Great Rock Albums of 1979: Toto

Although I was a big fan of Wayne's World, there was one thing in their book "Extreme Close Up" I didn't agree with. That was some of the songs they listed in the category of "Top Ten Party Killing Tunes." There were at least two other songs that I felt shouldn't have been on the list, "Hotel California" by the Eagles and "Freebird" by Lynyrd Skynyrd. However, down at number two was "Anything by Toto." I don't agree that every song by Toto is a party killer. Maybe in the case of "Georgy Porgy" but not their most noted song, "Hold the Line." That was the song that made me aware of them and I still enjoy listening to it when I play any of the compilation CDs it appears on. Saying that, I do agree with Wayne's number one choice, "Any disco tune."
Sticklers for music history will point out that this album was released in 1978, but it didn't come to my attention until March of 1979. How it did is an amusing story. An Air Force recruitment band came to my high school and played a gig. They introduced "Hold the Line" by saying that Toto had left Dorothy and the rest of the Wizard of Oz group and formed his own band. No, I didn't find that funny either, but they did make the song sound good. Therefore, I was totally impressed when I heard the actual version by Toto.
If someone bought this album today after hearing "Hold the Line," they may be disappointed in the fact that Toto aren't a true hard rock band. They are more of a prog rock band with elements of hard and soft rock. I will go out on a ledge here and say they sound like 10cc with a bit of Kansas thrown in. While the album definitely isn't party killing, it's not a party enhancer either. This album is what I call a good wind down album. It's great for playing when travelling home from a metal concert and you want something to bring you down. It's also good for chilling in your big chair.
One thing I can say from this and other offerings by Toto is that they're all talented musicians. The opening track, "Child's Anthem" is a brilliant instrumental  intro to the album and while some of the song "I'll Supply the Love" has that generic commercial 70s sound in some places, there is some good guitar licks and a keyboard solo to bring it up. A critic, which I'm not, might say that the musicianship makes up for any other flaws in the music.

Track Listing:

1. Child's Anthem

2. I'll Supply the Love

3. Georgy Porgy

4. Manuela Run

5. You Are the Flower

6. Girl Goodbye

7. Takin' It Back

8. Rockmaker

9. Hold the Line

10. Angela

Toto

Bobby Kimball- lead and backing vocals

Steve Lukather- guitars, lead and backing vocals

David Paich- keyboards, lead and backing vocals

Steve Porcaro- keyboards, lead vocals

David Hungate- bass

Jeff Porcaro- drums

Toto are a good prog rock outfit, maybe not as good as Kansas in my opinion, but still good as their first album shows. And don't pay attention to Wayne's "Top Ten Party Killing Tunes" list.

Next post: Queen- Jazz

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Great Rock Albums of 1979: The Cars- Candy O

Here it is, the long awaited visit to the second album by The Cars, "Candy O." One term I will be batting about quite a bit here is "Sophmore Jinx." I used it once before when I visited the "Don't Look Back" album by Boston and I will use it a lot more when I visit the second album from any rock or metal act. Like the Boston album, this second album from The Cars definitely escapes the sophmore jinx. To me, "Candy O" is every bit as good as the first album.
When compared to the first album, there are lots of similarities between the two, however, "Candy O" still sounds fresh. The singles from the album "Let's Go" and "It's All I Can Do" sound unique in their own right and the entire album gives that familiar Cars sound while at the same time doesn't get old. I don't know any other band who can create a sound where the guitars and keyboards completely compliment each other better than The Cars. This shines through with every song on the album.

Track Listing:

1. Let's Go

2. Since I Held You

3. It's All I Can Do

4. Double Life

5. Shoo Be Doo

6. Candy O

7. Nightspots

8. You Can't Hold On Too Long

9. Lust for Kicks

10. Got A Lot On My Head

11. Dangerous Type

The Cars

Ric Ocasek- vocals, rhythm guitar

Elliot Easton- lead guitar, backing vocals

Greg Hawkes- keyboards, tenor sax, backing vocals

Ben Orr- bass, vocals

David Robinson- drums, percussion

One thing that can never be omitted when talking about The Cars is the unique vocals of Ric Ocasek. As soon as I hear him, I know it's definitely The Cars I'm listening to. This is another thing that makes this album so good and I now include Elliot Easton in my ever growing list of underrated guitarist. Okay, he doesn't go into long cranking solos, but when you hear him play, it is done very well. "Candy O" is one of the more memorable albums from 1979.

Next post: Toto

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Great Rock Albums of 1979: The Soundtrack to The Warriors

This is my favourite movie of all time, I must have seen it at least 25 times and could probably act every part in it, although not very well. When asked why, I explain that as a youth I had some morbid fascination with gang fights, I don't know why. Anyway, I'm not doing a self psych evaluation here. The amusing thing I remember about this film was that there was an uproar when it was coming to Philadelphia because of fears of gang violence. It seems that in some other major US cities, gangs would go to the film for a bit of inspiration and then have a rumble after, only in America.

Onto the soundtrack, when I first watched the movie way back in 1979, it was the last movie I went to before I joined the marines, I was very impressed with the soundtrack. There were some real hard rocking songs on it. As a result I bought it on my first leave after boot camp and I was right, for the most part. I do have to say that I wasn't impressed by the track "Echoes in My Mind" and usually skipped over it when I listened on vinyl or turned down the volume when listening to it on cassette in the car. Nevertheless, the other songs more than make up for it. The ones that definitely do it for me are "Love is a Fire," "Last of an Ancient Breed" and the song from Joe Walsh which would be re recorded by the Eagles in an album I will visit in the not too distant future, "In the City."

Track Listing

1. Barry De Vorzon- The Theme to the Warriors

2. Arnold McCuller- Nowhere to Run

3. Kenny Vance and Ismael Miranda- In Havana

4. Mantrill- Echoes in My Mind

5. Barry De Vorzon- The Fight

6. Joe Walsh- In the City

7. Genya Ravan- Love is a Fire

8. Barry De Vorzon- The Baseball Furies Chase

9. Johnny Vastano- You're Moving Too Slow

10. Desmond Child- Last of an Ancient Breed

When I was in the marines, I met many people from New York who said this film was a load of bull. The gangs aren't visible like they are in the film and one guy said that if his gang went up against a gang looking like the Baseball Furies, the Furies would have kicked their asses because they would have been to busy laughing at them. Whatever you might have though of the film, this is still a great soundtrack with some really cool songs.

Next post: The Cars- Candy O

To buy Rock and Roll Children- go to www.strategicpublishinggroup.com/title/RockAndRollChildren.html

Also available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Froogle and on sale at Foyles Book Shop in London