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Toto - Isolation Audio CD

A fair review of the Toto "Isolation" Audio CD. Please note that the below review is the views of the authors, and authors only. You can get a complete list of all Toto reviews here, or go back to the Toto tabs.

Toto Band: Toto
Title: Isolation
Rating:
Release Date: 2008-03-01
Media: Audio CD

Tracks: 1: Carmen 2: Lion 3: Stranger in Town 4: Angel Don't Cry 5: How Does It Feel 6: Endless 7: Isolation 8: Mr. Friendly 9: Change of Heart 10: Holyanna

Isolation
Isolation is still up to their musical standards; it's only failing if any is it's different. A lot of fans thought Toto was losing it when this came out, especially the cut Stranger in Town. Bands evolve. Deal with it.


Excellent Album
Instead of continuing on with their successful formula of soft rock radio friendly songs, they decided to change it up with a harder edged sound & bring in a new lead singer named Fergie Frederickson after longtime vocalist - Bobby Kimball had to depart. Isolation, which was released in 1984, is a terrific album & probably my all time favorite Toto album. His voice sounded nothing like Bobby's but it was a very powerful one & it meshed really well with the bands harder new sound. Sometimes bringing in a new lead singer is a disaster for a band but in Toto's case, I think it worked out quite well. David Paich & Steve Lukather also do lead vocals on the ballads as well. The end result was an album full of great melodic hard rock songs that were right up there with the bands previous work. Unfortunately, this album didn't sell well or generate any top 10 hits so most people (even Toto fans) have probably never heard it. But that wasn't becuz it was inferior album. I think it was becuz the record company didn't promote it properly & for whatever reason, didn't release hardly any of it's great songs as singles. This album has the same great production & musicianship as Toto 4 & their later albums & many of these songs, if given the chance, probably would've been hits. My favorite tracks are "Carmen", "Lion", "Endless", "Mr. Friendly" & "Holyanna". If you're a Toto fan & don't own this album yet, make sure to give it a listen cuz if you don't, you're really missing out on some true rock gems. .


boring harder rocking album
David Paich has a soothing voice and his lead vocal on 'stranger in town' is effective. I quite like the first side of this album. 'Carmen' is also a memorable number. Lukather's ballad 'how does it feel', is the only sort of ballad song here, but I am not too fond, though it is ok.
The second side is just hard rocking bland song after hard rocking bland song. Tracks 6-9 just blur in my mind as the same sounding. 'Holyana' is better by Paich again, but not enough to rescue a boring album that has none of the trademark melodies and ballads that Toto are best known for. .


The ultimate 80's style!


Allthough Bobby Kimball (Toto 1-4 and Mindfields-present) is one of my all time favourite singers, Fergie Fredricksen does a good job as well. This album was released two years after Toto IV, and in my opinion continues the great style and songwriting of their peak album. His style is a little more Heavy Metal-inspired, whereas Kimball originally is a soul singer. In a way this is the real peak of Toto, and I think it's often overlooked by fans. .


Hidden gems from Toto
The rating is only lower because of the number of truly great songs. I realyy didn't want to lower the rating on this CD. Not all songs on a CD will strike that special chord. But this CD is worth those hidden gems. I use these songs to pepper playlist with other artists from the 80's. People always ask about the Toto songs.
Dave.


You can see a complete list of all Toto discography, or go back to the Toto tabs. There is also a good guide on how to read guitar tabs here.

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