David Bowie - Brilliant Adventure (1992-2001) [Box set #5]

Not sure if that's the suckiest thing about the deal: your publisher and your record company should not be friends, let alone occupying adjacent cubicles.

 

Just listened to the 3rd Toy Box set disc. I didn't want to bother first with the second Alternatives & Extras disc and scratch my head trying to figure out which is what and end up too dizzy.

So straight to the Unplugged And Somewhat Slightly Electric disc. After a few tracks you do notice they sound pretty familiar ...is it actually unplugged ... or did someone just take the multitracks and push some knobs down and others up (mouse them down/up) .. sort of a scam scheme. Anyway, what I ended up was stripped versions of the familiar sounding Toy tracks. After listening to disc 3 what it reminds me most of is the NLMD re-recording exercise (not my cuppa).
So you get lots of acoustic guitar strumming, more pronounced piano plongs, a tambourine, those chimmy chimmy ohh lala bubblegum backing vocalists and plenty of fiddling. On some tracks it makes you wonder whether this fiddleful version was more removed from the cool Bowie path than Country Bus Stop or not.



And then at the end you think ...why even bother ? Does track X remind me of the leaked version, a Heathen bonus track version, the main 2021 (BA) version (disc 1), Nothing Has Changed version or heck the original 60's version? Flippin' 'll

And why do we need/want all of these versions, or did Bowie/Parlo/Estate think it was high time those 60's recordings were replaced by versions that brought in some more physical and streaming revenue, was DB embarrassed by the original versions ? (Obviously not that much ).
Anyway, us fans will pay for the entire exercise because of the multidisc box set approach, so it's no risk any way you look at it.

I'm probably just getting too old for this kind of nonsense. I'll have a '76 unreleased tour show instead, a new studio album surround mix or some actual unreleased demos and outtakes are more than welcome.

 

I have only listened to the Unplugged and Somewhat Slightly Electric mixes once thus far and I am not sure on what to think of them. I can see why this might not be to some people's liking (such as @footprintsinthesand ). Here I will give my general thoughts on the songs.

(I would like to preface this by saying that I really love Toy, and I have, for the most part, enjoyed the Unplugged and Somewhat Slightly Electric mixes as well)

1. In The Heat Of The Morning - I am a tad disappointed by this one, but mainly because I love the original Decca version of the song, and any issues I have with this mix is still true for the standard Toy mix of it (on disc two), and so I will not comment on it further in this post.

2. I Dig Everything - I find that this recording is too slow to fit with the pace of the vocals in this mix, which is disappointing as it has put this song near the bottom of the Unplugged mixes, instead of near the top where it was on the standard Toy album. It is still good, but I find the pacing a bit off-putting (particularly during the "Every, Everything, Every, Dig Everything" section which repeats throughout the song). It is not bad, but definitely not as good as the normal mix.

3. You've Got A Habit Of Leaving - I feel almost an exact opposite effect on this song when compared to I Dig Everything. I had thought that the standard mix always sounded faster than it was supposed to with the lyrics, and those problems were fixed with this version. I could never really get on-board with the Toy version of this song since it was released as a single, but this one is something I will keep coming back to.

4. The London Boys - As soon as I had heard the opening, I thought that I would hate this version. Whilst I do not hate this mix, it does not reach the same heights as the standard mix does, and is much inferior. The fact that it is slower (instrumentally) is not the issue, but I instead find the instrumentation a tad odd. I just do not think that it comes together well, which is a shame.

5. Karma Man - This version is really fun for me. I do think that the standard mix is better than this version, but I like this one nonetheless. I do not really have much to say about this one; it is good.

6. Conversation Piece - Another great mix. I think that this style suits the song very well. I do not have much of a preference between this version and the standard Toy mix. This is one of the highs of the album, as it was on Toy.

7. Shadow Man - As with Conversation Piece, this is fantastic. The style, once again, matches the song and I adore it. I would possibly suggest that this is better than the standard Toy mix, and that is surprising considering how great the version on Toy already was.

