Rahul Sharma (Editor)

Anthem (Toyah album)

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Released
  
22 May 1981

Anthem (1981)
  
The Changeling (1982)

Release date
  
22 May 1981

Label
  
Connoisseur Collection

Recorded
  
Marquee Studio

Artist
  
Toyah

Producer
  
Nick Tauber

Genres
  
Punk rock, New wave

Anthem (Toyah album) httpsuploadwikimediaorgwikipediaenthumba

Similar
  
Toyah albums, Punk rock albums

Anthem is a 1981 album by Toyah. It was the band's most successful album, reaching number 2 in the UK Album Chart and featuring the Top 10 singles "It's a Mystery" and "I Want to Be Free".

Contents

Original vinyl issues of the album came complete with a colour insert featuring photographs of the band wrapped in bandages, with various exposed body parts sprayed gold, and Egyptian themed drawings across the lyrics pages. A picture disc variation, featuring the albums front and back artwork and no sleeve, was also issued at the time.

Toyah marionette audio slide


Original LP

Side One

  1. "I Want to Be Free" (Willcox/Bogen)
  2. "Obsolete" (Willcox/Bogen/Glockler)
  3. "Pop Star" (Willcox/Lee/Glockler)
  4. "Elocution Lesson" (Willcox/Bogen)
  5. "Jungles of Jupiter" (Willcox/Bogen/Spalding)
  6. "I Am" (Willcox/Bogen)

Side Two

  1. "It's a Mystery" (Keith Hale)
  2. "Masai Boy" (Willcox/Lee/Willcox)
  3. "Marionette" (Willcox/Bogen)
  4. "Demolition Men" (Willcox/Lee)
  5. "We Are" (Willcox/Bogen)

Original CD bonus tracks

  1. "Revelations" (Bogen/Willcox)
  2. "War Boys" (Willcox)
  3. "Angels & Demons" (Willcox/Hale)
  4. "Thunder In The Mountains" (Willcox/Lee/Glockler)

1999 CD bonus tracks

  1. "Walkie Talkie" (Willcox/Bogen)
  2. "Alien" (Willcox/Bogen/Glockler)
  3. "Revelations" (Willcox/Bogen)
  4. "For You" (Willcox/Bogen)
  5. "War Boys" (Willcox)
  6. "Angels & Demons" (Willcox/Hale)
  7. "I Want To Be Free" (video) (Willcox/Bogen)

Toyah's comments on songs

  • Pop Star. "Of all the songs, 'Blue Meanings' and 'Pop Star' are the most exciting to sing because they are both stunning and haven't aged, so when I sing them today I experience them today. I really enjoy them and they make my hair stand on end. 'Pop Star' is hard to sing because I need complete silence to perform it and that isn't going to happen, but practice on stage will help my confidence with the timing... It is thrilling that a 30 year old song can hold me spellbound and I can be very proud of it." (2011)
  • It's A Mystery. "'It's A Mystery' was never a favourite of mine but it has given me 30 years in the business, on many levels, as a singer, actress and writer. If I'd just stuck with the indie sound I'd probably never have surfaced above cult popularity. Street cred always sounds nice but in practice it doesn't open the doors my name opens today, and has done for the past 30 years." (2011)
  • Personnel

  • Toyah Willcox - vocals
  • Joel Bogen - guitar
  • Nigel Glockler - drums
  • Phil Spalding - bass
  • Adrian Lee - keyboards
  • Production

  • Producer: Nick Tauber
  • Arrangements: Toyah Willcox
  • Engineer: Phil Harding
  • Songs

    1I Want to Be Free3:09
    2Obsolete2:37
    3Pop Star3:56

    References

    Anthem (Toyah album) Wikipedia