The Toy Box

Retro Spins: Box Of Frogs - Strange Land

When Yardbird alums, Chris Dreja, Paul Samwell-Smith, and Jim McCarty joined up with Medicine Head singer, John Fiddler, nobody expected anything major to come from. Let alone that their self-titled debut would fly up the charts in 1984 to land at number forty-five on the Billboard 200.

Plans for a tour followed, but didn't resonate with Samwell-Smith, Dreja, and McCarty, who hated the idea of hitting the open road. This would be to Fiddler's dismay and ultimately lead to frictions that would see him departing after contributing in part to their second studio album. In addition to Fiddler, Jeff Beck, who had appeared as a guest guitarist on their debut, opted to not take part in the second album. This too was purportedly driven by the trio's refusal to tour.

This led to a multitude of lead singers, and guitarists, which included Graham Parker, Ian Dury, Roger Chapman, Steve Hackett, and Jimmy Page, in addition to Fiddler (just to name a few), contributing to what would become 1986's Strange Land. The end result was described by critics as uneven, without much spark, but possibly still appealing to hear by mainstream rock fans.

Upon its release, the album only received modest reception, faltering on the Billboard 200 at one hundred seventy-seven. Without momentum or a stable lineup, the band formally disbanded in 1987.

Yes, this album sounds incredibly disjointed. Bouncing around from singer to singer makes it difficult to get into, and some songs, such as the thick British accent laden Average are painful to get through. Overall, it just feels like a bunch of albums that didn't have enough tracks, so they got mashed together into one.

With that said, there are a couple that are better than the rest, but still not what I would call amazing. Those include Get It While You Can (lead vocals by Parker), House On Fire, Trouble, and Hanging From The Wreckage (all three sung by Fiddler). Still, these are nothing I would actively seek out to hear again.

The vocals of Chapman were absolutely awful. His bouncy electric goat style grates on the nerves fast. Though he only sung on two of the tracks, this was more than enough for me, and I skipped on the second, ironically, the title track of the album.

It really is a shame to come off their debut, only to get this half-hearted follow-up. I'm honestly surprised Epic Records didn't just shelve this project and call it a day. At most, they could have simply coupled together the tracks from Fiddler, and released an EP. This way at least the end result would have been coherent.

The band grabbed a moment in time, but in the end showed what happens when members don't align in their goals and ultimately refuse to promote their own success. While Samwell-Smith, Dreja, and McCarty would return to the stage together to perform as a resurrected Yardbirds starting in 1990, Box Of Frogs would never perform together again.

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And now, 31 Days Of Halloween!

Puppet Master was a franchise I tried to get into back in the day and even owned the first four or five on VHS. Sadly, I just couldn't. Either I missed the premise completely, or the whole thing just didn't interest me. I did recently pick up a nine-film DVD set, so I'm ready to give them another go.

Retro Spins - Box Of Frogs - Box Of Frogs

Today I'm in new territory. I know nothing about the band Box Of Frogs, and prior to 2026, I didn't even know they existed. They hit my radar while searching a seller on ebay for hair band albums. The CD popped in one specific seller page I was perusing, but at the time, I skipped on it. However, it kept resonating in the back of my mind, and by April, I came back to it and made the purchase. Hopefully, this pans out.

While the CD is called Box Of Frogs, and showcases the album cover from the band's first of only two studio albums, it does actually contain both their 1984 self-titled debut, and 1986's Strange Land. This aspect, coupled with its relatively rareness on CD is what I think ultimately kept calling me back.

Box Of Frogs, the band, has roots that go all the way back to the sixties, featuring, and formed by Chris Dreja, Paul Samwell-Smith, and Jim McCarty of The Yardbirds. They'd be joined by John Fiddler of Medicine Head on vocals to round out the group. While their respective previous bands focused on psychedelic and blues rock, Frogs, on the other hand shifted to hard and arena rock, while also incorporating some blues.

