New Music Corner #206 (Toto, The Answer)

[Scott]

by "ooey-gooey melodic rock" Scott...


This weeks New Music Sampler may very well contain this years album of the year. It's a must listen edition!

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First up is Toto - the much maligned and joked about Toto. But they're still here! And they've still got it. The album landed in the Top 10 on the charts in nine countries (Germany #4, Netherlands #2, Japan #2, Denmark #7, Czech Republic #10, Finland #5, Norway #6, Sweden #4 and Switzerland #3). TOTO XIV also became the first new studio album to chart in the US & UK since 1988’s The Seventh One. The title is an homage to the ultra-successful IV from 1982. The bands considers it more of a follow-up to IV. And at first listen you will know why...

1. Burn
2. 21st Century Blues
3. The Little Things
4. Chinatown
5. Great Expectations

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I was first introduced to The Answer when they stepped on stage as the opening act for AC/DC during 2008's Back Ice tour. They played great and the crowd never got antsy or restless. The next time I heard them was here on CRB, and I remember thinking they were a good band but they were still growing. IMHO, they've finally arrived... they sound way better than ever and this album is a shocker in many ways. Take a listen.

6. Long Live the Renegades
7. Aristocrat
8. Strange Kinda' Nothing
9. Whiplash
10. Red

[RJhog (Admin)]

I Am What I Am may be my favorite track from The Answer. And you are right, it may just be the album of the year.

[Scott]

So far I'm really digging Strange Kinda' Nothing as my favorite song this year... so far.  I've got 3-4 albums penciled in as AOTY so far.  This is gonna take some time to weed through the initial listening processes and see who stands the test of time.  Thankfully its still early

[Jon]

The Answer--Thumbs in the middle

Really nothing new or exciting here. It's not bad, but I've heard this before and I think that band's name was Nazareth or something like that. I also see a black crow on the cover, but I don't think they sound like the Black Crowes. It is an interesting album cover. But the songs, while competent, don't really do anything for me.

[Jon]

Toto--Thumbs Up

Thanks to me, you were able to post this. I didn't see a thanks. Why is that? If I didn't hand this to you, you would have posted something else, probably another album 90 years old. Oh, well.

This is a fine album, however I like still "Falling In Between" a bit better. As with that album, there's an absence of dud tracks. I just like the heavy prog of the previous album a smidge better. I also don't really consider this a followup to "IV", even though they say it is. They're lying!

Wonder if you play a Steely Dan song and "21st Century Blues" for someone who's never really listened to SD if they would be able to tell the difference between SD and Toto?

That last song is especially killer, that reminds me of the previous album.

Album of the year? No, but it should be ranked in the top 10.  

[Scott]

[Niels (Mod)]

TOTO - 5.5/6

Now this is a great album. I didn't expect that, with all of those Porcaro's not around anymore, and I never was that much of a "Joseph Williams-fan", especially after the VERY dissapointing "Fahrenheit"-album, after the excellent "Isolation"-album. "The Seventh One" was an improvement, but not nearly as great as "Isolation". It took me a couple of listenings to realize, how good this one is. You can hear, that they are older, especially on Davis Paich's voice, and sure, they play stuff, that have been heard before, but who cares, when it's an album, that you want to listen to again and again, and when it's not on the stereo, it's playing in your head. Easily a contender for album of the year, and it probably would had been, if not for that other one (which is the best album released since "Testimony 2"). I acually tried to get tickets for a Toto-concert in Copenhagen in June, because of how great this album is, but sadly it was sold out.

Oh, and fat chance for "The Answer" being album of the year, as long as Jon and I have a saying in that ;-)

[Scott]

It has certainly been an interesting year so far....

[RJhog (Admin)]

You don't have a say this year.  I decided that I will make the Official CRB Top 10 Albums list...

[RJhog (Admin)]

Toto

Burn - Man, this is an awesome song.  The hook is out of this world.  It's my favorite on the disc.

21st Century Blues - It took a few listens for me to warm up to this song, but now that I have, it's pretty dang good!

The Little Things - This would have to be my least favorite track.  I don't hate it, but it floats into the bad side of yacht rock.  

Chinatown - This is another amazing song.  Again, it took an extra listen or so for it to hit me,  but it really takes me back to the very late 70's or the very early 80's.  It simply gets better with every listen.

Great Expectations - You get the feeling it's yet another ballad at first, but then it blows up beautifully.  Lukather is on fire here.

Final Verdict:  Excellent disc.  Highly recommended.

The Answer

Long Live The Renegades - Not since Tommy Shaw's hit with Styx have I liked a song with the word "renegade" in the title like I do this one.  It's a great opener with a cool hook.

Aristocrat - This just may have taken over as my favorite track on the album in the last few days.  I love the backing vocals (as I do on the whole album).

Strange Kinda' Nothing - Personally, I think Cigarettes & Regret is a bit better, but that's not to say this isn't an excellent track.  And it's proving to be quite a grower.  I'm stoked at how good the ballads are on this album.

Whiplash - This is another individual favorite for me.  I love the dual guitar and bass riff.  That is so cool.  

Red - Maybe the weakest track here, but I don't skip it.  It seems to be improving with age.

If you like straight ahead rock in the vein of AC/DC, this is for you.  However, I am so pleased, as I mentioned earlier, with how great the ballads are.  That's what separates them from AC/DC.

Final Verdict: Excellent disc.  Highly recommend.

[Scott]

Agreed on both counts.  Chinatown sounds like it came straight out of the debut album sessions.  I love hearing the old and the new mixed in.  XIV is a gem of a release.  A rarity in these days of hard-to-find Classic Rock quality.  But I think last year and this year have really been huge for these artists.  Its a renaissance of sorts ...

The Answer is also, for me, one of this years best so far.  And you're right, its a grower every time I listen!  Its going to be tough to pick a top 3!