Toto (album)

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Toto
Toto Toto.jpg
Studio album by
ReleasedOctober 1978 (1978-10) [1]
RecordedOctober 1977 – June 1978 [2]
Studio Sunset Sound (Los Angeles, California)
Studio 55 (Los Angeles, California)
Davlen Sound Studios (North Hollywood, California)
Length40:46
Label Columbia
Producer Toto
Toto chronology
Toto
(1978)
Hydra
(1979)
Singles from Toto
  1. "Hold the Line"
    Released: September 1978
  2. "I'll Supply the Love"
    Released: January 1979 [3]
  3. "Georgy Porgy"
    Released: April 1979 [4]
  4. "Rockmaker"
    Released: 1979

Toto is the debut studio album by American rock band Toto. It was released in 1978 and includes the hit singles "Hold the Line", "I'll Supply the Love" and "Georgy Porgy", all three of which made it into the top 50 in the US. [5] "Hold the Line" spent six weeks in the top 10, and reached number 14 in the UK as well. [6] Although not initially very well received by critics, the band quickly gained a following, [7] and the album gained a reputation for its characteristic sound, mixing soft pop with both synth- and hard-rock elements. The band would venture deeper into hard rock territory on their next album.

Contents

Reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [7]
Classic Rock ReviewB+ [8]
Sea of TranquilityStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [9]

Rolling Stone found Toto's attempt to transition from career session players to a band in their own right a failure, calling David Paich's songs "excuses for back-to-back instrumental solos" and saying that none of the four lead vocalists are better than passable. [10]

In a retrospective review, AllMusic argued that the album received a strongly negative critical reaction only because critics felt threatened by Toto's demonstrated ability to create outstanding songs in any genre, which was a contradiction to popular critical assumptions about genre delineations and inspiration's supremacy over craft. They commented on the irony of the critics' reaction, in that it was this ability that made the album so well-liked by listeners of the time. [7]

Classic Rock History critic Brian Kachejian rated four songs from the album − "Hold the Line", "Girl Goodbye", "I'll Supply the Love" and "Georgy Porgy" among Toto's seven greatest songs. [11]

Cover art

Philip Garris, well known for painting many Grateful Dead album covers, created the album's emblem after listening to a lyric from the song "Manuela Run" ("You better watch that sword that's hanging over you") which referred to the Sword of Damocles. The sword also represented the band's powerful, hard-edge sound, and, due to their ability to play many types of music, Garris made the sword double-edged to show their versatility. The iron ring represented a piece of work being constructed (the record itself), and the ribbons represented the Year of the Child. [12]

Track listing

All tracks are written by David Paich, except where noted

Side one
No.TitleWriter(s)Lead vocalsLength
1."Child's Anthem" instrumental2:46
2."I'll Supply the Love" Bobby Kimball3:46
3."Georgy Porgy"  Steve Lukather 4:09
4."Manuela Run" David Paich3:54
5."You Are the Flower" Bobby Kimball Kimball4:11
Side two
No.TitleWriter(s)Lead vocalsLength
1."Girl Goodbye" Kimball6:13
2."Takin' It Back" Steve Porcaro S. Porcaro3:47
3."Rockmaker" Paich3:19
4."Hold the Line" Kimball3:56
5."Angela" Lukather with Paich5:31

Singles

Personnel

Toto

Additional musicians

Production

Charts

Certifications

RegionCertification Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA) [26] Platinum70,000
Canada (Music Canada) [27] 2× Platinum200,000^
Germany (BVMI) [28] Gold250,000^
United States (RIAA) [29] 2× Platinum2,000,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.
Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Toto (band)</span> American rock band

Toto is an American rock band formed in Los Angeles, California in 1977. Toto combines elements of pop, rock, soul, funk, hard rock, R&B, blues, and jazz. Having released 14 studio albums and sold over 40 million records worldwide, the group has received several Grammy Awards and was inducted into the Musicians Hall of Fame and Museum in 2009.

<i>Toto IV</i> 1982 studio album by Toto

Toto IV is the fourth studio album by American rock band Toto, released on April 8, 1982 by Columbia Records. The album's lead single, "Rosanna", peaked at number 2 for five weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 charts, while the album's third single, "Africa", topping the Hot 100 chart, became the group's first and only number 1 hit. Both songs were hits in the UK as well, reaching number 12 and 3, respectively. The fourth single, "I Won't Hold You Back", also peaked within the top ten on the Hot 100, at number 10, but atop the Billboard Adult Contemporary charts for three weeks. It also went into the top 40 in the UK. With the success of "Africa", the album climbed back into the top 10 in early 1983 on both sides of the Atlantic.

<i>Isolation</i> (Toto album) 1984 studio album by Toto

Isolation is the fifth studio album by American rock band Toto, released in November 1984. Isolation is the first album to feature longtime bassist Mike Porcaro, the only album with Fergie Frederiksen as the primary vocalist, and the first time that all of the Porcaro brothers involved together on Toto record. Isolation failed to achieve the popularity of its predecessor, Toto IV, although it achieved gold record status and gave the band their highest charting mainstream rock single "Stranger in Town". Relatively few songs from this album were featured in live performances after 1985's Isolation World Tour.

