TOY:BOX is a special edition of the unreleased TOY album Available in 3CD formats. The ‘capture the moment’ approach of the recording sessions are extended to the sleeve artwork designed by Bowie featuring a photo of him as a baby with a contemporary face. The package also contains a 16-page full-colour book featuring previously unseen photographs by Frank Ockenfels 3.
TOY was recorded following David's Glastonbury 2000 performance. Bowie entered the studio with his band to record new interpretations of songs he’d first recorded from 1964-1971. The plan was to record the album ‘old school’ with the band playing live, choose the best takes and then release it as soon as humanly possible. Unfortunately, in 2001 the concept of the ‘surprise drop’ album release and the technology to support it were still quite a few years off, making it impossible to release TOY at the time.
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Included in TOY:BOX is a second CD of alternative mixes and versions including proposed B-Sides (versions of David’s debut single ‘Liza Jane’ and 1967’s ‘In The Heat Of The Morning’), later mixes by Tony Visconti and the ‘Tibet Version’ of ‘Silly Boy Blue’ recorded at The Looking Glass Studio time at the of the 2001 Tibet House show in New York featuring Philip Glass on piano and Moby on guitar.
The third CD features 'Unplugged & Somewhat Slightly Electric’ mixes of thirteen TOY tracks. Producer Mark Plati "While we were recording the basic tracks Earl Slick suggested that he and I overdub acoustic guitars on all the songs. He said this was a Keith Richards’ trick, sometimes these guitars would be a featured part of the track, and at other times they’d be more subliminal. Later while mixing, David heard one of the songs broken down to just vocals and acoustic guitars; this gave him the idea that we ought to do some stripped-down mixes like that and that maybe one day they'd be useful. Once we put a couple of other elements in the pot, it felt like it could be a completely different record. I was only too happy to finish that thought some two decades after the fact”.
TOY:BOX is a special edition of the unreleased TOY album Available in 3CD formats. The ‘capture the moment’ approach of the recording sessions are extended to the sleeve artwork designed by Bowie featuring a photo of him as a baby with a contemporary face. The package also contains a 16-page full-colour book featuring previously unseen photographs by Frank Ockenfels 3.
TOY was recorded following David's Glastonbury 2000 performance. Bowie entered the studio with his band to record new interpretations of songs he’d first recorded from 1964-1971. The plan was to record the album ‘old school’ with the band playing live, choose the best takes and then release it as soon as humanly possible. Unfortunately, in 2001 the concept of the ‘surprise drop’ album release and the technology to support it were still quite a few years off, making it impossible to release TOY at the time.
Out of stock? Get notified when this item is restocked.
Included in TOY:BOX is a second CD of alternative mixes and versions including proposed B-Sides (versions of David’s debut single ‘Liza Jane’ and 1967’s ‘In The Heat Of The Morning’), later mixes by Tony Visconti and the ‘Tibet Version’ of ‘Silly Boy Blue’ recorded at The Looking Glass Studio time at the of the 2001 Tibet House show in New York featuring Philip Glass on piano and Moby on guitar.
The third CD features 'Unplugged & Somewhat Slightly Electric’ mixes of thirteen TOY tracks. Producer Mark Plati "While we were recording the basic tracks Earl Slick suggested that he and I overdub acoustic guitars on all the songs. He said this was a Keith Richards’ trick, sometimes these guitars would be a featured part of the track, and at other times they’d be more subliminal. Later while mixing, David heard one of the songs broken down to just vocals and acoustic guitars; this gave him the idea that we ought to do some stripped-down mixes like that and that maybe one day they'd be useful. Once we put a couple of other elements in the pot, it felt like it could be a completely different record. I was only too happy to finish that thought some two decades after the fact”.
Excellent presentation and quality. Very well design and manufactured. A little difficult to open and close, but that might not be a bad thing after all.
David Scales
January 31, 2022
I have no idea what Virgin Records was smoking when they let this one go by. There's so much fun stuff on this. I love hearing him revisit songs he hadn't touched in 30+ years.
