Joy of a Toy

by Kevin Ayers

Overview

As the Soft Machine's first bassist and original principal songwriter, Kevin Ayers was an overlooked force behind the group's groundbreaking recordings in 1967 and 1968. This, his solo debut, is so tossed-off and nonchalant that one gets the impression he wanted to take it easy after helping pilot the manic innovations of the Softs. Laissez-faire sloth has always been part of Ayers' persona, and this record's intermittent lazy charm helped establish it. That doesn't get around the fact, however, that this set of early progressive rock does not feature extremely strong material. Ayers' command of an assortment of instruments is impressive, and his deep bass vocals and playful, almost goofy song-sketches are affecting, but they don't really stick with the listener. It's no accident that some of the tracks recall early Soft Machine: Robert Wyatt drums on most of the songs, and "Song for Insane Times" is virtually a bona fide Soft Machine performance, featuring actual backing from the group itself. A likable but slight album that is at its best when Ayers is at his folkiest. ~ Richie Unterberger

Product Details

Release Date:	01/26/2024
Label:	Cherry Red / Esoteric Recordings
UPC:	5013929485815

Tracks

1. Joy of a Toy Continued
2. Town Feeling
3. The Clarietta Rag
4. Girl on a Swing
5. Song for Insane Times
6. Stop This Train (Again Doing It)
7. Kevin Ayers
8. The Lady Rachel
9. Oleh Oleh Bandu Bandong
10. All This Crazy Gift of Time

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Kevin Ayers   Primary Artist,Guitar,Vocals
Syd Barrett   Primary Artist,Featured Artist
David Bedford   Guest Artist,Piano,Keyboards
Hugh Hopper   Guest Artist,Bass
Rob Wyatt   Guest Artist
Paul Minns   Oboe
Paul Buckmaster   Cello
Jeff Clyne   Bass
Rob Tait   Drums
Soft Machine   Band
Mike Ratledge   Keyboards
Robert Wyatt   Drums,Vocals
Sean Murphy   Vocals

Technical Credits

David Bedford   Arranger,Creative Assistance
Martin Wakeling   Liner Notes
Laurie Asprey   Photography
Ian Knight   Engineer
Andrew King   Producer
Kevin Ayers   Composer,Producer
Roger Dopson   Liner Notes
Peter Mew   Engineer
Peter Jenner   Producer
Sean Murphy   Engineer