One of the key elements that makes Toto work has been their vocal diversity. Boasting three — and sometimes four – vocalists with distinct styles to choose from, they’ve always been able to find the right vocalist for any given song.
Still, by the time 1999’s Mindfields arrived, David Paich’s role seemed to have shifted. He remaining an integral component as a keyboardist on 1993’s Kingdom of Desire and 1996’s Tambu, but he hadn’t sung or shared a lead vocal on a Toto song since “Home of the Brave” off of 1988’s The Seventh One.
That changed, finally, with “Spanish Steps of Rome,” which finds Paich picking up right where he left off.
While he lacks the soul of Steve Lukather and the overall power of Bobby Kimball, Fergie Frederiksen and Joe Williams, Paich’s voice has been perfect for every song he has ever ended up singing with Toto. From the more uptempo fun tracks from Toto’s first handful of albums (“Manuela Run” and “All Us Boys” both come to mind) to the more restrained counterpoint to the soaring tenor vocals of Bobby Kimball (“Africa”), Fergie Frederiksen (“Holyanna”, “Carmen,” and “Stranger In Town”) or Joseph Williams (“Home of the Brave”), Paich’s vocals just fit.
David Paich has always been Toto’s utility player, as he knows exactly what to bring to the table for any given song.
“Spanish Steps of Rome” shows yet another facet of Paich’s vocals: a haunting subtlety that dances under Steve Lukather’s acoustic guitar flourishes and Simon Phillips’ gentle groove. There’s a seamlessness to his vocals that makes them just slide into place on this track.
No other Toto vocalist would have fit for “Spanish Steps of Rome,” an understated gem that marks the close of Mindfields.
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