“Goodbye Elenore,” the Side 2 opener and first single, reaches an intensity not seen again on Toto’s ‘Turn Back.’

Steve Lukather was typically Toto’s go-to guy for ballads, but this David Paich gem shows he’s not the only one who can handle more emotional fare.

As a Toto song, “Live For Today” is an interesting footnote for the band and a hint of the greatest of future Toto contributions by Steve Lukather.

Toto’s “English Eyes” doesn’t offer too much lyrically. Instead, led by Steve Lukather’s stadium-sized guitar, it simply rocks.

Toto aimed for a streamlined feel on ‘Turn Back,’ and this opening track is a competent – though not exactly perfect – execution of that strategy.

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.