Search - Toy Dolls :: Far Out / Idle / Dig That / Singles 83-84 / Boxset

Stop that, stop that, it's too silly...

Michael Heminger | Pardeeville, WI | 11/13/2001

(4 out of 5 stars)

"When I first heard of the Toy Dolls back in the mid-80's, this stuff was IMPOSSIBLE to find. I'm happy to have this box set, which contains their singles collection, the first ("Dig That Groove, Baby") second ("A Far Out Disc") and third ("Idle Gossip") lp releases, which replace the old cassettes I taped from friends over 15 years ago. The Toy Dolls are extremely silly and fun - imagine Chuck Berry records being played at the wrong speed in a playground for hyperactive Brit-punks. Olga Toy Doll writes almost all the songs (except when they're doing a zany send-up of 'Wipe-out" or their hilarious version of "Blue Suede Shoes") and pens many themes about characters or places with very clever titles such as "If You're In A Pop Group You'll End Up Paying A Fortune Practicing At Peter Practice's Practice Palace" (which may answer why Amazon hasn't listed them). Although I'd argue that all 4 discs could be more efficient with space (less that 40 minutes per disc), they are authentic to the original releases with original cover art. This is as fun as it gets, and if you think you'd like traditional style rock and roll forced through a pub-punk filter and played by a band that sounds like it's only 10 inches high, give the Toy Dolls a whirl and try to sit still."