The quality of
the musicians who are, or who have gone through Toto, no doubt, then, from the
group, the least that is expected is something above average, and "Toto
XIV", the first one by Frontiers Records, justifies all the Serafino Perugino’s
enthusiasm , the boss of the record company, and certainly let the fans very
happy. (Leia a versão em português)
Through the
comments of the musicians themselves, could also be noticed the excitement with
these new songs, a clear example is one of many comments of the guitarist Steve
Lukather, where he says that the album would bring all what the fans love in
Toto music as well, an album that was being done with "blood, sweat and
soul". In a production that took 11 months, "XIV" also served to
the group to prove to themselves that they are still able to produce new and
great songs.
The title
"XIV", Steve explains that the Roman numerals and more the sword on
the cover, always brought them luck, and also because they did not put a
specific song as the title, for all the quality and diversity of the songs.
This album was
long waited because the last studio album was "Falling Between", released
in 2006, then the expectation was also big, and great expectations can create
frustration, so that's how I was watching the proceedings with great
expectations, but with a little fear, despite knowing very well the ability to
musicians like Steve Lukather, David Paich, Joseph Williams, Steve Porcaro and
Keith Carlock, the core of the current Toto, who is always surrounded by many
people, both in the studio as live, remembering that it is the debut of
Carlock, the group's youngest (musician who has accompanied artists such as
Sting, John Mayer, Steely Dan, James Taylor), born in Mississippi, and he
brings in the veins all the groove of the musicians of those sides, fitting
perfectly into the diversity, technique and feeling that are required to
integrate a band like Toto.
Well, with the
album in hand, the expectations were met, the group presents fans with a great
album, and can be placed among the great successes of Toto as "Hydra"
and "IV".
Big hooks, big
guitars, great melodies, great keyboards and great vocals (Joseph sounds great, keeps his voice intact through the years)! There are many textures and timbres,
creative arrangements, either in instrumental or vocal parts, great melodies,
some new instant hits, diversity and technique, all working for the
compositions itself. The Toto can make music with extreme technical accuracy,
while sound "commercial" and with the capacity to create huge Hits.
Pure feeling.
Relying on the
little hand of musicians as David Hungate (formerly, but always present in
multiple albums), Amy Keys, CJ Vanston (producer), Tal Wilkenfeld and others,
what we have here is high quality music, and it's amazing how musicians with
their capacity and feeling (just technique isn’t good music warranty) transform the music in something almost palpable. It is
as if the melodies, notes jumped by stereo, enter the ears, slide the fingers
... are so many details and arrangements of each instrument, each voice, which
are necessary for many auditions you enjoy the work as a whole, and what is
more commendable, you can simply listen without compromise because, as I said
before, everything works for the good music, then immediately captivating
melodies, perfectly combined technique and feeling.
The diversity
of Toto's music is something that they bring from the start, then we can find
from more nuances and Hard AOR, as in the opening with "Running Out of
Time", with bright melodies of Lukather’s guitars, and that the new owner
of drumsticks Keith Carlock, already shows all your skills, looking to further
brought "groove" to Toto music; nice and catchy rocking "Holy
War" (despite the serious subject of the lyrics), which has a great chorus
also an immediate “Hit”, highlighted the
lyric, talking about all this tension we live in today, with groups of fanatics
killing in the name of religion; diversity also arises in the modern blues
"21st Century Blues" and the progressive and funk music inroads of
"Chinatown". That brilliant musicians.
Besides the
mentioned "Holy War", one that is an immediate hit is
"Orphan", with amazing melodies to keyboards and guitar, and the
beautiful and catchy chorus, the guys do not lose out to build big hits, and
open parenthesis here to the detail that the band has more of a singer (here
Williams and Lukather divide vocals), feature them too, though Williams take
charge of lead vocals, David Paich, Lukather and Porcaro also sing or share
some vocals on several tracks, and to top it off, there is the support of
various backings guests, further contributing to the diversity of the
arrangements; "Burn", which starts soft, with the main melody keyboard,
simple but beautiful, which sticks in the mind immediately. The track grows in
the chorus and there for its half, creating an air of "power ballad";
"Unknown Soldier", Lukather takes brightly vocals on a track loaded
with emotion, where synthesizers and acoustic guitars give a progressive air,
half folk; in "The Little Things" is the turn of Steve Porcaro do
sometimes vocalist in a sensitive and touching ballad, full of beautiful and
striking melodies and a certain "pop vocation." Excellent.
The
aforementioned "Chinatown" with Lukather, Paich and Williams sharing
the vocals, full of groove and variations, ranging from pop to progressive, AOR
to Jazz, and therein lies the magic in Toto music: you can not label their
music! The music is at the same time, complex and commercial; I played with my
son, who is also an admirer of the Toto’s music, which was missing a song with
a woman's name because they have several ("Angela", “Rosanna”, “Carmen”, “Pamela”...),
but then we have "All the Tears That Shines" in which the subject is
implied hehehe , composed and sung by David Paich (author or co-author of some
of the biggest hits of the band, as "Rosanna," "Africa"
and "Hold the Line") then ok, nothing is missing in this album
(well, could have a appearance of Bobby Kimball, the original singer, and my
favorite, although Joseph comes second in my preference). The mature voice of
David, supported by soft melodies, the groove of Keith and beautiful backing
vocals, delivery over a beautiful ballad to the Toto’s vast collection ;
"Fortune" also has the Toto’s characteristic "groovy" in a
captivating way, besides the great vocal work and always hooked choruses;
Now, what a
beautiful piece is "Great Expectations," which brings the trio Paich
/ Lukather / Williams dividing the vocals again, and the longest track on the
album (6:48 min), we have another lesson on how to melodious music with
technical , feeling and groove. Striking vocal lines, many variations,
progressive raids and amazing drums, huge keyboards / synths and guitars, this music
is perhaps one of the fastest bring that air of classic Toto, and, I believe,
for this more progressive calling it, has a “seventies air” as well. In some
editions can still be found the bonus track "Bend", an acoustic
ballad, short, permeated by loop effects on acoustic guitar.
Musicality,
feeling, groove, technique, good taste ... are so many adjectives, elements
that any fan of the band know you will find in the group's music, and will
certainly be very, very happy with this album, which brings the Toto classic
sound. Here, they did what they do best, and without pressure to produce a radio
hit, as it was in the 80s. Definitely one of the best albums of the band,
walking shoulder-to-shoulder with their more classic stuff, and also one of the
better releases of this 2015. To listen without moderation!
The sad note,
is that the 15th of this month died Mike Porcaro (1955-2015), former bassist
Toto (brother of Steve Porcaro and also of the original drummer, Jeff Porcaro,
who died in 1992), who suffered from ALS, degenerative disease which forced him
to leave the stage for some time. RIP Mike.
Text: Carlos
Garcia
Edition:
Carlos Garcia
Credits:
Band: Toto
Album:
"XIV" (2015)
Country: USA
Label:
Frontiers
Production: CJ
Vanston and Toto
Track-list
"Running
Out of Time"
"Burn"
Williams
"Holy
War"
"21st
Century Blues"
"Orphan"
"Unknown
Soldier (For Jeffrey)"
"The
Little Things"
"Chinatown"
"All the
Tears That Shine"
"Fortune"
"Great
Expectations"
Line Up
Steve Lukather
- vocals, guitars, bass on tracks 5, 6, 11
Joseph
Williams - lead vocals
David Paich -
vocals, keyboards
Steve Porcaro
- vocals, keyboards
Keith Carlock
- drums
