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56 of 60 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Toto IV, January 10, 2004
One expects a backlash to anything that is overtly successful.One also expects a backlash when something is extremely polished and professional sounding. To all the reviewers who have lambasted or said this album is worth only two songs (which makes it better than the first TOTO album) -- think of songwriting like somebody building you a house. Now if you find a person who builds you a house, you move in, and you find it has charm but is built like c**p, you of course will be pleased with how it makes you feel, but disappointed that what you paid for, you didn't get. Now say you find another person who builds you an expertly crafted house, but it lacks a certain homely charm. Does that mean you race back to the cr***y house? Songwriting is a craft, like any other trade, any other thing you can do with your mind, hands or both. Like blacksmiths, carpenters, and farmers, the artist / musician is constantly developing and improving their technique and proficiency to present you (a person who may not be skilled in such a craft) a thing which is well presented and should suit your tastes in somehow,someway. Whether this is overall, or momentary is up to you as 'the buyer'. But if you're satisified at least once, then they have succeeded. And TOTO succeeded with TOTO IV in a major way. To fault them for finally honing a songwriting craft after 4 years of steady work, and 10 years of professional session work, and that people of all types responded to it enthusiastically, is more to do with you than them. I'm not trying to look at TOTO IV with rose coloured glasses, but one thing that cannot be found on here is bad musicianship. As a musician, I learned an immense amount of craft from TOTO, and I will always be thankful to them (primarily the Kimball / Hungate / Paich / Porcaro / Lukather / Porcaro lineup)and I find nowhere else in their first four albums where this craft is presented so refined and polished than on TOTO IV. To maybe a listener who is just looking for gripping songs, or dramatic flourishes, or fits of anger or paeans to love, they will not find it here. For me, what I look for is someone who cares about what they're doing, shows it, and walks away saying 'I did my best'. And TOTO IV delivers that. How anyone can say 'Waiting For Your Love' is a filler tune to the likes of Africa and Roseanne, I cannot comprehend. Have you actually heard the groove of this song? I hate to get all imploring, but have you heard the way Jeff Porcaro plays the hi-hat on this song? If it was jazz great Harvey Mason, you may say different, you might even listen, because its Mason and you're supposed to, but the playing of these musicians is almost perfect - the right amount of technique and feel. So it's alright if its Steely Dan, but not TOTO aye? 'Waiting For Your Love' and 'Good For You' are absolutely my favourite songs on here for the reasons stated above, the musicianship and playing skills of these people, and how much it adds to just a song. If you cannot find heart or soul in the playing of these musicians, or at least some passion for what they are doing, then maybe I can only suggest picking up an instrument and learn these songs, because you will find how 'on' you have to be to play them with as much 'feel' thats in them. I just think you have to be at a certain point where crash crash bang bang just doesn't hold as much interest any more, and funnily enough I reached that point at 20 years old. And I thank TOTO for showing me that being a musician is more than just flicking your hair, and drinking booze and talking about your car.
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19 of 23 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
1982 - The Year of TOTO, March 13, 2006
Once in a while, in the careers of certain bands, an album is produced that rides on a certain, unstoppable creative momentum. TOTO were one of the few bands to experience a wave of this sort in '81-2 when they recorded what is, without a doubt, their most accomplished and accessable album - "TOTO IV".
The industry and record buying public acknowledged them further with a surge of 5 Grammy awards, including Best Album, Record of the Year (Rosanna) and Best Producer (Toto).
It is no surprise to any reader or reviewer here that there are two songs on this LP that far outweigh the others in quality. "Rosanna" and "Africa" are absolute career-peak compositions by David Paich (the latter co-composed with Jeff Porcaro), indeed they are a peak for the eighties pop music canon and would both certainly feature in any serious pop/rock all time top 100 list.
It's also no mystery to pop culture fanatics that "Rosanna" was named, after the song was finished for the beautiful actress Rosanna Arquette who, at the time, was dating Toto's keyboardist/vocalist Steve Porcaro. The song however, was not written specifically for her. Either way, Arquette must have gone very weak at the knees when she first heard this song - it is an astonishing tour-de-force by the band whose musicianship effectively shatters most of the opposition. You have to remember that all of the players in TOTO have 'to die for' studio credits on literally hundreds of recordings including albums like "Thriller" and works from artists like George Benson, Steely Dan, Rickie Lee Jones, Lionel Richie, Boz Scaggs, Melissa Manchester, Randy Crawford, Carly Simon, James Taylor - the list is literally endless. Just the drum track played effortlessly by Jeff Porcaro in "Rosanna", a complex take on the half-time shuffle, has been discussed by drum teachers and included in music text books ever since.
The other track, "Africa" is one of the finest pop performances ever committed to vinyl. Another fantastic groove from the rhythm section, the finest vocal yet from David Paich (I doubt he will surpass it) and a sky high belted out chorus with Bobby Kimball soaring on backing vocals. The scope and grandeur of "Africa" is nothing short of cinematic and the solo keyboard from Steve Porcaro is astoundingly proficient and graceful - you wouldn't expect anything less from any player in the band. Listen carefully for David Hungate's ascending bass riffs at the end of the song. He has been dearly missed by me on all subsequent TOTO releases, and is still one of the most sought after session bass players in the business.
When compared to "Rosanna" and "Africa", the remainder of songs on the album fall short but so does 99% of western popular music. In actual fact, the remaining tracks are superb support tracks and most of them near career high recordings for the band. There is a feeling of 'triumph' about the album which is irresistable.
The horns and strings make every track feel like an anthem and even the lesser tunes are treated to such clever and imaginative arrangements they are a pleasure to listen to. My favourites: "Make Believe", "Good for You", "We Made It" and "I Won't Hold You Back" with Steve Porcaro's "It's a feeling" providing an experimental, uplifting diversion. It's surprisingly tuneful and the variety added by Steve P's voice adds yet another dimension to the album.
Despite a prolific number of vocalists in the band, it's really Bobby Kimball's specialised vocals that let the band soar and lend an organic R&B credibility to the sometimes overly technical arrangements of TOTO. He too was sorely missed after being asked to leave following this album.
If you are familiar with the rest of TOTO's catalogue, then you will know that this is the album where their strengths are most to the fore and their weaknesses are held back. In short, they are at their most inspired here and for artists of this calibre, that means an album that will always be regarded as an iconic classic of it's time.
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7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Well Done Collection Of Songs, May 28, 1999
By A Customer
This is my favorite album from Toto. They did a great job on this album. This is one of those rare albums that doesn't have any filler, and every song stands on its own. The musicanship is great and very tight. My favorites are "Africa," "I Won't Hold You Back," and "Make Believe." "I Won't Hold You Back," is a classic ballad with great vocals from Steve Lukather. Toto's best album. Recommended.
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is Toto's 4th studio release. Browse Toto's Discography 
