JOY OF A TOY

"Joy of a Toy" is the debut full-length studio album by UK artist Kevin Ayers. The album was released through Harvest Records in November 1969. Ayers were the bassist and a founding member of UK psychedelic/progressive rock act Soft Machine, but he left Soft Machine after a long tour in the US supporting The Jimi Hendrix Experience. Worn and disillusioned by the the hardships of touring, he found peace on Ibiza (Spain) and slowly found the interest in composing again, which led to the recording of this album.

The album features quite a few guest performances by contemporary Canterbury scene artists like Hugh Hopper, Mike Ratledge, Robert Wyatt, and Richard Sinclair (among others), so naturally the musicianship is on a high level throughout the album.

The tracks are generally relatively simple psychedelic tinged pop/rock songs, featuring Ayers pleasant baritone voice and sedated delivery. Although I´m predominantly reminded of the most "normal" vers/chorus based Pink Floyd songs (and Sid Barret´s solo releases), the uplifting yet melancholic atmosphere of the Canterbury scene is heard too. There aren´t many jazz influences found here though, so Ayers didn´t bring that part of the Canterbury scene with him.

In addition to drums, guitar, bass, and vocals, the music also features organ/piano, flute, oboe, and cello, which provide the material with colours and texture. The album was produced by Ayers himself, and the sound production is well sounding, organic, and detailed, suiting the material well. Upon conclusion "Joy of a Toy" is a good quality phychedelic tinged pop/rock release and a 3 star (60%) rating is warranted.

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