Toy (Toy:Box)

The music is great, but the packaging really shines. A really beautiful box set. So pleased to have bought this on vinyl rather than CD.

A lost project finally released, another gap in the collection filled

The box contains three different discs, each containing a separate version of David Bowie's previously unreleased 2000 album, Toy.Disc One is the standard version of the album which was also included in the Brilliant Adventure box set released late 2021. Whilst some say this album is one of the worse Bowie albums (if there is such a thing), I would say that it is one of his strongest. The album provides early tracks from his career with a second chance with a more mature tone. Most of the songs featured greatly benefit from the experience that Bowie brought to them, and tend to be better than the original. Songs such as Karma Man, Conversation Piece, Shadow Man, and Can't Help Thinking About Me really stand out.Disc Two contains alternative mixes of the Toy tracks, as well as Liza Jane and In The Heat Of The Morning. Liza Jane, whilst not the greatest song Bowie made, is a vast improvement over the original. In The Heat Of The Morning is one of Bowie's best early songs and whilst I wouldn't say this version is as strong as the original, it is still great. Featured on this Disc are the Toy singles released on Heathen B-sides, and these tracks are good; however, the best mixes are those not released before. New mixes were produced for songs such as The London Boys. These new mixes are very strong, but perhaps not an improvement over the first Disc.Disc Three contains the "Unplugged and Somewhat Slightly Electric" mixes, which are acoustic recordings of Toy. The acoustic style matches the slower tracks on the album, such as Karma Man, and it provides an interesting listening experience, although, once again, I would say that this disc is weaker than the first.Overall, this isn't an essential collection. If you didn't like Toy, this isn't for you, but if you liked it, this set is for you.

This 3-CD mini box set, with an expanded collection of Bowie's rejected 2000 era album by the good folks at Virgin Records needs no introduction to most Bowie fans. An early version of it in some sort of assembly was leaked onto the internet in March 2011. 3 of the tracks were previously used up as B-sides extras in September 2002, with 2 more included on the career encompassing compilation Nothing Has Changed. in November 2014.In total the entire set features just 14 songs with most of them presented in 3 versions in different mixes and/or arrangements. But do we really need that many alternates and the quick answer is no and to be honest perhaps it's one disc too many in that respect.Originally these songs as recorded as far back as May 1964 with Liza Jane (CD2 only) sounded very different and almost amateurish in most instances compared to the highly polished versions as recorded with Bowie's stellar band in 2000. Of course, that's to be expected given the huge advances in recording technology over the ensuing years, which was perhaps Bowie's principal reason for wanting to have another shot at them and see what improvements could be made. That said, there's really not very much of any kind of radical overhaul of the general tempos, chorus arrangements or presentation of the majority of the songs. However, several of them sound as if they're taken at a slower pace and the backing vocals content on a few of them has been ramped up considerably, too.It's also very evident that Shadow Man was given a considerable workover and even though we heard that previously on 2014's Nothing Has Changed. collection, here it is, at last in its proper place. We also know Conversation Piece with it's excellent new string arrangement by Visconti following inclusion on the extras section of the Heathen album of 2002. Basically, all the songs have been given a new lease of life (obviously) and there's winners and losers in this exchange. Some are great, such as London Boys which gets an excellent Bowie vocal and still replete with that quavery, cheap sounding 60's organ.Some will never be any good no matter what Bowie did to them, namely Baby Loves That Way and do I detect a sort of country and western violin on that - yet weren't we led to believe that Bowie detested c&w?Whilst the lyrics to several of the songs are victims of their era and probable capabilities of their progenitor, none of them make for a laughing stock as there's no real clunkers here, such as 'The Laughing Gnome' etc. And let it be said that none of the original recordings of these songs ever featured a drummer as good as Sterling Campbell.I like this collection and glad it's escaped from indefinite storage in a vault. OK, it's never a Ziggy Stardust, but nobody said it was, so I'll easily manage to just enjoy it for what it is.

This is a real box with a lift-off lid so no cardboard hinge to wear out as you are likely to be opening this quite often. The three discs are in individual inner sleeves which each slide easily into their own outer sleeve so they are well protected within the box. The same constructed photo appears on each outer sleeve as on the box itself. The back of the box shows the full list of tracks while each individual disc had its own contents in easily read script.The booklet contains several pictures of Bowie clearly from the same photo shoot. Text is minimal being limited to the track listings, musician credits and publishing details. Here is my one criticism, the musician credits are in tiny white letters on grey so are very hard to make out.The recorded tracks are superb. There are thirty eight tracks albeit of only sixteen songs. There is just one version of "Liza Jane", two of "In The Heat Of The Morning", two of "Karma Man" but three of each of the other eleven. Each variation is materially different so there is no feeling of repetition. The songs are spread across the three discs so that no song appears twice on the same disc. This creates the effect of Bowie having made three coherent LPs but adjusted for a different audience in the way that a US issue would not be the same as one from the UK or Europe in the old days.This is not a "cash in" or scraping the barrel but meets the needs of the market where the supply is now limited.

Really pleased with this product and service! Excellent box set and excellent price!

Para un fanático de Bowie, es una compra que no puede dejarse pasar. El booklet y sus fotos, el color y los acabados de los discos, y por supuesto, la música del Duque Blanco...

excellent vraiment de grande qualité

If "Toy" had been released in 2000/2001 as Bowie intended, it might have been another commercial rebound for him, on rock radio at least. While these songs may not have had the depth of later material - they were, after all, written in the mid-60s at the start of his recording career - it sounds like his then-current band had a great time re-imagining the arrangements. The production is simple and direct, and the performances make these early, naive songs sound just as vital and engaging as the best tracks on "Earthling", "Hours", or "Heathen". "You've Got A Habit Of Leaving", "Hole In The Ground", and "Can't Stop Thinking About Me" are favorites; the alternative takes on disc 2 are just as strong. Disc 3 offers more acoustic versions; all of the songs sound great across each disc. It's worth it to get the box set. I've seen a couple reviews saying this album is not as "essential" as his more adventurous or progressive albums. Wrong. If you've ever been a fan, I'll think you welcome this collection; away from the more strict, programmed productions of '90s albums like "Outside" and "Earthling", Bowie and his band cut loose here. It's not "commercial" in the same way as "Young Americans" or "Let's Dance", but it's still an open, engaging offering from an artist who was always ready to surprise his audience.

Quel plaisir de découvrir encore des pépites !

Discazo!!