While it is a strong track, Toto’s “In a Word” is so stylistically different than the rest of the material that made up 1986’s Fahrenheit, it’s easy to understand why the song missed the cut. Sounding much more reminiscent of the material on the 1984’s Isolation, one wonders how this track might have sounded with Fergie Frederiksen’s vocals instead of Joseph Williams.
“In a Word” eventually ended up on 1998’s Toto XX: 1977-1997, an anniversary-themed odds-and-ends project – and that’s undoubtedly for the best.
It features some strong synth work by Steve Porcaro and a Steve Lukather guitar solo that would have fit in nicely on the Fahrenheit album. However, having listened to Fahrenheit as frequently as this listener has, and knowing it up, down, left, right, diagonal, upside-down and sideways, there is no logical place for “In a Word” to be shoe-horned in.
No matter where it ended up in the track order, “In a Word” would have been altogether jarring for the listener in the context of the rest of that project. Its omission from Fahrenheit preserved the album’s flow.
“In a Word” is enjoyable enough, and it’s better than some of Toto’s weaker album cuts, but it’s so stylistically different than anything else they recorded during Joe Williams’ initial tenure that the track would have required a completely different arrangement in order to fit on either Fahrenheit or 1988’s The Seventh One.
Unfortunately, the song’s two aforementioned strengths — the Steve Porcaro synth work and the Steve Lukather guitar solo – have not aged well. They are definitely products of the mid-’80s. For someone who enjoys music of that era, they are a delight, but this Toto track’s best moments are, unfortunately, what keeps it mired in a bygone time.
- The Most Surprising Moment on Alan Parsons Project’s ‘Eve’ - August 27, 2024
- Why the Audiobook Versions of Jimmy Barnes’ Autobiographies Are Definitive - June 24, 2024
- Kahvas Jute – ‘Wide Open’ (1970): Antipodean April - April 28, 2024
