The Album
Unknown Soldier: I've got the feeling that I have a higher opinion of this album than you, am I right?
Anteater: I like it.
Anteater: My problem is the way it was produced
Unknown Soldier: That's what you mean when you said that you had mixed views over it.
Anteater: Yeah and I like the songs for the most part
Unknown Soldier: What don't you like about its production.... I have an idea, but in your words? ,
Anteater: The album's first half in particular is pretty muscular
Anteater: Well, it sounds like the equivalent of a stuffed-up nose
Anteater: Like the sound has been flattened out and everything is mixed down reallllly low
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Unknown Soldier: The blame of Geoff Workman do you think?
Anteater: Oh definitely
Unknown Soldier: Sure the four tracks on this side are real hard rock material.
Side One
Anteater: The track
'Gift With A Golden Gun' is a great opener actually.
Anteater: You can tell Toto was consciously trying to do something resembling a real "arena" rock album here.
Unknown Soldier: But I agree that the production is kind of less than adequate, given the fact that the band had so much energy to give.
Unknown Soldier: 'Arena Rock' sure hence the more muscle approach of the album and "Gift with a Golden Gun" is an ideal opener in that respect.
Anteater: From what I understand, Lukather and Kimball both wanted the band to move away from 'Hydra' sonically, and 'Gift...' is just a taste of it
Anteater: The riff sounds like something you'd start up at a honky-tonk joint, but it works really well.
Unknown Soldier: Also the 'Arena rock approach is probably why David Paich doesn't sing one lead on this album and allows Bobby Kimball to really dominate on five of the eight songs.
Unknown Soldier: Agree that riff is effective rather than outstanding.
Anteater: Yeah, it's not an epic song or anything. Excellent rhythm though, with Lukather's leads accentuating the melody.
Unknown Soldier: Now that leads us into
"English Eyes" one of the real muscle tracks on the album and also one of the best imo..... and a nod to their British influences as well.
Anteater: It's probably my favorite cut off 'Turn Back': Lukather almost tricks you at the beginning with that riff, making you think they're going into early glam territory or something.
Anteater: Love that chorus though.
Unknown Soldier: That driving riff is so effective and the killer for me on that track is Bobby Kimball's almost forced or exaggerated vocal approach and it's certainly one of his best ever displays.
Unknown Soldier: I think when I first heard the album it was my most played track way back then and the lyrics I love especially on that song, which is why I quickly chose that song to use lyrics from for the album cover.
Anteater: Agreed on all those points, but the best part of 'English Eyes' comes around 2 minutes in or so, when it completely stops the momentum and shifts into really jazzy/groovy territory.
Anteater: ..... and then some orchestral textures come in and Bobby cuts back in... just awesome.
Unknown Soldier: I know that you've got a real ear for picking up on the jazzy stuff on these albums and I know exactly the point you're talking about when Bobby cuts back in and that was always my favourite part of the song as well.
Anteater: AOR bands just weren't doing that kind of thing back in 1981.
Anteater: .... and its little things like that which illustrate how special Toto really are.
Unknown Soldier: That groovy piece you're talking about kind of reminds me of what Ray Manzarek could've done in brief especially on "Light My Fire".
Anteater: .... and
'Live For Today' is next up isn't it? I think its the only song on the album with Lukather both singing and also his first single writing credit on a Toto album.
Unknown Soldier: Yes "Live for Today" is the first Steve Lukather lead and he actually sings a true hard rock lead for a change and surprisingly does a pretty poor job considering that I always veiwed him as the most rock orientated member of that band initially. Just goes to show that he was far better singing on ballady style tracks.
Unknown Soldier: It was actually the third single from the album and only released in Japan I think.
Anteater: Didn't know that actually.
Unknown Soldier: What didn't you know?
Anteater: That it was the third single. From what I understand, the band didn't even tour to suppor the album, so I assumed all the released singles must have flopped.
Unknown Soldier: None of them did very well and the label even threatened to drop the band as well, due to no hit singles.
Unknown Soldier: I don't like the song at all, what do you think about it?
Anteater: In regards to 'Live For Today', its okay. Doesn't really work as a single. The riff is decent, but it feels a bit too by-the-numbers.
Anteater: We're at least three albums away from Lukather being able to handle harder-edged rock material, but I'll give him props for taking the lead on something other than a ballad here.
Unknown Soldier: Now I think the next track
"A Million Miles Away" with Bobby back on lead is a strong track and easily could've been on the two previous albums.
Anteater: It's a good song...but that mix. I have to amp up my speakers big time just to hear it.
Anteater: A nearly inaudible power ballad....its actually kinda funny.
Anteater: Kimball carries it well in any case, nice soulful delivery.
Unknown Soldier: Hahaha I hear you on the mix and sure Bobby's soulful powerful delivery salvages the song.
Anteater: At this point back in '81 I can imagine most listeners would have loved to hang Geoff Workman with his own studio equipment cables.
Anteater: But I digress.
Unknown Soldier: A friend of mine dislikes him a lot as well as an engineer.