Toto XIV

Last updated
Toto XIV
Toto XIV cover.jpg
Studio album by
Toto
ReleasedMarch 20, 2015
RecordedDecember 2013–December 2014 [1]
Studio
  • The Treehouse (North Hollywood)
  • Capitol (Hollywood)
  • ATS (Calabasas, California)
  • Porcara Musica (Los Angeles)
  • Digby Road (Thousand Oaks, California) [2]
Genre Hard rock, pop rock, jazz rock, blues rock, progressive rock
Length56:03
Label Frontiers
Producer C. J. Vanston, Steve Lukather, David Paich, Steve Porcaro, Joseph Williams [3] [4]
Toto chronology
The Collection
(2008)		Toto XIV
(2015)		 40 Trips Around the Sun
(2018)
Singles from Toto XIV
  1. "Orphan"
    Released: February 5, 2015
  2. "Holy War"
    Released: February 17, 2015
  3. "Burn"
    Released: March 3, 2015

Toto XIV is the thirteenth studio album by the American rock band Toto (though the band's fourteenth album overall, when one counts Toto XX ). Toto released the album on March 20, 2015. It is the band's first studio album since Falling in Between in 2006. [5]

Contents

The album marks the return of Joseph Williams on lead vocals and Steve Porcaro on keyboards and vocals, as well as the only album marking the return of its original bassist David Hungate (since Toto IV in 1982) before he left the band in September and the only album with drummer Keith Carlock. It is also the first studio album since 1982's Toto IV not to feature longtime bassist Mike Porcaro, who had been inactive since 2007 due to ALS and died shortly before the album's release.

Background

Their final contractual obligation with Frontier Records, Toto made the record understanding that it likely would not make pop radio. With the return of Steve Porcaro and David Hungate, David Paich found the sessions to be "very cyclical", which was further helped by the location of their studio: it was located just a half mile away from where they recorded their eponymous debut. [6] One song, "Chinatown", was actually written for the first album, but never fully developed until the Toto XIV recording sessions. [6] The name was explained by band member Steve Lukather in December 2014: the band counted albums "with unreleased or new music only", so the album Toto XX (1998) was counted because it contained previously unreleased songs, making Toto XIV the 14th album. [7]

Reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [8]

AllMusic's review of XIV described the album's title as a reference to their platinum-selling 1982 album Toto IV , but said that it "doesn't share much with that Yacht Rock classic. Despite the McCartney-esque shimmer of "The Little Things" (not to mention the passing allusions to "99" on "Chinatown"), tunes take a backseat to bombast on Toto XIV, with this Steve Lukather-led incarnation accentuating intricate instrumental interplay." The review also described a "furious first half, containing such plainly evident socio-political protests as "Holy War," "Running Out of Time," "Unknown Soldier," and "21st Century Blues"". It concludes that the band is "not living in the past, nor are they denying it: they're accepting all their indulgences, all the intricacies that come with their virtuosity, and making a record that reflects what these veteran rockers have seen and learned in their 40 years in the business." [8]

Track listing

No.TitleWriter(s)Lead vocalsLength
1."Running Out of Time"Lukather, Paich, Williams Joseph Williams 4:06
2."Burn"Williams, PaichWilliams4:56
3."Holy War"Lukather, CJ Vanston, WilliamsWilliams & Steve Lukather 5:24
4."21st Century Blues"Lukather, VanstonLukather6:08
5."Orphan"Paich, Williams, LukatherWilliams3:55
6."Unknown Soldier (For Jeffrey)"Paich, LukatherLukather5:06
7."The Little Things"Steve Porcaro, Allee Willis Steve Porcaro 4:34
8."Chinatown"Paich, Mike Sherwood David Paich, Williams & Lukather5:07
9."All the Tears That Shine"Paich, SherwoodPaich5:09
10."Fortune"WilliamsWilliams4:46
11."Great Expectations"Paich, Williams, LukatherPaich, Williams & Lukather6:48
Total length:56:03
Japanese edition bonus track
No.TitleWriter(s)Lead vocalsLength
12."Bend"Mike Sherwood, Steve PorcaroPorcaro2:48

Personnel

Credits taken from album’s liner notes. [2]

Toto

Additional musicians

Technical personnel:

Other:

Charts

The single "Burn" reached as high as number 7 on the World Modern Rock Top 30 Singles Chart, where it appeared for 20 consecutive weeks.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Steve Lukather</span> American musician (born 1957)

Steven Lee Lukather is an American guitarist, singer, songwriter, arranger and record producer, best known as the sole continuous founding member of the rock band Toto. His reputation as a skilled guitarist led to a steady flow of session work beginning in the 1970s that has since established him as a prolific session musician, recording guitar tracks for more than 1,500 albums spanning a broad array of artists and genres. He has also contributed to albums and hit singles as a songwriter, arranger and producer. Notably, Lukather played guitar on Boz Scaggs' albums Down Two Then Left (1977) and Middle Man (1980), and was a prominent contributor to several studio albums by Michael Jackson, including Thriller (1982). Lukather has released nine solo albums, the latest of which, Bridges, was released in June 2023.

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

Toto is an American rock band formed in 1977 in Los Angeles, California. Toto combines elements of pop, rock, soul, funk, progressive rock, 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 in March 1982 by Columbia Records.

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

Isolation is the Gold-certified fifth studio album by Toto, released on October 18, 1984. Isolation is the first album to feature longtime bassist Mike Porcaro and the only album with Fergie Frederiksen as the primary vocalist. 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>Toto</i> (album) 1978 studio album by Toto

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 USA. "Hold the Line" spent six weeks in the Top 10, and reached Number 14 in the UK as well. Although not initially very well received by critics, the band quickly gained a following, 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.

