Toto’s “Tale of a Man” is a testament to the mad genius of composer David Paich. This song was written before the band existed – though it’s copyrighted 1979 – and combines elements of progressive rock, AOR and soul to create a memorable Toto work out.
According to the liner notes on 1998’s Toto XX, “Tale of a Man” was played on the band’s first tour but wasn’t recorded until the Hydra sessions. With its progressive rock elements, the song could have elevated Toto’s sophomore release. For instance, I’d gladly trade “Tale of a Man” for “All Us Boys.”
Lyrically, David Paich rose to the challenge of his music. The song tells the story of a friend of Toto’s who fell in with a rather unsavory group. Bobby Kimball’s vocals are a perfect fit; he uses all his range with gusto. Equally fitting is the backbeat by Jeff Porcaro, which hints at progressive elements with his tom-tom fills and huge bass-drum sound. David Hungate holds the groove in typical Hungate fashion, then breaks out a “Lowdown”-type groove on the last quarter of the song. “Tale of a Man” grooves more than any prog-rock song should.
Not to be outdone, Steve Porcaro’s synths swirl and dive around the bridge, and Steve Lukather provides a frantic Brian May-like guitar solo which will leave you slack jawed in delight. When it’s all said and done, “Tale of a Man” may well be the greatest song on Toto XX – and that’s amazing, given the album is full of songs which should be considered classics.
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