Post Tagged with: "Hydra"

Toto, “A Secret Love” from ‘Hydra’ (1979): Toto Tuesdays

Toto, “A Secret Love” from ‘Hydra’ (1979): Toto Tuesdays

Toto’s sophomore release ‘Hydra’ ends with “A Secret Love,” a gorgeous, yet complex ballad with Steve Porcaro’s fingerprints all over it.

Toto, “White Sister” from ‘Hydra’ (1979): Toto Tuesdays

Toto, “White Sister” from ‘Hydra’ (1979): Toto Tuesdays

“White Sister,” a stand-out moment from Toto’s sophomore album ‘Hydra,’ combines hard-rock strut and progressive rock obliqueness.

Toto, “Mama” from ‘Hydra’ (1979): Toto Tuesdays

Toto, “Mama” from ‘Hydra’ (1979): Toto Tuesdays

Toto moves into solid R&B/funk territory with “Mama,” a David Paich co-write that finds Bobby Kimball delivering his best vocal on ‘Hydra.’

Toto, “All Us Boys” from ‘Hydra’ (1979): Toto Tuesdays

Toto, “All Us Boys” from ‘Hydra’ (1979): Toto Tuesdays

Toto’s “All Us Boys” starts side two of Hydra by throwing all of the previous themes out the window. It only gets more confounding.

Toto, “Lorraine” from ‘Hydra’ (1979): Toto Tuesdays

Toto, “Lorraine” from ‘Hydra’ (1979): Toto Tuesdays

I’d argue ‘Hydra’ did more to establish Toto’s style and sound than their debut. The complex and entertaining “Lorraine” is exemplary of that.

Toto, “99” from ‘Hydra’ (1979) Toto Tuesdays

Toto, “99” from ‘Hydra’ (1979) Toto Tuesdays

A Steve Lukather-sung ballad, “99” did respectively enough, reaching the Top 40. But why wasn’t it Toto’s biggest hit to that point?

Toto, “St. George and the Dragon” from ‘Hydra’ (1979): Toto Tuesdays

Toto, “St. George and the Dragon” from ‘Hydra’ (1979): Toto Tuesdays

Toto’s proggy “St. George and the Dragon” failed to chart as the lead single from 1979’s ‘Hydra,’ but it’s only grown in estimation since.

Toto, “Hydra” from ‘Hydra’ (1979): Toto Tuesdays

Toto, “Hydra” from ‘Hydra’ (1979): Toto Tuesdays

‘Hydra,’ Toto’s second album, confounded critics and fans alike upon its release in October 1979, but it has aged well.

Vinyl

‘Hydra’ may be the best Toto album you’ve never heard: ‘That’s a cult classic!’

Released 35 years ago today, ‘Hydra’ showed the full breadth of what Toto could do. It’s influencing their new album, too.

Vinyl

Toto – ‘Hydra’ (1979)

Last weekend I reminisced about Toto’s forgotten fun ‘n’ raucous rocker, “All Us Boys”. But reconnecting with that song really got me reconnected to the entire album it originally came from, Hydra. I soon started playing the entire album in my head, which lead me soon led me to playRead More