So what does it take to get me motivated to review a certain
group on “The Daily Vault”? Sometimes, all it takes is just asking
me to do so.
I’ve had albums from the pop-rock group Toto sitting in the
Pierce Archives (8-tracks? We don’t need no stinkin’ 8-tracks), but
as often as I’ve thought about reviewing some of them, I’ve just
never gotten around to them. Thanks to a suggestion by reader John
Marshall III, who reminded me that 1998 is the 20th anniversary of
Toto’s self-titled debut, I finally dug through the Archives and
found my copy of the record.
They were admired by their fans for their catchy riffs, and
reviled by critics for their super-polished sound. Taking some of
the better aspects of acts like Steely Dan, Kansas and Boz Scaggs,
Toto knew how to write tracks that caught the ear of the listener
and didn’t let go, but while their debut album features many like
this, it did show a few weak links in the chain.
Toto is best remembered for the hit “Hold The Line,” a song
that I still can remember hearing when it came out. The drumming of
Jeff Porcaro, the keyboard work of David Paich, screaming guitar
from Steve Lukather and smooth vocals from Bobby Kimball, Toto
earned their nomination for the Best New Artist Grammy award on the
power of this one song. (Even 20 years after it came out, “Hold The
Line” is still, for lack of a better term, a kick-ass track.)
What might surprise first-time listeners is that Kimball is not
the sole lead vocalist. Paich, keyboardist Steve Porcaro, and
Lukather all take their turns on the microphone. Lukather’s vocals
are often on the soft side, but are pleasing, while Paich does a
better job when he doesn’t try to accent his vocals (as he does on
“Manuela Run” – it’s rather annoying).
Toto also occasionally mimics the sound of groups they’ve
influenced (or been members of) to the point that you wish they’d
come up with a different sound. Sure, “Georgy Porgy” is a decent
track, but it’s so close to the sound of Steely Dan’s light jazz
that you might swear you’re listening to Steely Dan. (Members of
Toto have also been members of the often-revolving collective of
musicians that made up Steely Dan, so it’s not like they’re
stealing the sound blind.)
For all of this, one wonders why other songs off of
Toto didn’t become hits. Tracks like “Rockmaker” and “You
Are The Flower” are incredibly pleasing, while other songs like
“Girl Goodbye” and “Angela,” besides being a little
saccharine-sweet, are also decent efforts.
For such a collective of musicians, Toto do know how to put
together a solid pop song and make the groove capture the ear of
the listener, something hundreds of bands would kill to have the
power to do. The polish of the band doesn’t bother me, but
sometimes I found myself wishing they would choose a style – rock,
light jazz, ballads, instumentals – and stick with it.
Toto is still a very pleasing album to listen to, especially
because the greatest-hits compilation doesn’t tell the whole story
of this album. It’s occasionally trying to listen to, but more
often than not will leave you smiling.
