Idol has been trying to build back his career of late. His first album in eight years comes later this month (Oct. 21), called "Kings and Queens of the Underground." Though critics long ago slagged him as a cartoon punk, Idol still identifies with the movement's original spirit. He says its DIY ethic led him to write the book without a ghostwriter. "I'm at a stage where I could look back quite a long way and could still look forward a certain amount," he says.