8. Let Me Sleep Beside You - I found this mix somewhat forgettable (I had it relisten to it again whilst writing this to even know what to say), but certainly not bad. The mix works about as well as the standard Toy mix for me, with it being decent but nothing special.

9. Hole In The Ground - I really liked this mix. It reminds me a lot of the demo on Conversation Piece, which is not a bad thing. As with Shadow Man, I think that this might be better than the standard mix. It is very good.

10. Baby Loves That Way - I would like this a lot, if it were not for the woman speaking during the introduction. Other than that, I would put this roughly with the original Toy mix.

11. Can't Help Thinking About Me - Just a fun mix of this song. Whilst neither Toy mix matches with the original '60s recording for me, this is another highlight of the Unplugged mixes.

12. Silly Boy Blue - This does not seem very different for me, managing to keep the same feel as the standard. A great track.

13. Toy (Your Turn To Drive) - I did not really like this song that much from Toy, and the same goes with this version, but I do think that it is a step above the Toy mix.

Overall, this is a really good set of mixes. The music is very soothing and easy to listen to. Not everything is perfect, but then again, it does not have to be. It is fun, and it should be treated as such.

I did not rate each song, but I will rate the mixes on the hole: 4/5 (I believe that I rated the original 5/5, and I stand by that, but this isn't half bad)

 

Since I am enjoying TOY from the Brilliant Adventure set far more then I originally thought, I have to admit that temptation is definitely here to buy the Toy:Box aswell…

 

Okay but how does the 10" vinyl sound?

 

That was their cunning plan!

 

I just wanted to add a quick comment which I forgot to mention in my Unplugged and Somewhat Slightly Electric overview. Some of the tracks seem to bring the vocals forwards, making them much more prominent, which I really enjoyed.

 

From what I have heard of the set so far (all of discs one and three, with some of disc two), if you like Toy on Brilliant Adventure, I think you'll enjoy the set. Nothing in the set is essential, but it is all a lot of fun.

 

Really appreciate your opinions about the Unplugged Mix.
When you have the time, how does the ”album mix“ from Mark Plati compare to the alternate Mix on CD 2/Vinyl 3+4?
Is it notably different? (My decision to buy the box will be quite dependent on this information)

 

I now can't stop hearing her in the normal mix (I hadn't heard her before).

 

I'm listening to that now. I'll need a few listens of that before I give my thoughts on it as some of the songs are fairly similar (a few are shockingly different, in a nice way). I'll try to do it tonight.

 

I haven't gotten to disc two yet and wouldn't advise you to let my impression guide you. Especially if you're thinking of buying the 10" vinyl set. Disc three hasn't made me super curious to explore the extra disc, but in general I like the leaked version and main official disc enough, they're pretty decent updated versions of the old songs, not spectacular but good.

 

I wholeheartedly agree with this. The main deciding factor should definitely be the extent to which you enjoy Toy and whether you are curious to hear different mixes of those tracks (and the couple of new songs, with those being Liza Jane and In The Heat Of The Morning).

You've said before that you were liking Toy a lot, which seems to be a lot more than what others have generally rated it, so it seems like the Toy:Box is probably for you. I really loved Toy and so I naturally have loved the Toy:Box so far. Because of this, definitely don't take my word on how good the box is.

 

Quite right, if you like the basic album should be pretty much leading. At this point in time, while just playing discs for the first time really the last thing I want to do is compare all the versions, rather just take it in and notice a couple of things. The good thing is that these sets don't have the same track each time backing up a different version, so here you can just pick a disc and enjoy.

 

Really enjoying the alternative mix of London Boys! Love what thet did there. I'm listening to all 3 discs at once, bouncing back and forth between the studio album, alt mixes and unplugged versions. Having a great time with these songs.

 

Before I do my general overview, I will answer the questions you pose here. The alternative mix is not a step-up, or a step-down from the album mix to me. There are many notable differences. Some are subtle (Shadow Man, for example), and some are substantial (The London Boys). Every song has distinct changes that make it different from the album mix, but not changes which are superfluous, at least in my opinion.