<i>Fahrenheit</i> (Toto album) 1986 studio album by Toto

Fahrenheit is the sixth studio album by Toto, released in 1986. It was their first album to feature Joseph Williams on lead vocals. Former lead singer Fergie Frederiksen was fired due to problems with his ability in the studio. However, he sings backing vocals on the song "Could This Be Love". It was also the last Toto album until Toto XIV in 2015 to feature keyboardist Steve Porcaro as a permanent member, as he left after the Fahrenheit tour. The album failed to go gold until 1994, but featured two top forty singles in "I'll Be Over You" and "Without Your Love". "I'll Be Over You" featured Michael McDonald on backing vocals, who also made an appearance in the song's music video. Singer/dancer Paula Abdul appears in the video for the third single, "Till The End." The final song "Don't Stop Me Now" features Miles Davis on trumpet.

<i>Turn Back</i> (album) 1981 album by Toto

Turn Back is the third studio album by the American rock group Toto, released in 1981. Although it yielded the band's first top-ten hit in Japan and steady sales in that country, the album was a commercial disappointment elsewhere, failing to produce any charting singles and selling approximately 900,000 copies worldwide.

<i>Hydra</i> (Toto album) 1979 studio album by Toto

Hydra is the second studio album by American rock band Toto, released in 1979. It reached No. 37 on the Billboard Pop Albums. While most of the album's singles failed to make any impact in the charts, "99", a song inspired by the 1971 science fiction movie THX 1138, reached No. 26 on the Billboard Hot 100.

<i>Live in Amsterdam</i> (Toto album) 2003 live album by Toto

25th Anniversary: Live in Amsterdam is a live album by Toto, released in 2003, in the 25th anniversary of the band. And this was also the band's last live album to feature keyboardist/vocalist David Paich and bassist Mike Porcaro; Paich, before his semi-retirement from touring in 2005 until his return to the band in 2010 with Greg Phillinganes taking his place, and Porcaro, before his retirement from touring due to him being diagnosed with ALS four years later and his death on March 15, 2015.

<i>The Seventh One</i> 1988 studio album by Toto

The Seventh One is the seventh studio album by the American rock band Toto. It was released in 1988, and became the best-received Toto album since Toto IV. The title track, "The Seventh One", is featured only on the Japanese version of the album and on the B-side of the single "Pamela". It was also released on some compilations on a later date. It would be their second and last studio album with lead vocalist Joseph Williams until Toto XIV (2015).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hold the Line</span> 1978 single by Toto

"Hold the Line" is a song by American rock band Toto from their 1978 eponymous debut studio album. Written by the band's keyboardist David Paich, the lead vocals on the song were performed by Bobby Kimball.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rosanna (song)</span> 1982 single by Toto

"Rosanna" is a song written by David Paich and performed by the American rock band Toto, the opening track and the first single from their 1982 album Toto IV. This song won the Grammy Award for Record of the Year at the 1983 ceremony. "Rosanna" was also nominated for the Song of the Year award. It is regarded for the half-time shuffle which drummer Jeff Porcaro developed for the song, and for its production, which is generally seen as being one of the best mastered songs of all time. The groove has become an important staple of drum repertoire and is commonly known as the "Rosanna shuffle".

<i>Toto XX</i> 1998 compilation album / studio album by Toto

Toto XX: 1977–1997 is a compilation album by Toto to celebrate their 20th anniversary. The album features rare original demos, outtakes, previously unreleased recordings and live tracks from the band's 20-year career. Despite its being labeled as a compilation album, Steve Lukather in 2014 defined the album as the tenth studio album overall.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">I'll Be Over You</span> 1986 single by Toto

"I'll Be Over You" is a hit single by the American rock band Toto. Released as the lead single from their 1986 album, Fahrenheit, the song reached number 11 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in 1986. Lead vocals were sung by guitarist Steve Lukather, who co-wrote the song with hit songwriter Randy Goodrum. Guest musician Michael McDonald provided the vocal counterpoint on the recording.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">I Won't Hold You Back</span> 1983 single by Toto

"I Won't Hold You Back" is a song by American rock band Toto, written and sung by Steve Lukather for their fourth album, Toto IV, released in 1982. The song features the Eagles' bass player Timothy B. Schmit on backing vocals during the choruses.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">I'll Supply the Love</span> 1979 single by Toto

"I'll Supply the Love" is a song written by David Paich and recorded by Toto, with lead vocals by Bobby Kimball. It was issued on Toto's debut album, Toto, and released as a single in January 1979. It peaked at number 45 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100, where it spent nine weeks on the chart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Georgy Porgy (song)</span> 1979 single by Toto

"Georgy Porgy" is a song by American rock band Toto. It was written by band member David Paich and included on their self-titled debut album in 1978. Released as the album's third single in 1979, the song reached number 11 on the New Zealand Singles Chart and number 48 on the US Billboard Hot 100. It also peaked at number 18 on Billboard's Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stranger in Town (Toto song)</span> 1984 single by Toto

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<i>Toto XIV</i> 2015 studio album by Toto

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<i>40 Trips Around the Sun</i> 2018 greatest hits album by Toto

40 Trips Around the Sun is a greatest hits album by American rock band Toto, released on February 9, 2018. The album was released in commemoration of the 40th anniversary of Toto's self-titled debut album (1978).

<i>Old Is New</i> 2018 studio album by Toto

Old Is New is the fourteenth and final studio album by American band Toto. It was released as part of the band's All In box set on November 30, 2018, and separately on April 3, 2020. The tracks "Devil's Tower", "Spanish Sea" and "Oh Why" feature deceased band members Jeff and Mike Porcaro.

<i>I Found the Sun Again</i> 2021 studio album by Steve Lukather

I Found the Sun Again is the eighth studio album by Steve Lukather, released by The Players Club. It was released on February 26, 2021, the same day as his bandmate from Toto, Joseph Williams, released his album Denizen Tenant under the same label.

References

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