Preston Frazier’s Best of 2015 (Non-Jazz): Van Hunt, Toto, Richard Page, J.D. Souther
Preston Frazier’s Non-Jazz Best of 2015 list also includes Shemekia Copeland, Grupo Fantasma, Luke Reynolds, Public Service Broadcasting, the Westies and others.
Preston Frazier’s Non-Jazz Best of 2015 list also includes Shemekia Copeland, Grupo Fantasma, Luke Reynolds, Public Service Broadcasting, the Westies and others.
“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.
When ‘All’s Well That Ends Well’ arrived on Oct. 11, 2010, it looked as if Toto was over. Steve Lukather stepped forward to accept the mantle.
“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.