Idol in its "infancy"

Generation X 

the album 

Re-release of the Punk Rock masterpiece from 1978. 

Billy Idol shined here as a young frontman and laid the foundation for his career. Generation X, the band in which Idol toiled away before starting his successful solo career simply had charm and was one of the first Punk bands to appear on the BBC show "Top of the Tops". 

Despite all the obvious Punk Rock snot, they also had a knack for flawless Power Pop, the melodies of which clearly place the unbridled Generation X in the tradition of The Who. 

The first of their two albums (Generation X and Valley Of The Dolls), was released in 1978 and produced by Martin Rushent (The Stranglers, Buzzcocks, Human League), and contained the hit singles "Your Generation", "Wild Youth", and "Ready Steady Go " (link).