Various - Climb Aboard My Roundabout! The British Toytown Sound 1967-1974 (3CD)

 

I first got into Toytown via the A Trip To Toytown compilation that Mick Capewell co-authored and it opened a whole new world to me, It also introduced a lot of great fans into my life such as Mark Kirk and the wondrous world of Marmalade Skies.

I'm still in touch with Mick who continues to fly the flag wonderfully for all things of this era. His radio shows are outstanding. It is noted that Cherry Red label this as the first legitimate compilation as those who know, know, about those aforementioned times.

I haven't listened to much of what was around for a long time, largely with IDHAS being about the new. But I am a big champion of Psych Pop by the newer artists and constantly reference Toytown comparisons in such reviews leading to many questions about what is Toytown.

Toytown is a mixture of all things around Great Pop, mixing Baroque with weird hypnotic arrangements and inventing villages with oddball characters. Fairy Tales and Whimsy abounded in incredibly melodic, hypnotic even, songs. 

You have to listen to catch the drift properly, but if one song is an indication of what the genre is about, it is The Idle Race's The Skeleton And The Roundabout, a line from the song is the title of this compilation and it is hard to imagine Jeff Lynne being as inventive as this. Last Train To London it is not.

But I am sure that many ELO fans went back to see what The Idle Race were about, as well as The Move and those people should love this. Ditto XTC;s The Dukes Of Stratosphear's adventures which mirror a lot of what was happening in Toytown.

It is obvious that Mark Wirtz is present here on three occasions as well as the likes of The Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band, The Syn, Alan Bown and Keith West. Bigger names such as The Kinks and David Bowie also appear.

But the real joy of Toytown is the smaller unknown one off bands. That is were the true discoveries are made. I don't profess to have a detailed knowledge of the scene, others are around who can direct you down wonderful holes.

Lots of this will have been heard by keen followers, but it is nice to maybe have better sources and original masters. I'm not a compilation sort of person, as I've mentioned before, largely due to time. But Cherry Red do a wonderful job in bringing delights to a new audience via the 3 disc sets.

This set isn't released until 28 October, but you can pre-order it now. I would suggest that you get in early because these releases do go out of print really quickly and they are an education. You will be surprised at how enchanted it makes you feel and how hooked you get. 

You can pre-order the album here.

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