As the Soft Machine’s first bassist and original principal songwriter, Kevin Ayers was an overlooked force behind the group’s groundbreaking recordings in 1967 and 1968. Joy Of A Toy is his debut solo album, its whimsical and unique vision is a clear indication of how Soft Machine might have progressed under Ayers’ tenure. On the LP he is accompanied by his Soft Machine colleagues Robert Wyatt, Mike Ratledge and Hugh Hopper.After a Soft Machine tour of the USA with the Jimi Hendrix Experience, Ayers had decided to retire from the music business. Hendrix however, presented Ayers with an acoustic Gibson J-200 guitar on the promise that he continue his songwriting. Ayers repaired to a small London flat where he composed and arranged Joy Of A Toy features many of Ayers’ most enduring songs from “The Lady Rachel” to “Girl on a Swing”.It was on this album that Ayers developed his sonorous vocal delivery, an avant-garde song construction and an affection for bizarre instrumentation that would have a deep influence far into the 1970s and indeed the present day.180 gram audiophile vinyl Gatefold sleeveAlso available: Soft Machine – Third