This is very counter to my mindset and expectation, as when I see a band name such as theirs, and the cover, my brain immediately goes to "punk rock". Even when learning about the above, and typing this particular post out, I don't think my head is still quite ready for the reality of what's to come. But, rather than delay, let's just dive in and see what it's all about.

Thinks kick off sounding like ZZ Top, with Back Where I Started sounding very much like La Grange. This appears intentional, with sources noting that Yardbirds album, Jeff Beck, who stepped in on a few tracks for the Frogs, channeled the same inspiration. That being Boogie Chillen' from John Lee Hooker (1948).

Box Of Frogs manages to perfectly bridge the gap between sixties and eighties pop, keeping their signature British Invasion blues roots alive while filtering them through a glossy, synthesized 1980s sonic landscape. The experiment results in a unique, time-bending collision of eras, bringing the grit and legacy of London’s 1960s blues scene right into the MTV age.

I'm extremely surprised by this hidden gem. It's everything I would want from finding an unknown album. Fantastic music, great shuffle worthy tracks, enjoyable from start to finish, and excited to move on to the next from them. This is one to definitely check out.

As for me, I'm moving on to 1986's Strange Land, which is sadly their last album. All of this would be because of behind-the-scenes drama, which would ultimately see the guys disbanding in 1987. But we'll get to all of that tomorrow.

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And now, 31 Days Of Halloween!

Imagine you make a cult classic horror film in 1960, and then twenty-three years later you're called up to be in the made for television sequel. That's what happened to Anthony Perkins, and initially, he said no. Mainly because he didn't have any interest in being part of a cheesy TV sequel. However, things would come together in the end, and Perkins would not only return to the role of Norman Bates, but the film would have a theatrical release.

Bates would end up playing the role in four films, with the final installment being released in 1990. Sadly, he passed away in 1992 of pneumonia from complications due to the AIDS virus.

Retro Spins: The Fixx - Calm Animals

The Fixx had been experiencing a steady decline in sales and charts since 1984's Phantoms, and when their final album of the decade, Calm Animals (1989) was released, nothing changed. Well, actually, that's not true. With the poor performance of 1986's Walkabout and 1987's compilation, React, MCA dropped them from their label. They'd be picked up by RCA

When Calm Animals was released, critics were brutal towards it. It was stated that it had no songs worth mentioning, and that their sound had been flattened to pop-metal. Basically, they hated it.

Only two singles would make waves for the album. The first, Driven Out, would actually perform the best, taking the number one spot on the Mainstream Rock charts, eleven on the Modern Rock charts, and fifty-five on the Billboard Hot 100. Their second, Precious Stone would not fare so well, only charting on the Mainstream Rock charts, and stalling at twenty-three. As for the album itself, it would only chart in the USA and Canada at seventy-two, and thirty-six, respectively.

Personally, I like the straightforward rock aspect The Fixx take with Calm Animals. Further, I don't think it's all that far of a step away from their previous new wave style. I also can't fault the band for wanting to evolve with the changing landscape of the late 80's.

The hits are decent, but I think the absolute hidden gem is Subterranean. I don't know how that one flew under the radar in 1989.

Overall, it's not their best material they've put forth, but then again, they also haven't really produced anything I would call perfect. So, basically, what I got was as expected. Enjoyable, but nothing Earth shattering.

Ironically, after being kicked to the curb, MCA welcomed the band back for 1990's Ink under their Impact label in an attempt to rekindle their mainstream success. Unfortunately, this would fail, and their remaining years would be spent label hopping.

Bassist Dan K. Brown would take a hiatus from the band in 1994, and though he wouldn't be formally replaced, Chris Tait would fill in for him on tours, as well as recording sessions for the three studio albums released between 1998 and 2003. Brown would return in 2008, recording their final two albums to date, with 2022's Every Five Seconds being their latest, and possibly last.

These days, The Fixx focus on international touring, and occasional one off self-released singles, as opposed to full albums. As of this writing, they've been together forty-seven years, and with fifty on the horizon, one would think they wouldn't stop until at least reaching that milestone.