Now for my general overview. Please note that these are just my opinions so don't take it as fact.

1. Liza Jane - Somehow I came away enjoying Liza Jane; that's impressive. The song isn't the strongest on the album, but it is actually rather likable. I hate very few Bowie songs, but the original Liza Jane was one of them. My experience with this song was much different.

2. You've Got A Habit of Leaving - The mix is pretty good. Being one of the songs I didn't originally like too much, I think that this is an improvement. The main difference is with the instrumentation, which feels softer than the album mix. It has a different introduction which I quite enjoy, slowing the song down a little bit (which, as I mentioned in my Unplugged overview, is a good thing for me).

3. Baby Loves That Way - The song starts in a similar way, but the drum for when the song "kicks in", so to speak, is quite different, which is a nice moment in the song. Other than that, the song is fairly similar to the album mix, which I personally don't mind as I like the album mix a lot.

4. Can't Help Thinking About Me - The altermative mix seems slightly "harder" than the album mix, which works well on the song. Some of the backing vocals seem to have been dampened at points, which I also like. The main vocals sound slightly different to me on this mix, especially during the chorus. It almost sounds like he takes a short break, going "Can't Help Thinking About...Me", which was a bit odd at first, and I can't say that I am fully used to it. The other notable change in this song is the removal of the false-ending which was present in the album mix. Personally, I thought that the false-ending was done well in the album mix and I wish that it was included in the alternative mix, but it still works.

5. I Dig Everything - The mix is fairly similar to the album mix, although it seems like David adds bonus backing vocals for the song, which I don't like too much. The backing vocals in general seem to be quieter, which isn't a good change (especially during the "every, everything, every, dig everything" section). The song, overall, sounds quite "alive", however, and is very pleasant.

6. The London Boys - Definitely the most different mix from the album mix in the album. The instrumentation is very different, but that's not a bad thing. I find it hard to explain how this song differs from the album mix, but it is substantially different and I love it for that. It offers a completely different experience for the song, which is fantastic.

7. Silly Boy Blue (Tibet Mix) - In this mix, the vocals seem more distant than in the album mix. The sound, in general, feels a tad softer, despite the original being soft itself. I like this because, when the song builds up, it is more effective at contrasting with earlier parts. It seems like the vocal parts for the "la la la" part (I didn't know how to explain it) have been removed, which I'm personally not a fan of. The next section sounds slightly worse to me, but not bad by any means. The song still maintains its stance as one of the best on the album.

8. Let Me Sleep Beside You - This mix seems more lively than the album mix, even though not much is really changed. It is one of the subtle mixes, but it makes a big difference to me, actually making me really like this song.

9. In The Heat Of The Morning - If people say that he is mumbling in this song, I want it to be known that this is a "mumbling masterpiece". This version, whilst not as good as the original song, is amazing. It is what I was waiting for in the set and was excellent. The song is slower than the original, which fits well with the flow of the album, but I would have preferred a faster song. His vocals are absolutely beautiful on this track. The song drops a few elements from the original song, which you have to listen to if you wish to know how it differs. If the '60s recording didn't exist, I think I would like this even more. It is completely brilliant.

10. Conversation Piece - The vocals at the start, to me, feel a bit disconnected from the instruments (I can't explain it much better). This issue does not persist throughout the whole song though (if it is an issue to begin with, as it is similar to the album mix). The mix is not too different to the album mix, so there isn't much to really say.

11. Hole In The Ground - This mix is quite close to the album mix, although a few things are different. At the start of the song, the vocalisations (the "ly ly ly ly ly" thing) sound slightly quieter than in the album mix, which I didn't really like, but they do seem to build up over the course of the song, and is a very minor complaint. An interesting thing to point out is that this track is actually 22 seconds longer than the album mix, having an alternative ending which I prefer to the album mix's ending. It wasn't something I noticed on the first listen, but it is definitely something to listen for.

