18 Songs written by Kevin Ayers

The Confessions of Dr. Dream and Other Stories is the fifth studio album by Kevin Ayers. Ayers moved to Island Records for this release which employed a vast array of session musicians. The album also marked the arrival of Patto guitarist Ollie Halsall, who would become a constant musical partner for Ayers. Other notable musicians are ex-King Crimson drummer Michael Giles, and Steve Nye and Simon Jeffes of the Penguin Cafe Orchestra. The album was critically acclaimed on release with the NME's Nick Kent describing it as "Ayers' most formidable recorded work to date". The album features many of Ayers' most accessible songs and arrangements.

"Animals" was a Kevin Ayers Spanish single release. It was issued on the Columbia imprint of EMI, shortly after his 1980 album, That's What You Get Babe. In 1978 Ayers had relocated to Deià, Spain where he found the more relaxed audiences suited his somewhat delicate sensibilities. 'Animals' uses a Noah's Ark metaphor to take an aggressive swing at the oncoming 1980s consumerism, "Ain't you just like the animals / You do as you're told."

"Bonita Applebum" is the second single from A Tribe Called Quest's debut album People's Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm. The song contains samples of "Daylight" by RAMP, "Memory Band" by Rotary Connection, and "Fool Yourself" by Little Feat.

"Butterfly Dance" was the second Kevin Ayers single. It was an exclusive release that did not appear on the contemporaneous album Shooting at the Moon. The flip side was a French-language version of the Ayers’ classic ‘May I?’.

"Caribbean Moon" was a Kevin Ayers single, released shortly before his third LP Bananamour. Neither song was featured on the LP but both regularly appeared in his live set at the time. A humorous promotional video was shot for the single; stills from which are featured on the cover.

The Confessions of Dr. Dream and Other Stories is the fifth studio album by Kevin Ayers. Ayers moved to Island Records for this release which employed a vast array of session musicians. The album also marked the arrival of Patto guitarist Ollie Halsall, who would become a constant musical partner for Ayers. Other notable musicians are ex-King Crimson drummer Michael Giles, and Steve Nye and Simon Jeffes of the Penguin Cafe Orchestra. The album was critically acclaimed on release with the NME's Nick Kent describing it as "Ayers' most formidable recorded work to date". The album features many of Ayers' most accessible songs and arrangements.

Joy of a Toy is the debut solo album of Kevin Ayers, a founding member of Soft Machine. Its whimsical and singular vision provides hints of how Soft Machine might have progressed had Ayers remained in the band. He is accompanied on the LP by pianist and arranger David Bedford as well as his erstwhile Soft Machine colleagues Robert Wyatt and Mike Ratledge, and his eventual replacement Hugh Hopper, who had previously worked with him in the semi-pro band Wilde Flowers. Among the session musicians are cellist and arranger Paul Buckmaster, jazz bassist Jeff Clyne, oboist Paul Minns and drummer Rob Tait.

"Joy of a Toy" was the first USA single by the psychedelic rock band Soft Machine. It was released in 1968 to promote the group's debut album The Soft Machine. The single features edited versions of both songs, in addition to featuring the only known mono-mixes from their debut. Kevin Ayers would employ the song's title for his debut solo album, Joy of a Toy, a year later, even though it does not feature. According to Rob Chapman, the title of the A-side was taken from the name of an otherwise unrelated composition by Ornette Coleman.

"Love Makes Sweet Music" was the first single released by the psychedelic rock group Soft Machine. It is one of the first British psychedelic releases, predating Pink Floyd's "Arnold Layne" by a month. The A-side is more pop-orientated, featuring Robert Wyatt on lead vocals. The other side, ‘Feelin’ Reelin Squeelin’ is a disturbing tour de force with Kevin Ayers handling the lead vocal for the verses, while Robert Wyatt sings the chorus; there is an elliptical series of strange noises and flute in the solo.

"Money Money Money" was a Kevin Ayers single issued to promote his 1980 album, That's What You Get Babe. By this time fiscal realities were obviously shadowing the naiveté of his psychedelic youth as he ruefully notes; “You get moonlight in the evening / Sunshine by day / That's all you get for nothing / You want more?” The B-side is his 1971 single ‘Stranger in Blue Suede Shoes’.

"Mr Cool" was Kevin Ayers' USA promotional single issued to publicize his album, Yes We Have No Mañanas . It featured a mono mix of the song on one side coupled with a stereo mix on the flip side.

"Oh! Wot a Dream" was a Kevin Ayers single taken from his fourth solo album Bananamour. Ayers has stated in interviews that 'Oh! Wot A Dream' was about his friend and colleague Syd Barrett – "You are the most extraordinary person / You write the most peculiar kind of tunes / I met you floating as I was boating / One Afternoon". 'Connie On A Rubber Band' was a non album track that would later be included on 1976 compilation Odd Ditties.

"Singing a Song in the Morning" was the first solo single released by Kevin Ayers, one of the founding members of the band Soft Machine. It was issued three months after Ayers' debut solo LP Joy of a Toy, and the artist was credited on the record label as Kevin Ayers and the Whole World. Although the song was not included on the original Joy of a Toy album, the single's b-side, "Eleanor's Cake ", was on the album.

"Star" was the second Kevin Ayers single issued to promote his 1976 album, Yes We Have No Mañanas . Both songs were featured on the LP. Ayers would not release another single in the UK for three years.

As Close As You Think is the twelfth studio album by Kevin Ayers, released on Illuminated Records in 1986. It was his first studio album in three years, as his previous studio album Deia...Vu, was recorded in 1980 but not released until 1984.

Deià...Vu is the eleventh studio album by Kevin Ayers, recorded in December 1980 and released in Spain after a remix in August 1984. It was recorded at Estudios Maller, Palma de Mallorca, with his local backing band led by Joan Bibiloni, and includes his musical partner Ollie Halsall. The title refers to the Spanish village Deià, Majorca.

"Stranger in Blue Suede Shoes" was a Kevin Ayers single release. The song taken from his classic 1971 album Whatevershebringswesing. It would be re-released as a single in 1976 when Ayers re-signed to Harvest Records. The B-side, 'Stars' was a non album track that would be later included on the 1976 compilation Odd Ditties.

"Who’s Still Crazy" is a Kevin Ayers Spanish single release taken from his 1983 album, Diamond Jack and the Queen of Pain. It is backed with his autobiographical ‘Champagne and Valium’, also lifted from the same LP.