New music by Toto is a rarity. In the past 20 years, the Los Angeles rock band (“Hold The Line”) have released just two studio albums of original songs. The last one so far, “Toto XIV”, is already seven years old.
After all, some Toto members occasionally release solo albums. After guitarist Steve Lukather and frontman Joseph Williams, keyboarder, pianist and singer David Paich now presents his debut.
No “riding solo”
However, the 68-year-old is not really solo on “Forgotten Toys”. Because his band mates Lukather and Williams, who are currently on a European tour with the new Toto line-up without Paich, are heavily involved. Williams sings the refrain of the strangely titled “willielongtoyou” unmistakably, Lukather plays the guitar solo – so that the number cannot be distinguished from a Toto song. The same goes for the excellent “Spirit Of The Moonrise”.
Not the front man
As a singer, David Paich was only number three at Toto behind the respective frontman – Bobby Kimball, Fergie Frederiksen or currently Williams again – and Lukather, who was blessed with a great voice. With “Africa” Paich sang one of the band’s biggest hits, but not the chorus. His sometimes slightly nasal baritone voice is unmistakable, just not quite as expressive.
Across
In addition to the Toto colleagues, “Forgotten Toys” also features studio greats and former companions of Paich, who already played the keys as a session musician for Michael Jackson’s “Thriller”. Guests include Michael McDonald, Brian Eno, Ray Parker Jr., ex-Eagles member Don Felder and new Rolling Stones drummer Steve Jordan.
Whether it was a relaxed soul number (“First Time”) or rock ‘n’ roll from the drawing board (“Queen Charade”), Toto also occasionally made such songs. With “All The Tears That Shine” the album even includes a cover version of a song from “Toto XIV”. The playful jazz number “Lucy” already forms the conclusion of a record that is unusually short with six songs and a running time of almost 30 minutes.
Health problems
For health reasons, David Paich is rarely on stage with Lukather and Co., but he remains the musical director of the band, which was founded in 1976. “Forgotten Toys”, which is almost a Toto album, also shows how closely connected Toto and Paich are.