Customer Reviews

Fantastic

5 star:		(136)
4 star:		(12)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

Well we have Toy-Box to follow in the footsteps of where Aquarium left off. FanTastic captures all the metaphors, nonsense lyrics, and great beats that once was Aqua. I kept playing this album 'til it became seriously messed up, and I couldn't even see the video or play the game anymore. The videos are for Tarzan & Jane and Best Friend. The game (Space Trap) is really obsessive. It's similar to the old Donkey Kong games where you rescued the princess at the top of the ladders. Hopefully Toy-Box keeps this music style in upcoming albums. This is a definite recommendation for the Europop fans. 1. Toy Box Pictures Presents - Talk about dramatic. Cool intro. You can see they're going all Apollo. 2. The Sailor-Song - Lovin' the background beats. Can't disagree with the lyrics. Excellent song. 3. Best Friend - #1. Without a doubt, this is Europop at its best. Completely pointless, nonsense lyrics and you'll be wondering why you're listening to it. Then you realize this song is just plain fun and I know you'll like it. 4. Tarzan & Jane - The video for this is what made me notice Toy-Box in the first place. Great song. 5. E.T. - This song scared me away from Toy-Box temporarily. Some person said it reminded them of Yankee Doodle. True, but also... Well I thought of Barney (the dinosaur) first and that is scary! Once I got over my fright, I heard this song in full and found it to be pretty good. 6. Teddybear - First slow song of Toy-Box's. I like it, mostly because of the lyrics. "Kiss me here and kiss me there (Oh yea)...." ;-) 7. Super-Duper Man - Cool start up music. The lyrics are nothing to get excited over. Then again.... Beware of the sexual metaphors. Great song. 8. I Believe In You - Not exactly slow. Not exactly fast. The background music in this song sounded familiar; don't know why. Great song. The lyrics are actually decent. 9. Earth, Wind, Water & Fire - Hello, Wiccas. Here's your song. No, wait a minute, Toy-Box forgot the element for Spirit. And it also has nothing to do with the supernatural. Beware those sexual metaphors again. This song is still cool. 10. What About - Similar to track 8. I really don't see the point in this song though. 11. Eenie, Meenie, Miney, Mo - Anila is just hyper in this song. Great chorus. Great song. 12. A Thing Called Love - Good song but I think it would sound better as a Remix. 13. Sayonara (Goodbye) - It can't end! Hurry up with the new album Toy-Box, and make sure it's like the first one.

This genre is the musical equivalent of caramel covered cotton candy: it'll rot your teeth, but man oh man is it ever yummy.
Let's be honest: it's silly, mindless, utterly formulaic and dripping with sugary lyrics. However, sometimes that's just what you are in the mood for, and I defy anyone not listen to this stuff without breaking out in the biggest feel good grin you ever had, all the while dancing around to the catchy hooks and happy melodies.

Toy Box is one of many "groups" to come out of the typical Euro dance mold, following in the footsteps of bands like Aqua, Daze, Hit 'n Hide, and the Vengaboys.
Yes, they all sound the same, leaving you to think that it's the same male/female duo performing all these songs under different monikers. This might be true, but you know what? who cares!
I love this stuff, it makes the morning commute while I am stuck in traffic so much easier to take when silly catchy songs like "Super Duper Man" are blasting through my sound system at inviscerating volumes. (Super Duper Man is, by far, my favorite)

If you like this group, then check out tracks by similar artists like:
1) Papaya: Sugarboy
2) Papaya: Pink Dinosaur
3) Tempo feat Manola: Everybody get up!
4) Hit 'n Hide: Space Invaders
5) Anything by the Vengaboys

This is the kind of stuff you want to hear when you are on vacation at an all inclusive resort in the tropics with a drink in one hand, and your cares are left at home where they belong.

Enjoy!

Yet another bubblegum group from Denmark: first Aqua, then Daze, and now Toy Box. They all share common elements: fun, catchy Euro music, high pitched female vocals, deep male vocals, and some of the most idiotic lyrics I've ever heard. As much fun as the music is, the lyrics are definitely NOT cerebral. In fact, they're downright embarrassing. This is not a CD you'll be blasting from the car while waiting at a red light. After a couple of listens, however, you'll have to admit that it's quite the guilty little pleasure that it's intended to be: fun and completely tongue-in-cheek. As novelty records go, I've definitely heard worse. To their credit, Toy Box know that this is not a serious album, and they don't attempt to make it seem otherwise. My favorite track on the album is by far "Best Friend": the music is blistering hot Euro (it's begging for an extended version!) and the lyrics are bearable -- with the exception of "it tickles in my tummy, he's so yummy yummy". Gag me! And check out "Super Duper Man", with lyrics like "can I touch your ding-a-ling?/you make Superman go super-schwing!". And the one that tops 'em all: in "E.T.", the chorus melody is actually that of "Yankee Doodle Dandy". As a bonus, the CD includes the videos to "Tarzan & Jane" and "Best Friend", as well as a Donkey Kong-style arcade game featuring the two Toy Box singers. Get a copy, turn the speakers off, put on the headset, and have fun.

