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

This Mid-Year Best of 2015 list also includes J.D. Souther, Jose James, Luke Reynolds, Kevin Gilbert, Leslie Johnson, Joni Mitchell, Marc Cary and others.

This Mid-Year Best of 2015 list also includes Death Cab for Cutie, James McMurtry, Steve Hackett, Randy Bachman, Richard Thompson and Ringo Starr.

“Angela,” a song of shifting moods and layered musical complexity, puts the exclamation point on Toto’s bold debut album.

David Paich has said Toto’s “Hold the Line” came together quickly, yet one wouldn’t know it because the song has so many layers.

Nestled between “Takin’ It Back” and the smash hit “Hold the Line” on Toto’s 1978 debut, the steady and fun “Rockmaker” is too often overlooked.

It’s difficult to believe, but keyboardist Steve Porcaro has made only three official vocal contributions to the Toto catalog.

Don’t let the seemingly simple time signature fool you. There is plenty of Toto goodness in “Girl Goodbye.”

The story of Toto can be divided to before April 8, 1982, and after. That’s when they released ‘Toto IV,’ still the biggest album of their lengthy career.

The music on Toto’s “You Are the Flower” had always been more to my liking that the lyrics. Until I became a father. Then, I got it.