Toyah ; Jane Siberry

Does anybody here remember ...Toyah? The personal singer of the early 80's? I bought The Changeling  -album (used, 2 e) and almost thought she had some sort of 'progness' in her music, in the same way as Jane Siberry in the 80's (though Toyah didn't have as progressive compositions as Siberry). BTW, was Toyah Wilcox Robert Fripp's wife or something??

I already know some PA members dig Jane Siberry (one of my pop favourites, beats even Kate Bush). So, how well-known - or more likely: unknown - is she among prog fans?

I remember Toyah - "it's a mythtery".

Toyah made some interesting songs with definite progressive overtones,
although almost all her albums contain a high degree of filler. Her first,
"Sheep Farming In Barnet" (1980), has two very interesting tracks - "Neon
Womb", which fuses jazz and heavy rock, and "Danced", which crosses
space rock and glam(!).

Interestingly, versions of both of these songs were performed in the TV
series "Shoestring" - and these versions are very much proggier than the
studio takes. In fact, they're downright excellent, and it's a great shame
that they've never been released on disc.

Her second album, "The Blue Meaning" (1980) opens with a fantastic
eight-minute space rock piece called "Ieya", but much of the rest isn't so
interesting.

Prog fans may like her albums "Prostitute" (1988), which reminds me
slightly of GONG's Gilli Smyth, and "Ophelia's Shadow" (1991), cut with
various Robert Fripp cohorts.

Jane Siberry's most interesting albums are probably "The Speckless Sky"
(1985) and "The Walking" (1987), both of which contain strong
progressive elements.

I didn't know Toyah made that many albums! And seems to be even proggier than I thought.

Whether this discussion continues or not, I recommend to all Siberry's amazing album The Walking.  Pop couldn't get much more complex, intelligent, deep, sensitive, story-like,....    I just   that album. But also good are relaxed Bound by the Beauty (89), very emotional When I was a Boy (93) and jazzier Maria (96). I confess her latest doings I haven't been see(k)ing that much. She's done some folk stuff and some sound collache or something, etc. Perhaps a bit too many-sided artist in the end!

Matti wrote: I didn't know Toyah made that many albums! And seems to be even proggier than I thought.

Toyah was a very pleasant surprise when I first listened to most of her albums back in 1988. Indeed there are plenty of prog elements in her (and their, since TOYAH was the name of the band initially) music. 

Especially, Sheep Farming In Barnet (1979) and The Blue Meaning (1980) - both albums re-released as a 2CD in 2002 - and Desire (1987) - with title track co-written with husband Robert Fripp - and Ophelia's Shadow (1991) are highly recommended. Actually, most of Toyah's albums are worth checking out. Only two albums should be avoided: Minx (1985) and Dreamchild (1994) - re-released as Phoenix in 1997 - these are not bad but they are not very representative.

Matti wrote: Whether this discussion continues or not, I recommend to all Siberry's amazing album The Walking.  Pop couldn't get much more complex, intelligent, deep, sensitive, story-like,....    I just   that album. But also good are relaxed Bound by the Beauty (89), very emotional When I was a Boy (93) and jazzier Maria (96). I confess her latest doings I haven't been see(k)ing that much. She's done some folk stuff and some sound collache or something, etc. Perhaps a bit too many-sided artist in the end!

 I definitely agree with you Matti. Those albums are highly recommended!

 

Edited by Mategra