Advantages: Nice cover, good price as far as CD's go, interesting inlay
Disadvantages: Not enuff songs,

...Toploader have busted onto the music scene with a vengeance recently and have become an over night success. Perhaps best known for 'Dancing in the moonlight' and associated with Jamie 'The Naked Chef' Oliver and the Sainsbury's corporation, Toploader are so much more. Having heard about this band on the grape vine I bought this album and I must say it is astonishing. Toploader are a very quality band and should not be pigeon-holed because of Sainsbury's and the look adopted by the lead singer. This album shows the music industry that Toploader are not only a very talented but also versatile band, with the different range of music you can find on this album. From the up-beat and well known 'Dancing in the moonlight', to the overly romantic and smoochy 'Achilles heal' and other such excellent numbers, Toploader have in 'Onka's Big Moka... Read review

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Advantages: Cheerful tunes
Disadvantages: None

...Released in May 2000, Toploader's first and only album, so far, is 'Onka's Big Moka'. This may be a weird and wondrous name for an album but the tracks on it are absolutely, original and brilliant. Every song is catchy without being too "poppy", has thought-provoking lyrics and are great for playing at full volume especially if you need to be uplifted. Every track is a good one and this album deserves all the praise it gets. Hits so far from this album are Dancing In The Moonlight (immortalised in the Jamie Oliver Sainsbury's adverts), Just Hold On and Only For A While (released as a single on 9th April 2001). This latest release is a quieter track than the previous two releases but is my personal favourite on the album. I think it is good song for summer (if summer ever arrives!). The first track on the album is Let The People... Read review

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Advantages: High quality music from one of the better bands in the music scene at the moment. Very talented people, Toploader are.
Disadvantages: You'll either love their style or hate it. And if you hate it, you're not gonna convert easily.

...You may know the band Toploader from their smash hit song "Dancing In The Moonlight" that continues to be played to death on local radio even today. There is nothing wrong with the song, and it features on the Toploader - Onka's Biog Moka album. This is a great album. It's from one of those groups with the stylew that you'll either like or hate the moment you first hear a song of theirs. The album isn't bad eiter. You get 12 songs for 48 mins, bit of a disappointment initially, but this is made up for by the quality of the songs. These are of high quality and well worth listening to. As an added bonus, you get the lyrics to the tunes published in the inlay card. The design of the various sides of the inlay are good, but it's clear that the text colour of the lyrics was chosen first and the backdrops chosen later. Sometimes... Read review

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Advantages: Very distinctive soulful music, good lyrics, lots of variety.
Disadvantages: Album cover/title.

...After constantly hearing "Dancing in the Moonlight" by Toploader, and the song just getting better and better everytime I heard it, I was stunned to find out "Only For A While" was Toploader's new single. Driving to work early one morning it came on my car radio and my first reaction was "Wow!". I love music like this at the best of times, but they do it /so well/. I couldn't quite place them at first - similar to Coldplay maybe, Jameroquai (forgive me for not being able to spell it).. lots of different music influences there. On being persuaded to buy the album from these two tracks alone, it was the best £10 I've spent in a long time. The "dance/pop" style music is all very similar, but in so many other ways it's very very different. Lots of different vocal techniques and riffs within the pieces. Lots of soul, jazz, blues... Read review

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Advantages: Uplifting and happy, the pics in the cover are nice and Achilles Heel is v good
Disadvantages: Too uplifiting and happy, it's on the verge of cheesy pop and as for Joe's hair - need I say anymore?

...As you may have worked out from that terrible pun of a title, I don't particulary like Toploader. I bought this, their first album, because the ad on the telly was quite good, I had a tenner to waste on CD-WOW, and the lead singer Joe Washbourn (who does enjoy to be the 'face' of Toploader and tends to edge the rest of the band out of any attention) looked like a mop, and I was intrigued as to how a simple piece of kitchen equipment could start a successful music career. However, upon purchase, I ultimately discovered that the band's main member wasn't the pride and joy of a small cleaning firm, and that I disliked Toploader. It's down to a number of reasons, mainly Joe's hair, but there are reasons. For a start, they don't know if they're a pop band or an Indie group. Many of their tracks are worryingly appealing to the Pokemon... Read review