<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 #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 #26 on the Billboard Hot 100.

<i>Forgotten Toys</i> 2022 studio album by David Paich

Forgotten Toys is the debut studio album by David Paich, keyboardist/vocalist of the American rock band Toto. In 2022, Paich announced his debut solo album and it was released by the Players Club on August 19, 2022. On June 9, 2022, he released the first single titled "Spirit of the Moonrise". Paich said he plans to release more in the future and he has "some stuff lying around here", and is often "slow" because he is "methodical and a perfectionist, sometimes too much...".

<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).

<i>Lukather</i> 1989 studio album by Steve Lukather

Lukather is the first solo studio album by Toto guitarist Steve Lukather, released on August 28, 1989 through Columbia Records.

<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. 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 being labeled as a compilation album, Steve Lukather in 2014 defined the album as the tenth studio album overall.

<i>Hits!</i> (Boz Scaggs album) 1980 greatest hits album by Boz Scaggs

Hits! is a compilation album by Boz Scaggs, first released in 1980. It focuses primarily on material released in 1976 and 1980. The album has been certified platinum by the RIAA.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Miss Sun</span> 1980 single by Boz Scaggs

"Miss Sun" is a 1980 hit for Boz Scaggs first recorded in 1977 by David Paich along with David Hungate, Steve Lukather, and Jeff Porcaro.

<i>Bridges</i> (Steve Lukather album) 2023 studio album by Steve Lukather

Bridges is the ninth studio album by Steve Lukather, released by The Players Club. It was released on June 16, 2023. The album heavily features fellow Toto bandmates Joseph Williams and David Paich and noted alumni Leland Sklar, Simon Phillips and Shannon Forrest.

"Holy War" is a song by the American rock band Toto. It was released as the second single from the band's 2015 album, Toto XIV. The song is written in E major.

<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).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Live for Today (song)</span> 1981 single by Toto

"Live for Today" is a song by the American rock band Toto. It was released on their 1981 album Turn Back, and was released in Japan as the final single from that album.

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

Old Is New is the fourteenth and final studio album by the American rock band Toto, 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

  1. ↑ "The making of the new Toto XIV album". Steve Lukather official website. Retrieved February 12, 2015.
  2. 1 2 album liner notes
  3. ↑ "Toto XIV". 20 March 2015. Retrieved January 8, 2018– via Amazon.
  4. ↑ "TOTO XIV - Lukather & CJ Vanston Comment Exclusively". Melodic Rock. 6 November 2014. Retrieved February 10, 2015.
  5. ↑ "TOTO'S FIRST NEW ALBUM IN 10 YEARS GIVEN RELEASE DATE". Toto official website. January 8, 2015. Archived from the original on January 10, 2015. Retrieved February 10, 2015.
  6. 1 2 Kovarsky, Jerry (July 13, 2015). "TOTO: The Synth Statesmen of Progressive Pop Return". Keyboard. Retrieved April 18, 2018.
  7. ↑ "The making of the new Toto XIV album". Steve Lukather official website. Retrieved March 23, 2015.
  8. 1 2 "Toto XIV - Toto - Songs, Reviews, Credits - AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved January 8, 2018.
  9. ↑ "Austriancharts.at – Toto – XIV" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved April 1, 2015.
  10. ↑ "Ultratop.be – Toto – XIV" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved March 28, 2015.
  11. ↑ "Ultratop.be – Toto – XIV" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved March 28, 2015.
  12. ↑ "Czech Albums – Top 100". ČNS IFPI.
  13. ↑ "South Korea Circle Album Chart". On the page, select "{{{date}}}" to obtain the corresponding chart. Circle Chart
  14. ↑ "Danishcharts.dk – Toto – XIV". Hung Medien. Retrieved March 28, 2015.
  15. ↑ "Dutchcharts.nl – Toto – XIV" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved March 28, 2015.
  16. ↑ "Toto: XIV" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland. Retrieved March 30, 2015.
  17. ↑ "Lescharts.com – Toto – XIV". Hung Medien. Retrieved March 30, 2015.
  18. ↑ "Officialcharts.de – Toto – XIV". GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved March 30, 2015.
  19. ↑ "Album Top 40 slágerlista – 2015. 12. hét" (in Hungarian). MAHASZ. Retrieved March 27, 2015.
  20. ↑ "GFK Chart-Track Albums: Week 13, 2015". Chart-Track. IRMA. Retrieved March 25, 2015.
  21. ↑ "Italiancharts.com – Toto – XIV". Hung Medien. Retrieved April 2, 2015.
  22. ↑ "TOTO XIV～聖剣の絆(限定生産 紙ジャケット仕様) - TOTO". Oricon.co.jp. Retrieved January 8, 2018.
  23. ↑ "Norwegiancharts.com – Toto – XIV". Hung Medien. Retrieved March 29, 2015.
  24. ↑ "Swedishcharts.com – Toto – XIV". Hung Medien. Retrieved March 26, 2015.
  25. ↑ "Swisscharts.com – Toto – XIV". Hung Medien. Retrieved April 1, 2015.
  26. ↑ "xiv - full Official Chart History - Official Charts Company". OfficialCharts.com. Retrieved January 8, 2018.
  27. ↑ "Toto XIV - Billboard". Billboard. Retrieved January 8, 2018.
  28. ↑ "Toto Chart History (Top Rock Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved March 25, 2015.
  29. ↑ "Jaaroverzichten – Album 2015". dutchcharts.nl. Retrieved October 31, 2020.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.