12. Shadow Man - The alternative mix for this song feels cleaner than the album mix, if that makes any sense. It isn't a very big difference, and I don't know what makes me feel that way. I prefer the album mix for this one, but this one isn't far beneath.

13. Toy (Your Turn To Drive) - Somehow, they managed to make what I consider to be the most boring track on the album interesting to me. The instruments and vocals really sound good on this mix. It is as if they are drawn forwards all at the same time, and it works well. It is still my least favourite song from the disc, but it is a song I might actually come back to this time, much unlike the album mix.

One thing I found throughout the entire disc was that the songs felt consistently lively, which wasn't something I found on the album mix. I also think that the placement of certain songs is better on this disc than on the album mix, putting Shadow Man at the end, for example. I wouldn't consider any of the mixes to be anywhere close to bad, and many of them are fantastic. I was very surprised with the quality of the remixes in general.

Whilst I do prefer the album mix to this, I still think that it is somewhere between a 4/5 and a 5/5.

Personally, I do not regret purchasing this at all. Whilst the bonus parts not in BA are not essential, I would hate to have missed them.

 

On disc 2 of Toy:Box, I believe (since I don't have access to the liner notes yet):

1. The "alternative" versions of "You've Got a Habit of Leaving Me", "Baby Loves That Way", "Shadow Man", and "Conversation Piece" are the same mixes we got as Heathen b-sides/bonus tracks back in 2002.

2. "Toy (Your Turn to Drive)" is the same mix we got on Nothing Has Changed in 2014.

3. "Let Me Sleep Beside You (Alternative Version)" is the mix first heard on Nothing Has Changed in 2014.

I think everything else on CD2 is previously unreleased. "The London Boys (Alternative Version)" is the real highlight for me so far, with the key changes in the intro, the prominent strings, and "Velvet Goldmine"-style rhythm!

 

Thank you, that is valuable information. I didn't have all of the Heathen era bonus tracks so can now stop looking for those rare Japanese discs.

Overall the Toy album is an interesting release that brings new life to the 60's songs, some really benefit, like The London Boys, most sound better, updated and part of an album now. If they had only included all of the tracks that were on the leaked version that would've made more sense in that way.
But I guess there's always that element of keeping box bait leftovers for the next era box set that got in the way, just like the idiotic idea of releasing this on a pricey 10" vinyl set, I pity the fools (not meant in any bad way) who have to buy this because vinyl is their preferred music medium.

 

This seems to line up with what is on the product information, which shows which tracks were previously released. They list the following:

You've Got A Habit Of Leaving
Baby Loves That Way
Let Me Sleep Beside You
Conversation Piece
Shadow Man
Toy (Your Turn To Drive)

This matches exactly with the songs you picked out.

 

It's not so much a question of sonics, these things are super inconvenient. I'm pretty positive this set will see massive discounts by June because let's face it: How many Bowie fans will shell out for a 10" boxset after they got "Toy" in the - already massive - "Brilliant Adventure" set?

I could be wrong but either this "Toy" box is really limited or it won't sell as good as the powers that be presumed it would.

 

Thank you for confirming - I look forward to reading the liners this weekend!

The alternative versions are really enjoyable; disc 2 makes for a good listening experience all on its own (especially since there's no repetition of tracks, and every song from the LP is represented bar "Karma Man" - although I am a bit bummed/annoyed that the "Alternative Ending" mix of "Silly Boy Blue" wasn't included...). Not only are many mix differences apparent (instrumental and vocal elements added, removed, emphasized, de-emphasized etc), but at least one track is clearly using an alternate lead vocal ("Can't Help Thinking About Me")- possibly others, but requires more careful listening.

 

Plus the regular album will be released on vinyl as well, later this year, as part of the individual album breakouts.

 

what version of "Silly Boy Blue" are you talking about?

 

The digital release of the "Karma Man" single a few weeks back included "Silly Boy Blue (Alternate Ending Mix)" as the b-side. It's very close to the LP mix, but does have a slightly different ending featuring a little bit of extra guitar. Not essential but still a notable omission.