TAPE Me Back To The Future — MADE For Tape # 11: Toto, “Toto IV” (1982)
An occasional series here that celebrates the cassette-tape format in all its glory. Wobbles
I might have just cured — or at least understood — my love/hate relationship with the band Toto by returning to what, for me, was the primary source. Actually, it was the band’s first album (self-titled) that I heard first. But it was on cassette tape. Shortly after it was IV — I skipped two and three (not called that, but the second and third albums at least). I’m sure many have skipped from 1 straight to 4 when it comes to Toto, unless you were there soaking it all up at the time.
I’ve gone back and listened through the catalogue but the only albums I really ever cared about were Toto and Toto IV. I had an annoying Greatest Hits-type album which aimed to cover the gaps, but didn’t really, merely highlighted my annoyance with the band. And I’ve watched a bunch of live DVDs because everyone is always so eager to White Boy it hard and talk up how great the musicians in the band are. And sure, they’re good players and have written some tunes that have gone big and played on some albums that are far bigger than their own (thinking Thriller specifically). Also, Jeff Porcaro — drummer — is the real reason I could ever care about Toto, and is a legend, and the best, and one of the all-time greatest, and basically gets a free pass. So his involvement in the group is always my starting point.
Which means, when it comes to Toto IV, that, sure, Rosanna is played out — but it still has Jeff’s reinvention of The Purdie Shuffle, via Led Zeppelin’s Fool In The Rain, which means the groove still sits deep inside my head as one of the great modern drum grooves. The Rosanna Arquette connection (inspiration) for the song sits deep inside my head also as the sort of music trivia I collect and cannot shake.
I recently bought Toto IV on cassette tape. I bought it alongside some other 80s favourites (Tango in the Night, some Lionel Richie, etc) and, well, I wasn’t even that pumped about owning Toto IV again, but if anything I have always quite liked the cover; just an iconic 80s cover art, one of my first instances of clocking an effective logo/branding.
Anyway, look, right time/right place, Toto IV is rather exquisite. Of course I can’t quite shake Bill Bailey’s two-decade old rant about the lyrical absurdity of Africa, but as already mentioned, I can focus in on Jeff’s drumming. And that usually gets me through any of the really ropey songs on a Toto album (I’m looking at you, Georgy Porgy from 1978’s Toto! Looking at you, rather than listening to you if I can help it…)
I interviewed Steve Lukather a while back, and thought he was rather soulless and also entirely too pleased with himself — which is obviously a cruel assessment since all I’ve ever done is buy and sell and buy again copies of Thriller and Toto IV, whereas he was crucial to them both, and those albums bought and sold his houses — plural. But yeah, what crystallised for me, just recently is that Toto is to the late 70s and early 80s what the Eagles were to the early/mid 70s. Make of that what you will: Legends with great playing prowess and hitmakers — or coked-up noddies so full of themselves…but also still, you know, great players and hitmakers…
A little of both really init.
I found my copy of Toto IV on vinyl recently — and I’m keeping it for the cover as much as anything. And the realisation that this album/band I allegedly ‘don’t like’ I’ve owned on all three formats. And still own one of the albums on tape and vinyl. (I had Toto on tape, CD and vinyl too — but a listen to that recently reveals only the one mild banger at best).
So, yeah, this is me holding the line still with Toto. Just. But I was sure happy to hear this on tape. To shut the world out for 42 minutes and 17 seconds. To start with Rosanna and end at Africa — perfect bookending tracks it has to be said. Maybe some other highlights might include I Won’t Hold You Back and Waiting For Your Love — but in mentioning them both now I hit on another thing about Toto: They have nothing to say. Coked up privileged incredibly ‘white’ music with soft-rock in its heart and the idea of ‘love’ being expressed purely from the cock.
