As Toto’s sophomore album ‘Hydra’ arrived 45 years ago this week, snooty critics were dutifully annoyed. But they were building toward something big.

Toto’s sophomore release ‘Hydra’ ends with “A Secret Love,” a gorgeous, yet complex ballad with Steve Porcaro’s fingerprints all over it.

“White Sister,” a stand-out moment from Toto’s sophomore album ‘Hydra,’ combines hard-rock strut and progressive rock obliqueness.

Toto moves into solid R&B/funk territory with “Mama,” a David Paich co-write that finds Bobby Kimball delivering his best vocal on ‘Hydra.’

Toto’s “All Us Boys” starts side two of Hydra by throwing all of the previous themes out the window. It only gets more confounding.

I’d argue ‘Hydra’ did more to establish Toto’s style and sound than their debut. The complex and entertaining “Lorraine” is exemplary of that.

A Steve Lukather-sung ballad, “99” did respectively enough, reaching the Top 40. But why wasn’t it Toto’s biggest hit to that point?

Toto’s proggy “St. George and the Dragon” failed to chart as the lead single from 1979’s ‘Hydra,’ but it’s only grown in estimation since.

‘Hydra,’ Toto’s second album, confounded critics and fans alike upon its release in October 1979, but it has aged well.

Released 35 years ago today, ‘Hydra’ showed the full breadth of what Toto could do. It’s influencing their new album, too.