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Advantages: SEE OP
Disadvantages: SEE OP

...Toploader have busted onto the music scene with a vengeance recently and have become an over night success. Perhaps best known for 'Dancing in the moonlight' and associated with Jamie 'The Naked Chef' Oliver and the Sainsbury's corporation, Toploader are so much more. Having heard about this band on the grape vine I bought this album and I must say it is astonishing. Toploader are a very quality band and should not be pigeon-holed because of Sainsbury's and the look adopted by the lead singer. This album shows the music industry that Toploader are not only a very talented but also versatile band, with the different range of music you can find on this album. From the up-beat and well known 'Dancing in the moonlight', to the overly romantic and smoochy 'Achilles heal' and other such excellent numbers, Toploader have in 'Onka's Big Moka... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful

Advantages: See Text
Disadvantages: See Text

...favourite track is “Dancing in the moonlight”, it really perks me up when I listen to it, especially travelling to work. I then spend the whole day singing it in the office much to the annoyance of my colleagues. The album in general is of a great quality and well worth buying. Although like most albums the first few songs are the best and the ending ones are a bit disappointing. If you to are a fan of Toploader they have a web site and I have had a nosy round this site and below is what you will find:- www.toploader.com Group Members:- ~~ Joe – Vocal & Keyboard – Date of Birth 24.12.75. ~~ Julian - Guitar – Date of Birth 31.3.71 ~~ Rob - Drums – Date of Birth 24.10.69 ~~ Matt – Bass – Date of birth 18.11.72 ~~ Dan – Guitar – Date of birth 5... Read review

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Advantages: A nice blend of different styles and original songs
Disadvantages: Nothing really

...The only reason I bought this album was out of sheer desperation for some different music...and it was choice between Toploader or a really bad hits of the 80s style box set in the BP station on the M5. So, I wisely went with Toploader. At first, I wasn't too sure about it. I just listened to Dancing in the Moonlight and Achilles Heel until I was tired of them and changed the CD on my way up to Brummieland. However, yesterday I got bored at work again and stuck the Toploader CD in and I realised that it is actually a very good album. The realisation came to me when I was listening to Floating Away (in a bath tub). I recognised or at least the music made me think of several different artists and bands that had either consciously or unconciously been mimicked by Toploader. At first I thought Beatles..then it went to Queen...then Annie... Read review

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Advantages: A truly enjoyable album
Disadvantages: Perhaps a little OTT

...England had beaten the West Indies, Dominic Cork had hit the winning four, and Channel Four had put together a set of clips to capture the mood of the ULTIMATE Test Match. Over the top came Toploader's Achilles Heal, and from that moment on, I was hooked. Toploader had arrived (in my eyes anyway!) And so, we move on to the album 'Onka's Big Moka'. Bought on the day of release, boy did I get stick for buying an album with that title? But in spite of the enormous grievance I underwent, it proved to be well worth it- an album of guitar led soft rock with plenty of singalong choruses. Opening with the spirited 'Let the people know', it quickly moves into territory people are more familiar with with the epic 'Achilles Heel', and the now anthemic 'Dancin' in the Moonlight'. A more melodic approach then follows, but at the same time... Read review

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Advantages: A great CD with brilliant songs
Disadvantages: More songs needed!

...TOPLOADER- ONKA’S BIG MOKA 1) LET THE PEOPLE KNOW- A fast track with a good beat. 2) DANCING IN THE MOONLIGHT- The song most associated with Toploader, which they sang at the Queen’s Jubilee concert. Brilliant feel good tune that instantly makes you happy. 3) ACHILLES HEEL- My favorite song. Great vocals and instrument arrangement. A powerful, emotional track with excellent lyrics. 4) BREATHE- A mid-paced track with excellent guitar playing. It does speed up quite quickly. Good lyrics. 5) DO YOU KNOW WHAT YOUR FUTURE WILL BE- A feel good track, with great instrument playing. 6) ONLY FOR WHILE- Beautiful lyrics among a gentle beat and strings. Brilliant vocals yet again 7) JUST HOLD ON- A great track with good pace, brilliant instruments, vocals and inspiring lyrics. 8) HIGHER STATE- A good rhythm and different... Read review

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