Toto – Remasters (Toto, Hydra, Turn Back)
Rock Candy Records
www.rockcandyrecords.com

Ratings:

Toto  B+
Hydra B
Turn Back D

Toto gets a lot of crap from some music fans.  Seems there are a lot of people who like to make fun of them.  I have never figured out why. Is it the name of the band? Some of the hits were too cheesy for the hard rockers?  Is it the fact that Toto was more concerned with making their own classy form of music rather than dressing up in spandex and making fools of themselves?  Whatever the reason, it’s a shame... people are missing out on a bunch of talented musicians who have a dedication to their craft making intelligent music. And once you SEE Luke play, you will LISTEN to every note...

Toto were not always whipping boys, as their self-titled debut proves.  Released in 1978 the band scored big out of the box with the tune “Hold the Line.”  “I'll Supply the Love” and “Georgy Porgy” were also FM radio hits while “Child's Anthem” and “Angela” showed off the bands musicianship. 

Hydra followed in 1979 and Toto was once again making hits.  The classic “99” written about the Karma Sutra, was a classy jazzy tune the captured the hearts and ears of their fans around the world.  Sales, however, were declining and by the time the band released Turn Back in 1981, no one, other than Japan where the album was huge, seemed to care.  There were no hit singles in the USA, and if it were not for the massive success of Toto IV,  the band may have hung it up.

These three releases are a great snapshot of the band before they became mega stars.  The debut is hands down the best of the bunch, but just a word of advice here, don’t skip over Hydra just because the only song you recognize on the CD jacket is '99.'  Its a fine album as well. 

Turn Back is another story...ya might wanna skip that one altogether. 

By Jeb Wright