Toy World is the second album released by Cardiacs

Cardiacs

Cardiacs are an English alternative rock/psychedelic pop band formed in 1977 and led by Tim Smith. Noted for their complex, varied and intense compositional style and for their eccentric, theatrical stage shows, they have been hailed as an influence by bands as diverse as Blur, Faith No More and...

 (including The Obvious Identity

The Obvious Identity

The Obvious Identity is the debut album by English rock group Cardiacs . It was released solely on cassette and was only sold at concerts. The album title came from a name which the band used for a short time prior to taking on the "Cardiac Arrest" name...

, released on cassette the previous year under the band name "Cardiac Arrest"). The cassette is a mixture of older songs by the earlier Cardiac Arrest lineup and newer songs by the then-current Cardiacs

Cardiacs

Cardiacs are an English alternative rock/psychedelic pop band formed in 1977 and led by Tim Smith. Noted for their complex, varied and intense compositional style and for their eccentric, theatrical stage shows, they have been hailed as an influence by bands as diverse as Blur, Faith No More and...

 lineup. This was the last album to feature keyboard player/backing singer Colvin Mayers, and the first to feature saxophonist/backing singer/occasional keyboard player Sarah Cutts (who on all future releases would be referred to as Sarah Smith).

As with The Obvious Identity

The Obvious Identity

The Obvious Identity is the debut album by English rock group Cardiacs . It was released solely on cassette and was only sold at concerts. The album title came from a name which the band used for a short time prior to taking on the "Cardiac Arrest" name...

, recording was carried out at Crow Studios in Kingston-upon-Thames, Surrey, UK. The tracks were recorded under very low budget circumstances - one member later recalled "Every time the door bell went or the phone rang, it would put a massive crackle on the tapes," - and the final sound quality was quite flat.

Toy World was only made available on cassette, sold at concerts and from the fan club. The cassette features the earliest versions of the songs "Is This The Life?

Is This the Life?

"Is This the Life" is the third single from Cardiacs and their best known. It is from the album, A Little Man and a House and the Whole World Window....

" and "Nurses Whispering Verses", better known in their re-recorded forms on later albums.

Reissues and alternate versions of album tracks

Toy World has never been reissued, and is consequently one of the rarest Cardiacs

Cardiacs

Cardiacs are an English alternative rock/psychedelic pop band formed in 1977 and led by Tim Smith. Noted for their complex, varied and intense compositional style and for their eccentric, theatrical stage shows, they have been hailed as an influence by bands as diverse as Blur, Faith No More and...

 releases. However, many of the pieces from it have either been reissued on other Cardiacs releases or have had live versions appearing on other albums.

• "Over (outtake)", "Over + Over + Over + Over", "A BIG NOISE In A Toy World", "Verses" and "A Time For Rejoicing" have never been reissued in any form. The last three of these tracks will never be re-released as the master tape on which they were recorded is no longer available.
• "Nurses Whispering Verses" was re-recorded for the 1984 album The Seaside
  The Seaside (Cardiacs album)
  The Seaside is the third album from English rock group Cardiacs. The album originally featured the second recording of what would become the band's only hit single, "Is This the Life?". It is the last of the band's releases to feature keyboard player/drummer/singer Mark Cawthra and the first to...
  
  (but left off the 1995 CD reissue). A third version was recorded for the 1995 album Sing to God
  Sing to God
  Sing to God is the seventh album by Cardiacs and their first with drummer Bob Leith.Sing to God was also the band's first double album, due to the sheer amount of material that group leader Tim Smith had written over a number of years with little or no Cardiacs live performances...
  
  .
• "Verses" is actually a section of "Nurses Whispering Verses" played backwards. It has never been reissued.
• "Is This The Life?" was re-recorded for the 1984 album The Seaside
  The Seaside (Cardiacs album)
  The Seaside is the third album from English rock group Cardiacs. The album originally featured the second recording of what would become the band's only hit single, "Is This the Life?". It is the last of the band's releases to feature keyboard player/drummer/singer Mark Cawthra and the first to...
  
  (but left off the 1995 CD reissue). A third version was recorded for the 1988 album A Little Man and a House and the Whole World Window
  A Little Man and a House and the Whole World Window
  A Little Man and a House and the Whole World Window is the fourth studio album by the English rock band Cardiacs, released in 1988. Arguably the band's best known album, it contains their only hit single, "Is This the Life?"...
  
  .
• "Aukamakic", "Icky Qualms", "SCRATCHING CRAWLING SCRAWLING" and "AS COLD AS CAN BE IN AN ENGLISH SEA" were all included on the 1989 Archive Cardiacs
  Archive Cardiacs
  Archive Cardiacs is a compilation of tracks from Cardiac Arrest's The Obvious Identity and Cardiacs' Toy World, plus some demo tracks created by Tim Smith and Dominic Luckman, for a side project, that never made it to release until this compilation came out....
  
  compilation.
• "TRADEMARK" (under the variant title of "My Trademark") was also included on the 1989 Archive Cardiacs
  Archive Cardiacs
  Archive Cardiacs is a compilation of tracks from Cardiac Arrest's The Obvious Identity and Cardiacs' Toy World, plus some demo tracks created by Tim Smith and Dominic Luckman, for a side project, that never made it to release until this compilation came out....
  
  compilation.
• Live versions of "Aukamacic", "My Trademark", "SCRATCHING CRAWLING SCRAWLING" and "AS COLD AS CAN BE IN AN ENGLISH SEA" appeared on the 2005 live album The Special Garage Concerts Vol I
  The Special Garage Concerts Vol I
  This is a live album recorded at the three day Garage concerts in London and released exclusively on CD.Cardiacs only played songs that predated 1984, some of which hadn't been heard for many years...
  
  .
• Live versions of "Icky Qualms" and "Dead Mouse" appeared on the 2005 live album The Special Garage Concerts Vol II
  The Special Garage Concerts Vol II
  -Description:This is a live album recorded at the three day Garage concerts in London and released exclusively on to CD.Cardiacs only played songs that predated 1984, some which had never been heard for many years. The tracks, An Ant, Hello Mr...
  
  .

Side one

1. "Aukamacic"
2. "Over (outtake)" (not credited on sleeve)
3. "Icky Qualms"
4. "Over + Over + Over + Over"
5. "Dead Mouse"
6. "A BIG NOISE In A Toy World"
7. "TRADEMARK"

Side two

1. "SCRATCHING CRAWLING SCRAWLING"
2. "AS COLD AS CAN BE IN AN ENGLISH SEA"
3. "Verses" (not credited on sleeve)
4. "Is This The Life?"
5. "Nurses Whispering Verses"
6. "A Time For Rejoicing"

Personnel

• Tim Smith - guitar, synthesizer and vocals
• Jim Smith - bass guitar
• Colvin Mayers - synthesizer and vocals
• Sarah Cutts - keyboards and alto sax
• Mark Cawthra
  Mark Cawthra
  Mark Cawthra is a musician and music producer working in the UK. He was born in Bishop Stortford, Hertfordshire.-Biography:...
  
  - drums