More than five years into this Toto series, and I have yet to tire of David Paich’s songs. The keyboardist’s writing was the cornerstone of the first three albums and made 1982’s Toto IV the success it was.
Of course, Toto IV also saw significant contributions from Steve Lukather and a song from Steve Porcaro, but Paich’s contributions continued to be stellar. It can be argued that when David Paich stepped away (or took a more supporting role) from the band he cofounded, the gap was apparent.
Paich and Steve Porcaro finally made a welcome return on 2015’s Toto XIV, contributing some of the strongest material on the album. The follow up, 2018’s Old Is New, marked the end of Toto as a recording entity but once again highlights what we always knew: David Paich is a pop-music craftsman of the highest quality.
“Oh Why” sung by Paich and written by him, is a fine pop-rock song. Paich’s lead vocal harkens back to the early days of Toto. It’s strong and varied, navigating the time and key changes effortlessly. The song features the Jeff and Mike Porcaro rhythm section, and also Lenny Castro on percussion.
Lyrically and thematically, “Oh Why” owes more to the Beatles than Yes and the synth touches by Steve Porcaro and cello by Martin Tillman with sprinkles of Steve Lukather add to the feeling. After strong solo releases by Joseph Williams and Steve Lukather earlier this year, “Oh Why” has me yearning for a stand-alone Paich release.
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