Featuring the diminutive Toyah Wilcox when she was more
Siouxsie Sioux and not so much Kate Bush, Toyah! Toyah! Toyah! captures a 1980
concert in Wolverhampton, which was also filmed for a U.K. television
documentary on the brittle singer/songwriter/actress/cult figure. She's an
acquired taste with that kind of severe personality and delivery (and even more
severe hair) that could only come from the U.K. and only in the '80s. If you're
not familiar, don't start here. Start with some kind of hits collection that
includes the later singles "It's a Mystery" and "I Want to Be
Free" and leave this to the fans (including myself) who crave a document
of her scrappy early years. With only two albums under her belt at the time of
this recording, the new wave diva sounds urgent, hungry, and just as sharp as
her haircut while her band rocks with that jagged, amphetamine beat, occasionally
slowing down for the dramatic sci-fi numbers like "Insects." A year
later she would release the fantastical and heavy album Anthem and began phase
two of her career, so this is a kiss goodbye to the days of Derek Jarman and
anti-establishment with some songs that wouldn't be on future set lists. Not
that there's any other kind of Toyah fan, but this is strictly for the
hardcore.
Ripped from the CD to severe personality MP3
Toyah, Toyah! Toyah! Toyah!
1. Victims
Of The Riddle
2. Indecision
3. Love
Me
4. Visions
5. Tribal
Look
6. Bird
In Flight
7. Danced
8. Insects
9. Race
Through Space
10. Ieya
The diminutive one’s first two albums and many others are here
Ah Toyah been a fan ever since that fateful night I saw you on USA's Night Flight. I was like who in the hell is this weird ass english chick with orange hair! Been hooked ever since. Robert Fripp your a lucky bastard!
ReplyDeleteToyah and Bob's Insta and Facebook feeds are hilarious. I think they're trying to be semi-serious but that just makes it all the funnier...'tis a strange life but then if you watch the documentary on YouTube she comes across as very driven.
DeleteLong time Toyah fan here...have the majority of her stuff on vinyl still. For some reason, when I think of early Toyah I'm also reminded of Nina Hagen. While vastly different, still I think there's a bit of a kinship there.
ReplyDeleteDefinitely I can see the early New Wave Nina Hagen, but not so much the crazy woman of later years. The only bits of vinyl from the early years I'm missing are the singles.
DeleteAgreed...I would compare the Toyah first phase with Nina's output up to NunSexMonkRock in a certain sort of temperament...
DeleteThough vastly different musically, there is a thread in there that connects them.