Toto XIV cd review




































A month ago I was lucky enough to hear the new Toto cd XIV for the first time and felt the need to reassure fans across the world that the music contained inside would only add to the bands legendary status.

I do like to live with an album for a while before giving my thoughts as on repeated visits you pick up on other things like a vocal melody or musical nuance that I may have missed before.

9 years have passed since their last studio cd " Falling In Between " and the band spent most of 2014 putting " XIV " together with returning members David Hungate and Joseph Williams and also the debut of new drummer Keith Carlock previously with Steely Dan.

In fact I think it is worth listing everyone who had a part in making this so special and all under the eye of producer CJ Vanston who has previously worked on Steve Lukather's solo cd's and has done a superb job.

Joseph Williams – lead vocals

Steve Lukather – guitars, bass, vocals
David Paich – keyboards, vocals
Steve Porcaro – keyboards, vocals
David Hungate – bass
Keith Carlock – drums
Lenny Castro – percussion
Tom Scott – saxes and horn arrangements
Lee Sklar, Tal Wilkenfeld, Tim Lefebvre – bass
Martin Tillman - cello
CJ Vanston – additional synths
Michael McDonald, Amy Keys, Mabvuto Carpenter, Jamie Savko, Amy Wlliams – background vocals.









TOTO (L-R) - David Paich (keyboards, vocals) Joseph Williams (lead vocals)
Steve Lukather (guitar, vocals, keyboards) Steve Porcaro (keyboards, synthesizers, vocals)
Photo Credit: © Heather Porcaro

"Running Out Of Time " is melodic rock at it's finest with a driving drum beat ( the first of many from Carlock ) and splashes of guitar and keys before it builds into a huge chorus with a final multi layered vocal with Joseph Williams sounding like he has never been away let alone over 20 years. The lyrics are autobiographical saying no more waiting,time is wasting with the band deciding now is the time to let any past issues wash away.

" Burn " develops from a piano and vocal ballad that bursts into life at the chorus with a huge riff and near Queen " We Will Rock You " drum style and then quietens down into the second verse. Plenty of woah woah woah's after the last chorus too.

" Holy War " has a picked Steve riff over Carlock's driving drum rhythm that again builds into the chorus with some lovely depth to the song with keys and bass bubbling alongside the main riff.After the second chorus the band rock out musically with keys and drums all to the fore before Steve shows his class with a superb guitar solo before the outro has keys to the fore.Must be played live I would hope.

" 21st Century Blues " just gets better and better every time I hear it. A bluesy rocker that has a wonderful lightness to it with bass again bubbling over Carlock's drum rhythm . Steve takes lead vocal on this with the multi layered chorus trying to convince us that the world is round and the sky is green.Horns only add to the musical tour de force and depth of the song and Steve's superb mid song solo hits the mark. The closing lengthy outro has the band all dipping in and out be it guitar melody lines or soloing,keys or horns on another song that needs to be played live. It is difficult not to just press play again. Over 6 minutes of musical perfection.

" Orphan " slows the pace at the beginning with a piano and Joseph vocal before a stop start riff and drum pattern turn it from a ballad into a melodic rocker.Nice Steve guitar melody in the outro with Carlock again impressing.

" Unknown Soldier " is in one word .Epic. It builds from a quiet acoustic guitar beginning into a sprawling rocker which again you can imagine being played live with suitable dry ice and lights ebbing and flowing to the songs light and shade characteristics.Steve provides the vocal and again the band all play their part with acoustic interludes as the song rebuilds up to the multi layered vocal chorus with lyrics as ever poignant in the current world climate.

" Little Things " is a delicate vocal ballad with Steve Porcaro on lead vocal that would have been all over MTV back in the day. You can imagine an arena lighting up with phones as the band take it down a level.

" Chinatown " is a jazz funk styled groover with David Paich on vocals at first and then he trades with Joseph before Steve also takes a turn on a song that would have fitted onto any of their 1980's cd's and Steve's hits another superb solo.Another band work out at the outro with horns,keys and drums all in perfect unison and big kudos to CJ Vanston for letting every instrument breathe.

" All The Tears " is a classic ballad with passionate David Paich vocal with the melody of the vocal lines a real treat. Just shows you don't always have to bash someone around the head to get the point across.

" Fortune " is a mid paced light rocker with a Joseph vocal on a song built on a chopped riff that ebbs in and out with bubbling keys and bass along Carlock's drum rhythm and another big chorus . Again Vanston's production skills are to the fore on and love the way the guitar riff builds and dips sometimes on the same note. Steve's short and sharp solo fits the song perfectly and more musical dexterity from all involved on the outro with Steve's bluesy playing and soloing to the fore.

" Great Expectations " is a fitting close with the lyrics again showing the band's humour with  a tongue in cheek comment to all the fans who expected the world.
Over the course of nearly 7 minutes the band lay down a song where everyone takes a bow.It will be the highlight of the upcoming shows with so many time changes and so many musical styles that the band are known for all thrown into a musical vortex and poured out .
Light and shade,jazz,acoustic guitar riffs,huge heavy guitar riff thrown in at 4:45 still makes me jump,Carlock's driving drum patterns abound and keys and bass all dip in and out in a prog rock symphonic eargasm!!

Phew got a bit excited there and I am sure when Toto XIV hits the shelves on March 20 I am sure I will not be the only one.

It is a difficult decision as a legendary band to put out new music or not. Some feel that fans only want to hear the old classics and some fans feel that new ventures do not live up to the classics.
For me it is important that both the band and fans embrace the past and the future too.

With XIV Toto have produced one of the finest cd's of their career and for that both band and fans we should all rejoice together.

Splendid.





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