MABEL GREER’S TOYSHOP – New Way Of Life (2015)

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British progressive rock group MABEL GREER’S TOYSHOP, which sprouted the first shoots of YES, have reunited after many years and announced a new album entitled “New Way Of Life“, which will is being released today, 9th March through InsideOut Music.

Mabel Greer’s Toyshop started out in Sixties as the precursor to the legendary progressive rock band YES. Basically MGT evolved into Yes when founders Clive Bayley and Bob Hagger left.
Now many years later, both decided to hit the recording studio to see if there was any magic left. Mabel Greer’s Toyshop never released an album back in the day so their debut album comes decades after the band’s formation.
In an intriguing twist, the rebuilt Mabel Greer’s Toyshop now includes — just as it did in 1967 — two members associated with YES. Only, it’s not the same two members.
Back then, the band featured Chris Squire and the late Peter Banks, both of whom would later serve as co-founders of YES.

Today, Bayley & Hagger are joined by Billy Sherwood and Tony Kaye, the latter of whom actually joined future YES frontman Jon Anderson in a very late edition of Mabel Greer’s Toyshop in ’68.
Together, they’re helping to realize a dream long deferred for Bayley, Mabel Greer’s Toyshop’s composer, vocalist and guitarist, and long-time bandmate drummer Bob Hagger.
Co-produced by Billy Sherwood who also plays keyboards alongside Tony Kaye and bass alongside Hugo Barré, the sound of “New Way Of Life” is distinctively progressive, but not dated at all.
Sherwood say: “On hearing that Mabel Greer’s Toyshop wanted to get back together after so long, I was sceptical about how it would all sound – to my surprise it was actually very cool. Not only will this new album appeal to the die-hard YES fans, but also to a whole new breed of followers. It’s such an exciting project to be involved in”.

The style is rooted firmly in classy prog era and even features two old Mabel Greer’s Toyshop songs that wound up on the debut self-titled album by YES, “Beyond and Before” and “Sweetness”. Both tracks were co-written by Clive Bayley, so they certainly deserve to be ‘covered’ by Mabel Greer’s Toyshop. Perhaps neither sound better than the YES versions, but both work extremely well regardless.
Other tracks like “Jeanetta”, “Get Yourself Together”, “Images of You & Me” and “Electric Funeral” are from the early years of the band as well.
But this record is not just a trip down memory lane for MGT. The band also wrote (primarily by Bayley) all new material which stand up very well next two the aforementioned Yessongs and classy prog in general.

The lead single “Electric Funeral” (not the Black Sabbath song) opens the CD and pretty much exemplifies the band’s sound. It’s a composition with a traditional progressive structure, bucolic harmonies and cumulus guitar. Of particular note is Kaye’s muscular organ work. He was, of course, Yes’ original keyboardist, and returned for another stint in the 1980s and ’90s. That’s how he crossed paths with Sherwood, a 1990s-era product who subsequently launched Circa with Kaye.
“Get Yourself Together” and the newly composed title track continues in fine fashion with solid melody, tight playing and a touch psych. The band even gets more adventurous on tracks like “Oceans” which feels freely improvised and proves the band is more freeform than YES normally was.

“New Way Of Life” is a very nice record bound to please any fan of classic progressive rock, while it’s a mandatory investigation by all YES aficionados to hear how the band was at their proto-stage.
It’s a piece of history brought to life by the technology of today (very well produced by Sherwood), however, the album sounds fresh demonstrating the evolution of the group from when it was formed in the Sixties to how life experiences have since shaped their music.
It isn’t YES but Mabel Greer’s Toyshop has more fire in their belly than YES does nowadays, given how lazy their last record was.
Recommended.

01 – Electric Funeral
02 – Get Yourself Together
03 – New Way Of Life
04 – Beyond And Before
05 – Sweetness
06 – Images Of You And Me
07 – My Only Light
08 – King & Country
09 – Oceans
10 – Singing To Your Heart
11 – Jeanetta

Clive Bayley – vocals, guitar
Robert Hagger – drums
Billy Sherwood (ex-Yes) – keyboards, bass, vocals
Tony Kaye (ex-Yes) – keyboards
Hugo Barré – bass, keyboards
Annouchka Bayley – backing vocals

BUY IT !
www.amazon.co.uk/New-Life-Mabel-Greers-Toyshop
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