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And now, 31 Days Of Halloween!

You know, I don't think I'm actually a fan of Jamie Lee Curtis. I don't see her as all that amazing of an actress, and while Trading Places was a hysterical movie, it certainly wasn't her who led that charge. Basically, I could take her or leave her, and as I type that, I'd prefer the latter.

Unlike your standard franchise, Prom Night shifts around like an anthology, with not every sequel being relevant to a previous film, ultimately only being connected by the name of the series. It starts out as your typical slasher, but by part two shifts to the supernatural before returning to slasher status. It's kind of all over the place, but at the same time, pure B-movie cheesy greatness.

Retro Spins: The Fixx - Phantoms

Fun fact! The Fixx's music video for Are We Ourselves is cited as the first music video to feature a mobile phone in it. A modified Motorola KR999. Neat!

With 1984's Phantoms, the band began to decline in popularity, losing traction in both sales and chart placement. Their previous album would be the last to chart in the UK, and as for this new record, while it would land in the top twenty in the US and Canada, this would still be a considerable drop from its predecessor which broke the top ten. In further comparison to 1983's Reach The Beach, which reached platinum status in the US and Canada, Phantoms would only push enough units to reach gold.

Despite this, the album did churn out a couple of solid hits. This included Are We Ourselves, which landed on the Billboard Hot 100 at number fifteen, and carried over to the Top Rock Tracks where it smashed the number one spot. This was followed by Sunshine In The Shade, which peaked on the Hot 100 at sixty-nine, and also hit the Top Rock Tracks, reaching number thirty-seven. The third single, Less Cities, More Moving People would head over to Club Play Singles charts, where it stalled at sixty-eight.

In comparison to the previous album, Phantoms is definitely weaker. It has decent music, but its more direct synth pop sound dampers the once predominant vocals of Cy Curnin. Whereas his voice used to come across as haunting and deep, here he's just belting out lyrics.

That's not to say that the album doesn't have good songs. Sunshine In The Shade, and Our We Ourselves definitely stand out, and it's understandable why these were the hits. As for the rest of it though, it does kind of fall flat.

I'm not going to lie; this was a bit disappointing. Especially on the heels of Reach The Beach, which I considered perfect. It makes me wonder if I got caught up in the moment with that album, and it really wasn't as good as I initially thought. Sadly, I can definitely understand why the band saw a steady decline with this one. While listening to it, I actually found myself thinking, "Why is this still going?" It just felt long.

As 1984 turned into 1985, The Fixx contributed the track, A Letter To Both Sides for the Chevy Chase film, Fletch. They'd then return to the studio in November of that year to begin work on the material that would become 1986's Walkabout. I've already Retro Spun that album. So, tomorrow I'll actually be wrapping up the band with their final 80's entry, 1989's Calm Animals.

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And now, 31 Days Of Halloween!

When your dad tells you that he's going to watch a movie that you aren't allowed to see, the best thing for you not to do is sneak behind the couch and try to take in a viewing. I made this mistake with Poltergeist as a kid. The mirror scene absolutely horrified me, and that was enough for my young eyes. It wouldn't be until many years later that I would give it another go. Eh, it wasn't that scary.

Christmas Catalogs - Montgomery Ward 1977

Hey! You want to spend the next two years looking at the fantastic Christmas catalogs produced by Sears, JCPenny, and Montgomery Ward? Cause I do! Yeah, I said two years, cause that's a lot of catalogs! Join me on most Monday's each month as I post up one of those fabulous books starting with 1970, and ending with 1989.

Look through every page, feeling every bit of nostalgia. Chuckle at the look and style of the wardrobes those zanny past decade people wore. Gawk at the toys you used to have, but long since parted ways with. Bring back all those memories of hours spent laying on the floor, combing every inch as your young mind pined over everything you wanted. Reminisce over the Christmas that followed as you unwrapped those lucky few that you got.

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