Returning to Toto’s raucous forgotten rocker “All Us Boys” brought me back to its parent album. Released in October 1979, Hydra still does it for me – and that’s more than what I can say about the era’s other rock records.
Toto, like Chicago, has received its share of unexplained hatred over the years. Even if you somehow agree with the idea that Toto could be a lightweight act, that doesn’t explain the tendency to paint all of their work with such a broad brush. Plenty of examples counter such criticism, starting perhaps with Hydra.
Ironically, the LP was seen as something of a disappointment to some who liked their self-titled debut album. Others who didn’t like Toto much to begin with ravaged Hydra. Those kind music sages over at Rolling Stone had this to say about Hydra: “Like this group’s Wizard of Oz namesake, Hydra is a hapless little dog, memorable only for some directionless whimpering. …The music is annoyingly lightweight and derivative, while the vocals – to put it mildly – are abysmal. … Toto may continue to thrive in the rock-starved Top 40, but these guys have absolutely nothing new to say as they bounce from one syrupy sub genre to another.”
Ouch. Instead, Hydra has held up remarkably well, especially compared to the disco and new wave that was enjoying the height of popularity of the time. It would have been easy to make a record at that time that hopped on those bandwagons, but Toto didn’t bite. They also could have aped Bruce Springsteen and received instant street cred – but Springsteen imitators never made nearly the impact of their Boss. Instead, Toto did what it felt comfortable doing: straightforward, polished, R&B-inflected rock.
Blame for this second album’s fate as an overlooked gem certainly can’t be placed on their approach. Toto’s professionalism and incredibly chops assured that Hydra wouldn’t sound too much of its time. Instead, they may have been punished for the “crime” of playing in such a vast array of styles. Rolling Stone and others called this proof that Toto lacked identity. Yet variety is never a bad thing, as long as the quality remains consistent.
On Hydra, it did. What is a little more astonishing about that variety is that every song was written or co-written by David Paich.
The album actually begins as a concept, signaling a “grand statement” record. In keeping, the opening title track is probably the closest that Toto got to prog-rock. They offer an extended, seven-and-a-half minute mini-epic with multiple sections running at different tempos, and dramatic, story-telling lyrics about a modern-day fairy tale of saving a damsel in distress from the “wolves in Times Square” and “the Dragon Lord playing solitary.” Paich’s emotionally charged lead vocals are anchored by Steve Lukather’s tense guitar amid an insistent three-chord vamp and a solid bottom from drummer Jeff Porcaro and bassist David Hungate.
They didn’t send King Crimson or Emerson Lake and Palmer back to the drawing board, but “Hydra” was plenty substantial – and more melodic and uncluttered than what progressive rock had become by that time. Another dragon-themed tale set in New York City followed. The Bobby Kimball-sung “St. George and the Dragon” pretty much flopped as a single, even though it’s similar in a lot of ways to their first hit “Hold the Line.”
The restless Toto then changed directions, as Paich’s concept suddenly vanished after just two songs. (To be fair, the theme on Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band only lasted about that long, too.)
“99” fared much better that “St. George and the Dragon,” becoming the lone hit from the album. Sporting a soft-jazz shuffle a little reminiscent of “Georgie Porgie” from the first album, this one is also driven by Lukather’s sensitive vocal reading. Lukather later admitted he hated the song, and I’ve probably heard my fill of it myself. Still, “99” remains a good example of Paich’s ability to meticulously construct a pop tune by pulling together measured elements of R&B, rock and soul.
Side one of the original vinyl closed out with “Lorraine,” a dual-mood piano-based number that’s tender in the verses and gets tough on the chorus. Then there’s the lovable, aforementioned “All Us Boys.”
“Mama” is reason alone why Bobby Kimball was hired. Even with capable vocalists like Paich and Lukather, no one could nail it like Bobby did for this wrenching, sweaty soul number. It’s also a great illustration of why Jeff Porcaro had few peers among session drummers. Close listening to just his part reveals sly hi-hat, cymbal and snare work that’s beyond even above-average percussionists. Plainly speaking, “Mama” is one of the best deep cuts Toto ever recorded.
“White Sister” is another rocker, but this one’s got the swagger and soul of Otis Redding. Kimball again helps the song come alive, and Lukather’s guitar solo makes it nearly explode. The album ends with “A Secret Love,” which sounds like an unfinished ballad. This is easily the weakest track on Hydra, but also the shortest. Thankfully, it’s tacked on at the end and easy to overlook.
Ultimately, Hydra didn’t sell as well as the debut album but Toto avoided a sophomore slump by playing with a little more edge than before. They also created something unique in their catalog, since Toto never quite used this formula on an album again. The approach was more ragged than the music they made their reputation on, and yet all the trademark precision remained intact. Ultimately, that didn’t result in a masterpiece, but Hydra deserves its due. In fact, when considering in the now-completed canon of Toto’s output, I’d even put it in the upper tier.
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I used to say the first 2 tracks on Hydra were 2 of the best songs they ever recorded but that the album dropped off substantially after that. In more recent years with more recent listens I believe my initial assessment of Hydra was considerably too harsh. I tend to agree with you that it stands up to the test of time much better than a lot of other material from 1979. While not their best album it was certainly one of their better. And I'd argue that they did dip their toes back into the prog-rock pool on Better World off of Mindfields.