Toyah - Brave New World (Safari)

What can I say? She seems such a nice girl when she's on the box or talking in these pages. You can't help but admire her energy and utter professionalism. But as soon as she sings I get this awful feeling that she's somehow, er, exaggerating. All her songs have to be about some grand matter and sung with talent competition gusto. Knock 'em in the aisles, sock 'em in the back row of the balcony, grab 'em and shake 'em. My first instinct is to duck. That said, this is relatively restrained and should get on fewer nerves than the likes of "It's A Mystery". (David Hepworth, Smash Hits, May 27, 1982)

Toyah - The Vow (Safari)

Half of this song is actually pretty as Toyah proves that she can really sing on this folksy little ballad. But you just know it's going to build up into a great big epic, and as it does so all pretensions of being nice or even good disappear. Oh Toyah, promises, promises. (Paul Bursche, No 1, November 19, 1983)

Toyah - Soul Passing Through Soul (Portrait)

Q: What do you get when you cross Toyah in her Bowie mood (circa "Heroes") and Sheena Easton's old producer? A: Two things. One is difficulty stifl­ing those yawns, and secondly, something you wouldn't want to tread in while walking across a cow field.(Mike Gardner, Record Mirror, June 22, 1985)

I'm sorry to say it but in the whole history of popular music I can think of no-one who I've liked less than Toyah (except, possibly, The Art Company with their summer hit, "Susanna" last year - but at least they had the decency to fade into obscurity). So I'm not the best person to ask for an objective opinion on her new single, which is a bit similar to David Bowie's "Heroes". For the record though, I don't like it. (Chris Heath, Smash Hits, June 19, 1985)

Toyah - World In Action (Portrait)

Whereas "Don't Fall In Love (I Said)" tootled along all chorus and no song, Toyah's produced a more structured effort for her follow up single. "World In Action" has all the Wilcox hallmarks we've grown to know and use the sick bag for: references to world destruction, chantable chorus, sung like a little girl, etc, etc. Making its debut is the synthesizer from China Crisis' "King In A Catholic Style". That's not to say it's original. No need for a signature. (Frank Hopkinson, No 1, September 14, 1985)

I've never been able to take Toyah seriously since she wrote the classic line 'crawling down the alleyway being very loud', and "World In Action" is another of her 'I'm on the side of ver kids on ver street' type songs, this time about nuclear war. The sentiments are admirable, the song is terrible. (Steve Bush, Smash Hits, September 11, 1985)

Toyah continues her dalliance with the nuclear age with the most pertinent of questions. 'Where will you go when the sirens blow?' Fourth form poetry from one who should know better by now. Toyah, your siren's blown. (Andy Strickland, Record Mirror, September 7, 1985)