Before you even listen to it, the title of the closing track* of 1999’s Mindfields hints at what is to come: A message of hope, a foreshadowing of orchestral structure and a track length of almost eight minutes sets the scene for an epic composition.
Written by Steve Lukather, David Paich, and Simon Phillips, “Better World” is a prog-rock offering in the truest sense. It is a multi-part song exploring a vast musical landscape with intense crescendos and a message – nay, plea – for all of us to change the way we treat each other.
Opening with sparkling synth tones and luscious chords, the introduction builds with light percussion and a searing guitar lead before shifting into a complicated piano riff supported by a driving groove and syncopated drumming from Phillips. There is two and half minutes of this before an abrupt change.
An ethereal reverse choir climaxes, leaving a gentle piano and guitar accompaniment as the underscore to a heartfelt message sung by Steve Lukather:
Hello my friends, I’m calling to you
The things we believed are no longer true
‘Cause we’re older now, so much wiser than beforeThe pain we have felt, we hold deep inside
The dues we have paid, and the tears we have cried
And the emptiness, can we take it anymore?
The tone is reflective and hopeful – a plea to listen and to consider that the way we hold onto pain has not helped our plight. This message seems fitting from 1999-era Toto. This is a band who, at that point, had experienced more than two decades of triumphs and tragedies; they’re entitled to this perspective.
This leads into a chorus, rich in harmonies and anthemic in nature – impelling us to change.
Whoa, let’s make this a better world
When push comes to shove, what have we really learned?
Whoa, let’s make this a better world …
We can change
An epic guitar solo atop a dramatic and lavishly produced background follows, before dropping suddenly to a gentle piano interlude. The contrast is sharp, before building once again into a repeat of the chorus. Toto are exploring dynamic changes in an orchestral sense and it works perfectly here.
The outro is another exquisite display of musicianship, an atmospheric and dynamic interplay taking us full circle to the introductory sparkling synth tones.
Although this is the same band that gave us the world’s best song, according to science, the eclectic nature and length of some of the tracks on Mindfields suggests that Toto were no longer chasing commercial success. In “Better World,” they were given their head and they ran with it.
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* A bonus track (“Spanish Steps of Rome”) was included on North America and Japanese pressings.
- Toto, “Spanish Sea” from ‘Old Is New’ (2018): Toto Tuesdays - June 15, 2021
- Toto, “Devil’s Tower” from ‘Old Is New’ (2018): Toto Tuesdays - May 11, 2021
- Toto, “Alone” from ‘Old Is New’ (2018): Toto Tuesdays - April 27, 2021