Ok so call me silly, but I enjoy hearing the childish songs of Aqua and ToyBox alike. After Aqua died out I would sit and wonder when someone would be silly enough to continue the 'willy nilly' style music. I found the FanTastic CD after I heard Tarzan and Jane... I was happy as a clam. The music on this CD are great for those of you who enjoy the synth pop type music with lyrics that really dont make any sense at all. Talented ANila and Amir made a great CD and I recomend it to all who enjoyed Aqua.

Toy-Box's songs may not be the highest quality of music, but the songs are good music for making me happier... it's the kind of music that you cant resist smiling baout, even if the lyrics are nonsensical... that makes the music even more fun

Well what can I say except WOW, this cd is fun..fun..fun. I had not heard of Toy-Box until someone mentioned them in a review of aqua's cd. This is one of those cd's that stays with you, extremely catchy beats and tunes. Fun, campy, offbeat lyrics.I wish europop was more popular over here. As usual because of our wonderful american way of radio politics, it probably won't get the airplay here it deserves. BUT hey word of mouth like this certainly helps. I reccommend you purchase this cd immediately. As a bonus there are two full screen videos, plus a video game on the disc. They really went all out this disc. Oh amir is nice to look at also!! Five stars all around

Hi.
Hello.
Hey.
We're the three girls of Alice Bootay. Judy, Gaby, and Jane. And we just want to let the world know that there is STILL fun, purely danceable music out there. We hope to redefine the music world like it was before when music was just for entertainment. Now everyone's so SERIOUS about their music. Damn, people. You're not supposed to sit down when you're listening to music. Get up and shake yo' bootay's on the dancefloor. Fellow dance group Toy-Box here is contributing in a major way. Their music is just too fun to resist. Lyrics that would be considered XXX to PG in seconds, beats that are groovy, jammin, slammin, and melodic, and Anila and Amir's shining personalities gives their music a bubbly, tasteful flavor. Our favorite tracks are Best Friend; Eenie, Meenie, Miney, Mo; and What About.
It wouldn't be a bad idea to get our album too, "Who Needs Lingerie Anyway?"

Toy-Box is here to give me a fix. Hate those hatas they make me sick. Get up, come on, get your groove on, what makes you tick? Hey ya'll. How you doin out there? I'm here to tell you about a new group right here. They've been out for a while but they still haven't got much notice. So are you up to it? Go to your local music store and pick up FanTastic. Then you can chill all night to these jammin tracks. ::work it girlfriends::

Hi im Thomas and I must say I usually dont go for this kind of music ever ! I am a huge Death Metal fan Cannibal Corpse, Morbid Angel etc. For some wierd reason..... I loved this cd. It was funny had a kewl beat and it just sounds awsome to me. Im just going to say never judge a cd by its cover my sister made me and I really mean made me listen tot his hahha and I really liked it asent her intention to make me like it though hahaha. All I can say is I have a new 2nd favorite band (1st is Children of Bodom". I give this cd 5 stars !

First of all, I'll say that I happen to like catchy, cheesey "Europop" music, like this, Whigfield, E-Rotic and Sqeezer. And I'll reiterate what everyone else has been saying - Yes, they sound exactly like Aqua. But then again, Backstreet Boys, N'Sync, 98 degrees, Five and virtually every Rap artist out there sound pretty much interchangeable as well. And if something works, why not imitate it?

Now, there's an interesting passage on ToyBox's CD, which reads "Unauthorized Copying, Hiring, Lending, Public Performance and Broadcasting Prohibited." In other words, they seem to be rather concerned with protecting their material so that other people won't use it for their purposes. I carefully read through the liner notes, and, maybe I missed it, but I didn't see Toybox giving thanks to Steven Spielberg, Amblin Entertainment, Universal Studios, Paramount Pictures, Gene Roddenbery, Warner Brothers, "Crocodile Dundee", James Cameron, "Titanic", 20th Century Fox, George Clinton, DC Comics or Edgar Rice Burroughs who created Tarzan.

And in the video for "Best Friend" (which is one of the nice bonuses which comes on the CD), aren't those Light Sabers Amir and Anila are using? Isn't that a blatant copyright enfringement against George Lucas?

I won't critize them for the usage of "Yankee Doodle Dandy" since the song is so old that it's public property.

Ironically, my favorite songs on this CD are the ones which appear to be completely original: "A Thing Called Love" and "Sayonara (Goodbye)." My least favorites are the token slow songs, which are bland and completely unnecessary. I think the only reason they're on there is to attempt to show that they've got substance; that they aren't just another dance act. But there isn't any hint of emotion or feeling in them at all.

Even though this review sounds mostly negative, I'm giving this album 4 stars because I love happy, "Europop" dance music, I like the concept of the album, and I like the extras that came with the CD (the video game, the screen saver, the videos) which was a great value for my money.

And chances are, if these guys put out another album (which they probably will as there is a huge market for their style over there in Europe), I'll probably get it. My only hope is that on future releases, they'll stick more with their own ideas and not rely so much on pop-culture references because it tends to make the material sound dated. Case in point - there's nothing more timely than "E.T.!"