. Alternatively, supporters saw Idol's efforts as harmless and well-intentioned, and were encouraged by his new interest in cyberculture.
During the release of 1990's Charmed Life, Idol suffered a broken leg in a motorcycle accident. While in recovery, he was interviewed by Legs McNeil. McNeil noticed the electronic muscle stimulator on Idol's leg and referred to him as a "cyberpunk", citing the cyborg qualities of his appearance. This led to Idol taking a serious interest in the works of William Gibson for the first time, although he had read Neuromancer in the mid-'80s. In the following months, Idol continued to investigate cyberpunk fiction and technology. He also read Neal Stephenson's Snow Crash, works by Robert Anton Wilson, and others.
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