Toto is one of those yacht rock bands from the 70’s that seemingly tried everything under the sun sonically. They rolled up their favorite components of genres ranging from funk, pop, rock, soul, prog-rock, jazz, and the blues, stitched them together with expert musicianship, and slapped a sweet sheen of production prowess on top that made everything taste smoother than peanut butter. Toto IV was the band’s fourth album and one that somewhat saved their career– following their platinum self-titled debut album in 1978 they struggled with a pair of subsequent releases, and only after going back to the basics on Toto IV did they really manage to break out to the cult classic fans know and remember today. This was the album that saw the band operating at their commercial and creative peak, with the record bookended by two smash-hits in “Roseanna” and “Africa”, songs that live on as wedding-night staples whenever dinner ends and the dancing begins. And while the rest of Toto IV doesn’t quite reach the apex of those two songs (which is admittedly quite a tall order), it’s filled with an excellent showcase of the eclectic spirit that made Toto a household name.
Standout Songs: “Roseanna”, “Africa”, “I Won’t Hold You Back”
Matthew. 