Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating 9/10
From humble beginnings of a young girl from Kings Heath in Birmingham, the rebellious nature shone through early with acts that thrill the heart such as setting off a multitude of clocks from underneath the stage of her school that disrupted a speech from the then Education Secretary Margaret Thatcher, and which led rightly to her being hailed within a few short years as the Queen of the British Punk movement.
It is in that reassurance of Time shaping our future without our realising that those who hear the ticking of the clock act with a kind of urgency that commands attention, that regards even a minute wasted as a tolling bell ringing out the laments of lost opportunities and creative despair; a kind of passing of the moment that would never resurface.
The be the best in the world you have to take it on, the ticking of the clock that signals each beat of a life’s intended mission, the chameleon’s camouflage adapting, changing, altering with every circumstance and yearning, of breaking free…this is the heartfelt and honourable belief that comes from every pore of the Cherry Red release of Chameleon: The Very Best Of Toyah.
Toyah’s presence is one of consistency, whether in her early appearances as a bright and colourful artist, musician and actor alike, a resonance that appealed to teenagers following in her footsteps, or through her own music in her own right, the solo star unhindered by demand, aided by her unique talent, it always came down to being the woman to whom nothing was impossible, that she is a shining example of living every heart beat in every guise possible.
Chameleon is fundamental to this truth, to the moment, and across the three cds and in the one Blu-ray, the detailed look of her career comes shining through like a diamond, not only in the rough, but in which times shaped and moulded her.
What makes this particular box set of considered best compared to others that have been produced over the years is the dedication and sincerity that Cherry Red Records have put into the project, and despite perhaps the lack of a career defining live set, what is set before the listener is a kaleidoscope of magic, of performances that collided with the 70s, 80s and beyond in a way that made the world a brighter place, that gave many following in her footsteps hope.
From the pounding of I Want To Be Free and It’s A Mystery, Toyah has idealised and used Time to her advantage, and across tracks such as Be Proud Be Loud (Be Heard), Bird In Flight, Dance In The Hurricane, Roses In Chains, Worst In Me, and the rarities and covers such as David Bowie’s Fashion, Echo Beach by Martha and The Muffins and a rather sensuous version of Grace Jones’ Slave To The Rhythm, what has been is again colossal and beautiful.
Chameleon: The Very Best Of Toyah is pleasure upon desire, a gratification of music in its purest form. Incredible and delightful.
Ian D. Hall