That song in particular really shines in all three of it's incarnations on this set. It's been something of a revelation.
Loving everything about this set, it's exceeded my expectations. All versions are distinct, all reveal something different within the songs, and the third disc is so pretty it's impossible to resist. I'll admit I had misgivings about the approach (on that third disc especially) but the whole set is wonderful, been playing it all week.
On a side note, I find CD1 (all Plati mixes if I'm not mistaken) a much better listen soundwise compared to CD2 (mostly TV's job) The sound is much clearer and open
Gotta say how surprised I am at how much I am LOVING these songs!! When I became a Bowie fan in the early 80's and started picking up his back catalog, I was duped into buying a comp of his 60's material and couldn't even make it through the entire LP. I couldn't imagine how this project, which I haven't heard of until the BA box was announced, could be anything but another waste. Boy, was I wrong. This is a new and fun DB album for me and I am having a hard time getting some of the songs out of my head. What a pleasant and unexpected treat!
Just heard that toy is now finally a part of the official UK album chart debuting at number 5 and at number 1 for purely physical album chart uk sales. Pretty decent considering how much they cost.
Yes. The thing that initially drew me to the Toy material - like hearing "Can't Help Thinking About Me" on VH1 Storytellers when it was first broadcast, and hearing "You've Got a Habit of Leaving Me" and "Conversation Piece" turn up as b-sides a few years later - was hearing Bowie, the experienced songwriter and arranger, take a second pass at material he'd first recorded when his skills weren't so well-honed (especially in the arrangement department). But, it turns out, when you take some of those early Bowie compositions and treat them like "classic" Bowie material - with much more assured vocals, experienced musicians versed in Bowie's catalog, tight arrangements, proper mixing etc - they really shine through. That's not to say that "Baby Loves That Way" or "I Dig Everything" will ever be "Heroes" or "Young Americans" or even "Conversation Piece". But it does demonstrate, at least for me, that there was a ton of artistic value and promise in some of DB's earliest, most lightweight material... even if it took a few decades for him to prove it.
I warmed up to Buddah recently with the reissue, but yeah, it's not very good. Sex and the Church is awful, and the instrumentals are a little long, but some of the filler tracks shine more with the reissue in my opinion (but it could just be giving it a new listen and awareness). I do love Toy...all mixes of it are cool.
I really love Dead Against It. Not very keen on many of the other tracks, but I need to listen to it more (first listen was with the BA reissue).
I think some of them sounded good : I got to hear on vinyl it Was good and on Russian cd absolutely horrifying. Must depend on the bootlegger. I agree with Paul : when you are used with listening this album, uncle Floyd seems missing. But what a treat hearing disc 2 and disc 3 ! We, Bowie fans, are spoiled.
Nice Shadow Man performance @ the Cutting Room NY Jan 8, by: Gail Ann Dorsey - vocals, Henry Hey - keyboard, Mark Plati - acoustic guitar, Gerry Leonard - guitar, Tim Lefebvre - bass, Everett Bradley - backing vocals
So far I could resist buying the Toy:Box but spent a bit of time with CD 2 & 3 on streaming platforms and my 12“ Toy album from the Brilliant Adventure boxset. 1. I like the official album with the Mark Plati mix from my Brilliant Adventure set the most. The album sequenz makes the most sense to me and the mix is tastefully done. I like Platis approach to balance everything and not pushing Bowies vocals too much forward. 2. The mixes on CD2 are actually quite different then on the main album but not different enough to make me buy the boxset. Really like this version of In the Heat of the morning and miss it on the main album. Not a fan of the string arrangements - I don‘t know why but they feel unnecessary to me. BTW: Is the tracklist on CD2 sorted by the year, the original songs were written? 3. The mix on CD3 doesn‘t do much for me. Its a bit of a novelty and surely a nice extra but I don‘t think that much effort was spent to produce this mix. 4. My favorite tracks are The London Boys and I dig everything - but the best version of these songs can be found on the BBC2000 live-album.
In a local store today. A woman comes in: "Do you have the new Bowie album?" "You mean the 'Toy' 10" boxset?" "Yes!" I don't know what I was expecting but I was amazed when she purchased the thing without even batting an eyelid. She must have been aware that this toy would come at a price. Now I'm wondering: Did she buy this for herself? As a gift? Nice!
Don't you think there's a reason that you just happened to be there watching someone else buy it? C'mon, Neonbeam, pull the trigger, you know you want to.
It was the last copy..... Of course you are right. I almost drove past another store that has around eleven boxes left but I thought this could be a nice treat for a Monday!