
Through The Looking Glass
Release Year: 2002
Label: CMC
Country: USA
Produced by Toto
Musicians:
Bobby Kimball: Vocals
Steve Lukather: Vocals, Guitars
David Paich: Vocals, Keyboards, Moog Bass, Piano
Mike Porcaro: Bass
Simon Phillips: Drums, Loops, Tambourine, Keyboards
Additional Musicians: Ellis Hall: Vocals (Track 5), Steve Porcaro: Keyboards, Synth. Programming, Lenny Castro: Timbales, Congas, Percussion, Tambourine Brandon Fields: Sax, Walt Fowler: Trumpet, Flugelhorn, James Ingram, Davey Johnstone, Nigel Olison, Monet: Background Vocals;
I was a bit disappointed when I heard that the album that Toto would be releasing at their 25-year anniversary was to be an album full of covers. After all, this band had put out three very-good-to-stellar albums past their popular prime in the 1990s. New material was much anticipated. That being said, I was more than willing to give it a listen--since Toto has long been one of my favorite bands. As the 13th album I have purchased by Toto, it is without a doubt their weakest. That being said, there are still some worthy tracks on here. The album does not get off to a stellar start in my opinion with the Bob Marley cover "Could You Be Loved". The track is reasonably catchy but kind of grates on my nerves after a while. It is a bit of an annoying track for Toto to cover. Much better are the next two tracks. The Steely Dan cover "Bodhisattva" is catchy and rocking, and "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" is made into a classic-sounding Steve Lukather ballad. Next, however, come two tracks that I am annoyed that Toto would cover. While "I Can't Get Next To You" and "Living for the City" are both decent songs, they simply sound a bit silly covered by Toto. While Toto has had a wide variety of great styles over the years, these songs seem too far out in left field even for them. At the midpoint of the album is another different style, but this one I like much better. The cover of the instrumental "Maiden Voyage/Butterfly" is a relaxing musical delight. For those who think Toto has never gone in this direction before, guess again: remember the closing instrumental jazz track "Don't Stop Me Now" on 1986's "Fahrenheit" album? As with that original song, this cover is done very well. Even better is the next track, Elton John's "Burn Down the Mission". Now THIS is what Toto should be covering! Excellent track from beginning to end, totally keeping the spirit of the original track. This is probably my favorite track on the album. A pretty good rendition is also done of the next track, "Sunshine For Your Love", but I honestly am sick to death of that song and have no need to hear it ever again. "House of the Rising Sun" follows and is another decent, catchy track. But then comes the last two tracks that have me scratching my head again. Elvis Costello publicly stated he hated Toto way back when, so Toto decides to tweak him here by covering his song "Watching The Detectives". I totally appreciate their sense of humor and could live with the track if the rest were all stellar, but quite frankly this track is weak. The cover of the Bob Dylan-penned "It Takes a Lot to Laugh, It Takes a Train to Cry" also is hardly a song that I want to hear Toto sing. The style simply doesn't suit them. So there you have it. For sure, this album isn't horrible overall, but I truly only really like four of the 11 tracks--a far cry from any other Toto album. Toto completists like me should get this album, but I don't see it holding interest for too many others.
Heard this one once and gave it away... to me this had nothing to do with what we long to hear from that band and of course what they actually are capable of. A bunch of cover songs we already had heard better versions of. None of those songs reach the quality of the originals tho they in most cases stick close to the original. "While my guitar" was a masterpiece by the Beatles. The version Jeff Healy gave us was rough and tough. This one just sounds boring. The same with "Sunshine of your love". In 2002 and at least some 14 years in expectation of a great album I thought that's it with Toto. Luckily enough they proved better ;-)...
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