Joy of a Toy

Infobox Album |
Name = Joy of a Toy
Type = studio
Artist = Kevin Ayers


Released = November 1969
Recorded = 17 Jun-11 Sep 1969; Abbey Road Studios, London
Genre = Rock
Length = 41:30 (original issue)
Label = Harvest
Producer = Kevin Ayers & Peter Jenner
Reviews =
* Rolling Stone Rating|4|5 [http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/kevinayers/albums/album/165361/review/5947077/joy_of_a_toy link]
* The Times Rating|5|5 - Best Albums of All Time [http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/music/article4172687.ece link]
Last album =
This album = "Joy of a Toy"
(1969)
Next album = "Shooting at the Moon"
(1970)

"Joy of a Toy" is the debut solo album of Kevin Ayers, a founding member of Soft Machine. Its whimsical and unique vision is a clear indication of how Soft Machine might have progressed under Ayers' tenure. He is accompanied on the LP by his Soft Machine colleagues Robert Wyatt, Mike Ratledge and Hugh Hopper.

After a Soft Machine tour of the USA with the Jimi Hendrix Experience, Ayers had decided to retire from the music business. Hendrix however, presented Ayers with an acoustic Gibson J-200 guitar on the promise that he continue his songwriting. Ayers repaired to a small London flat where he composed and arranged a whole LP which was then presented to Malcolm Jones' fledgling Harvest label where it was recorded by Peter Jenner for the then exorbitant sum of £4000.

"Joy Of A Toy" features many of Ayers' most enduring songs from 'The Lady Rachel' to 'Girl On A Swing', the latter still, regularly covered by artists to this day like Candie Payne and The Ladybug Transistor. It was on "Joy Of A Toy" that Ayers developed his sonorous vocal delivery, an avant-garde song construction and an affection for bizarre instrumentation that would have a deep influence far into the 1970s and indeed the present day.

Track listing

"All tracks are credited to Ayers"

Side 1
# "Joy of a Toy Continued"
# "Town Feeling"
# "The Clarietta Rag"
# "Girl on a Swing"
# "Song for Insane Times"Side 2
# "Stop This Train (Again Doing It)"
# "Eleanor's Cake (Which Ate Her)"
# "The Lady Rachel"
# "Oleh Oleh Bandu Bandong"
# "All This Crazy Gift of Time"

Bonus material on reissue
# "Religious Experience"
# "Lady Rachael"
# "Soon Soon Soon"
# "Religious Experience"
# "Lady Rachael"
# "Singing a Song in the Morning"

Personnel

*Kevin Ayers / Guitars, Bass and Vocals
*Robert Wyatt / Drums
*David Bedford / Piano, Arranger
*Mike Ratledge / Organ
*Hugh Hopper / Bass (1 & 5)
*Paul Buckmaster / Cello
*Rob Tait / Drums (6 & 9)
*Paul Minns / Oboe

plus on "Religious Experience" / "Singing A Song In The Morning" :
*Syd Barrett / Guitar (1b)
*Richard Sinclair / Bass
*Richard Coughlan / Drums
*David Sinclair / Organ
*The Ladybirds / Backing vocals

It should be noted that shortly after Barrett's death, Ayers told Mojo magazine that when Barrett arrived at the studio: "....he was out-of-it....wasn't able to tune his guitar or find the chords. We put a couple of tracks down but he just didn't want to do it any more." This casts some doubt as to whether any takes of "Religious Experience"/"Singing a song in the Morning" feature Barrett in spite of the CD's claims.

References

*"Kevin Ayers" by Richard Williams (Melody Maker Apr 25, 1970)
*"Joy of a Toy" liner notes by Mark Powell (EMI 2003)
*"Joy of a Toy" liner notes by Martin Wakeling (Harvest Sept 2006)

External Links

*"Joy of a Toy - Best Albums of All Time by Peter Paphides" [http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/music/article4172687.ece]