Comments for Toyah, Mayhem

*** & what a brilliant version!!!

I have been trying to obtain a copy of Mayhem for about 8 years now. HMV tells me it has been deleted and yet here it says available on cassette. Is it available on cassette ?

Yes, Mayhem is (was) available on cassette.

I FINALLY found a copy of "Mayhem". Though it's only the tape I at least have the bonus tracks. This is a great collection of unreleased songs. Why some of these never made it onto the original albums I'll never understand. The album opens with the energetic punch of "Clapham junction" and then goes into the wonderful melodic hook of "Change of scenery". The albums stand out track is "The merchant and the nubile". This is obviously an early version of "War boys" but, in my opinion, a lot better and I love "War boys". The lyrics of this version splintered of into several other songs. Lyrics from "Marionette", "Alien", "Jungles of Jupiter", and, of coarse, "War boys" can be heard in this song. Of the bonus tracks "Three sided face" is best. That song and "Guilty" have a rough sound to the vocal track, like Toyah sang into a can. Perhaps these 2 songs were demos. The albums only real dud is the dreaded "Gaoler" which sounds like some 70's, Led Zep, classic rock nonsense. Most of these songs seem to date from the first 2 albums, at least that is what I'm assuming by the writing credits. A must for fans. Scott Davies, Nov. 7 1997

One of those missing albums. Very much would like to get one!

The song "Guilty" is also available on the cassette version of this album.

I now have this on vinyl (Thanks Ant.) and I must let everyone, that has the cassette only, know that the vinyl sounds 100% better than the tape. The cassettes poor quality gives the impression that these songs were poor production but that is not the case. This makes the great songs infinitely better. WHERE'S A CD RE-ISSUE ALREDY!!! Scott Davies 3/30/98

I have loads of toyah stuff fo sale..including mayhem on vinyl !!!!!! for a list mail me. thanks dave

Collectors should really look out for the cassette version of this album (although its sound quality is rather poor). But Guilty and Island Race are great tracks that should have been included on the albums, just like Clapham Junction and Paradise Child. I wonder why these songs have been transferred to the archives when they were made. When I visited Safari records in 1989 they told me they had always loved Clapham junction and Island Race, but couldn't tell why these tracks weren't properly released. Does anyone know if Cotton Vest is kind of a demo version of Walkie-Talkie?

A motley collection of largely unpolished out-takes and demos. There are a few gems amongst these, namely 'Paradise Child' and 'Change Of Scenary'. The extra tracks on cassette are well worth having too. Sounds like Keith Hale had a part to play on these demos?. Some of the tracks are a bit too raw for my (maturing) ears!

I dug this album out the other week as I have not heard it in the last four years! It still sounds great. When it first came out I was a bit unsure about it as Toyah herself was not aware of its release until she saw it in the shops! However I like all the tracks on it and especially Cotton Vest!

I searched for this album for years! I finally found it in a second-hand market stall, just down the road from where I live. Does anybody know where I can get lyrics to the songs? Also, I'm finding it hard to figure out which era the various songs are from.....can anybody help?

I BEG for this album. This compilation, to me, is the sound of toyah I love best. I adore change of scenery and paradise child. This should definately re-released on CD. A must for any die-hard fans.

Most of the songs on Mayhem credited to Bogen & Bush were original demos submitted to Safari in ''78 whilst the Hale ones were presumably the missing songs he wrote for Toyah at the same time as ''Mystery''

* on cassette only** predecessor to `War Boys` (possibly)*** yes it is the Greg Lake song!Album compiled from out-takes and rarities. Recordingquality reasonable, some excellent songs.