Joffre LaPierre
January 30, 2022
Hi just received the Box set a few days ago and Iam loving it package well.The sound Quality is excellent it very interesting to hear what Bowie was thinking back in the early 2000s this was written just after Glastonbury performance very good…..
Mike
January 27, 2022
Website keeps asking for a review, I haven't even received it yet and the wait is killing me
Morgan Richards
January 27, 2022
So glad that this finally got released. David's voice and his band were at the top of their game. The production is beyond fantastic. Since I've been a fan of David since 1969, I really liked a lot of his earlier songs. Hearing him re-do so many of them just made my ears very happy. I really like Discs 2 & 3 a lot. It's been played many, many times since I got it. Of course David chose the cover, I guess I'll like it because he did picked it out. LOL
Chick
January 27, 2022
This album is a treasure. You can hear in the songs that this was not a throwaway album, and it might've even been a springboard, serving as a launching point for the next phase of his career. Virgin really missed the boat on this. I compare it to Dick Rowe turning the Beatles down in 1962
Mark Hanser
January 25, 2022
Beautifully packaged and such wonderful, Bowiesque pop. Sad that this was not released during David;s lifetime, but now it's here for us all to enjoy. A subtle 2022 sheen on his early 2000s take on his earlier 1960s songs. Prefer it over the bootlegs, which had their own charm, of course.
Bob Personett
January 24, 2022
The expanded release of "Toy" is a must for any Bowie fan. Disc three, in particular, is worth the price of the set. The style of music is very much from the 60's but with a more contemporary (at that time) sound. Toy is a prime example of the musical genius of David Bowie.
Roger Bedford
January 23, 2022
I like my old bootleg of this best. The official version is too polished for my taste, but still good. I actually prefer the two bonus discs.
steven pirie-shepherd
January 21, 2022
A collection of juvenalia given a new lease on life by more modern production techniques, arrangements, and orchestration. Bowie has taken some "younger" songs and given them fresh life. What this shows to me is that the songs were always good but were not fully realized at the time. The original recordings may have been seen as only for hardcore completists,but these reworkings really do these songs justice. Liza Jane benefits particularly from this treatment. There were always gems in the early catalog, e.g. Let Me Sleep Beside You, and Conversation Piece to name two, but these "new" versions (now over 20 years old) shine. Its lovely to hear these old songs with new arrangements, and a poignant reminder of what we are missing in Bowies absence. It's not quite a lost classic, but its very satisfying.
Mr. Jim
January 20, 2022
What happened to the song “uncle floyd”? Was looking forward to it! Great set for sure but would have been way better with the missing song.
Mark Kirk
January 20, 2022
When I first got into David Bowie, as a fourteen year old in 1974 - a bit late I know, but here in Canada we were a little behind the curve - I picked up the London Records compilation 'Images 1966-1967' and it became an instant favourite. 'Karma Man', 'In the Heat of the Morning', 'The London Boys', 'Silly Boy Blue'... hell, I even loved 'The Laughing Gnome' - and still do! Yes, I was one of the many who got hold of a bootlleg of 'Toy' way back in the early 2000's, and wished and hoped that one day the Real Thing would arrive. Well, Toy : Box has gone way beyond my hopes and wishes. Way beyond anything I could have expected... 'Unplugged & Somewhat Slightly Electric' might just be my favourite Bowie album of all time. THIS is worth the price of the set, not to mention making it worth buying 'Toy' twice over the last few months. Out-f*cking-standing!!
Craig
January 20, 2022
The music is fantastic. My only slight issue was that the CD box looked bigger in the advertisement than it was in reality.
Dick Mac
January 20, 2022
The first CD is wonderful. I had most of those cuts from the leak Bowie master-minded in the early-2000s. The second CD is quite good, too, and I'm glad I have it. The third CD is a bit marginal for me, and only one of the cuts will be in rotation. I'm very happy it was released, thrilled to have it, and look forward to years of listening pleasure.
Linda
January 20, 2022
David Bowie TOY:BOX [3CD Box] - I purchased the box set for my sister as a birthday gift; she is a huge Bowie fan. She loves it. Even though I think she has everything Bowie ever recorded she 's really enjoying this unreleased or remixed music.
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