Toto
Isolation

THE REVIEW

Yes, okay, I know, Toto is one of those bands labeled as "either you love them or you hate them" or "great musicians, but the albums aren't that great," but I'll try to describe them anyway, because between loving them and hating them, I love them.

Isolation, for example, is a remarkable album: in 1984, Lukather and company, fresh off the immense success of their most famous album Toto IV, were recording their tracks as usual with the excellent singer Bobby Kimball, who, however, decided to leave halfway through the project due to some disagreements with the band. Fergie Fredrikson, quite charming, was hired, and his voice seems like a cross between Steve Perry and Dave Bickler. I believe it's primarily his vocal range that makes Isolation one of the most powerful albums in Toto's history.

Isolation can be presented as the band's most spontaneous album, made with the drive of musicians for the sake of themselves, who seem to have forgotten for once that they are, first of all, session men.

In this case, we can talk about a good rock-infused AOR, far from clichéd and very original. So, it starts with the first epic piece "Carmen," a gritty duet between the faithful Paich and the newcomer Fredrikson, characterized by stops and little keyboards typical of Toto, also found in the second track, "Lion," a brilliant piece where everyone gives their best (as always), and where Mike Porcaro's bass line gives headaches to anyone trying to play it (like me, just as an example).

"Stranger in Town" is the most commercial track on the album and the only one to achieve success, but it's nothing compared to Rosanna or Africa, which seem to have something extra.

 There's something truly exceptional about "Angel Don't Cry": this song indeed has a tough beat, power and rhythm flanked by a brilliant vocal line and goosebumps-inducing harmonies; Well, perhaps it may not be genius, but I personally love it.

There's no holding Fergie back: when Steve Lukather decides to write a song, he must sing it himself. 99.9% are ballads or intense slow songs, and even here he doesn't disappoint: "How Does It Feel" is romantic and sweet, with the merit of preceding the most beautiful song on the album and one of the best in their entire discography. "Endless" is its name, and everything is worthy of particular attention: the semi-funky guitars, the perfect symbiosis between drums and bass, the voice starting softly and gradually rising, the simple but genius chorus... "Endless" is one of those very simple pieces, but anything but banal, one that stays in your mind for at least a week.

Then comes "Isolation," the fantastic title track, which manages to follow in the footsteps of the previous song, with the quality of having a direct impact, very different from the following "Mr. Friendly," the most peculiar song on the album. It may be bold to talk about prog, and in fact, I won't, but the syncopated singing style and obsessive riff vaguely recall the genre. It can more simply be defined as a well-executed experiment that deviates from the usual style of the band.

A style that is nevertheless brought back in the last two songs of the album, "Change Of Heart" which recalls the sounds of the first album and Holyanna, whose roots are deeply founded in Toto's way of writing more commercial songs.

Toto's quality of being able to change style with almost every album is the main characteristic that makes them quite unique. At times they can offer great surprises like this one, the album that most delightfully borders into an AOR dimension.