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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Different from Toto IV, but in a way better, October 8, 1999
Over Toto's first four albums the band seemed to be struggling to fuse Luke's guitar chops and rock roots with that Paich/Porcaro weird keyboard magic. They got it just right with "Rosanna" on Toto IV, and they got it just right on "Carmen", "Lion" and "Isolation" on this disc. Fergie really shines in all three songs and I can't imagine Kimball singing any of them as well. Kimball has a voice made for the R&B songs that were wholly absent from this album. If this album is missing anything, it is the R&B elements found in songs like "Waiting For Your Love", "Mama" and "You Are the Flower" from earlier albums. On this album Toto almost (but not quite) sounds like just one band.I agree with the other reviewers about the energy present throughout this release. There is only one ballad ("How Does It Feel"). The rest of the disc kicks, even the odd tunes like "Mr. Friendly", thanks to Jeff Porcaro's strong drumming.
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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Isolation - Toto at it's best, June 8, 2002
I knew Toto from their hits Africa and Rosanna. I already owned IV which i though was quite good. So when Isolation came out I immediately went to the record store to listen to it. I was absolutely thrilled by this album. This, to me, is the best Toto album ever. Great music, enormous energy and a great new singer. The voice of Fergie Fredricksen is one of the strenghts of this album. His voice is powerful, just a little raw and perfectly suited for rock music. That brings me to the second strength of this album: this is a real rock album from the first track to the last (except for how does it feel). My favourite track is probably "Angel don't cry" although "Stranger in town" is just as good and "Endless" fills up the third spot of may favourite three tracks of the album. Actually there is no bad song on this album although I personally think that "How does it feel" is slighty less than the other tracks. All in all: if you like rock music, this album is a must. It's not the best sold Toto album, it's not the most famous Toto album, but there is one thing this album is: It's the BEST Toto album. And it probably always will be.
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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Definitely Worth Another Listen!, March 23, 2001
This album was poorly received when released, probably owing to the difference in style from its mega-hit predecessor TOTO IV, and the presence of Fergie Fredrickson, a new vocalist that had replaced Bobby Kimball. In hindsight, though, the drubbing ISOLATION received was undeserved...this is a satisfying colleciton for what it is: 80s power-pop tunes.Whereas TOTO IV and the band's earlier work had a bluesy, R&B edge to go along with the slick LA pop sound, ISOLATION plunged headlong into the 80s wave, powered by Fredrickson's vocals...a major departure from Kimball's, but very impressive in their own right. The best cut on the album is "Stranger In Town", erroneously described in another review as being about Jack the Ripper (it's actually based on the plot of the old movie "Whistle Down the Wind", which has also been adopted into an Andrew Lloyd Webber musical). That cut alone is worth owning the CD, but "Carmen", "Endless" and the title track are also solid efforts. Like many 80s albums of the period, ISOLATION is hard-driving, pulsating pop music. Recognize and enjoy it for what it is, and you won't be sorry.
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