I Toto rappresentano una di quelle band che nell'arco della propria carriera, pur vendendo milioni di dischi, non sono mai riuscite a mettere d'accordo del tutto critica e ascoltatori. Forse per i testi troppo spesso frivoli e ingenui (come ammesso dallo stesso Steve Lukather), forse per le melodie spesso dirette ed orecchiabili (anche se questo non è un difetto, anzi!). Ma in fondo questa band che negli ultimi 30 anni è stata anche protagonista di sventure (la morte del batterista Jeff Porcaro) e di cambi di formazione è composta da virtuosi dello strumento richiestissimi e apprezzatissimi da tutti i colleghi. Ed hanno piazzato anche singoli killer e album di buonissima fattura, anche se il problema vero dei Toto è stato probabilmente quello di non aver realizzato il cosiddetto album capolavoro.
Questo primo lavoro omonimo rappresenta uno dei dischi più riusciti dalla band Californiana, capace di raggiungere livelli musicali eccellenti. Immagino come il disco, uscito nel 1978, potesse già catturare l'attenzione nei negozi di musica con quella copertina eccentrica e colorata. E ci è voluto molto coraggio nel presentarsi al grande pubblico con un brano strumentale "Child's Anthem" che rappresenta uno degli apici creativi dell'album. Si prosegue con due pezzi storici dei Toto, "I'll Supply The Love" dall'accattivante riff di chitarra e al jazzata "Georgy Porgy". "Manuela Run" è il classico brano di facile impatto che ascolteresti fino alla noia. "You Are The Flower" (l'unica scritta dal cantante Bobby Kimball) è il momento più basso dell'album, mentre "Girl Goodbye" diventerà uno dei cavalli di battaglia dal vivo, con il suo ritmo incalzante e prepotente. "Takin'it Back" (scritta dal primo tastierista Steve Porcaro) è un brano semplice semplice, da serata a lume di candela per intenderci e "Rockmaker" è un altro momento poco felice all'interno del disco.
Ma il finale vale da solo l'ascolto dell'intero lavoro: la celeberrima "Hold The Line" e la magnifica e intensa "Angela" fanno da battistrada per un successo che di lì a poco sarebbe stato planetario.
I Toto avrebbero sfornato altri singoli di successo ed album discutibili o apprezzabili, avrebbero superato gli anni '90 con 3 album di buon livello e si sarebbero affacciati al nuovo millennio con un disco di cover (ben riuscito) "Through The Looking Glass". È in uscita il nuovo album "Falling In Between" che si preannuncia, con l'abbandono della vecchia casa discografica Columbia, molto "acido" e cattivo nei suoni con una probabile svolta stilistica. Che fosse proprio la volta buona?
Elenco tracce testi samples e video
03 Georgy Porgy (04:09)
It's not your situation
I just need contemplation over you
I'm not so systematic
It's just that I'm an addict for your love
I'm not the only one that holds you
I never ever should have told you
You're my only girl
I'm not the only one that holds you
I never ever should have told you
You're my only world
Just think how long I've known you
It's wrong for me to own you, lock and key
It's really not confusing
I'm just the young illusion, can't you see
I'm not the only one that holds you
I never ever should have told you
You're my only girl
I'm not the only one that holds you
I never ever should have told you
You're my only world
Georgy Porgy, pudding pie
Kissed the girls and made them cry
Georgy Porgy, pudding pie
Kissed the girls and made them cry
Georgy Porgy, pudding pie
Kissed the girls and made them cry
Kissed the girls and made them cry
Kissed the girls and made them cry
It's not your situation
I just need contemplation over you
I'm not so systematic
It's just that I'm an addict for your love
I'm not the only one that holds you
I never ever should have told you
You're my only girl
I'm not the only one that holds you
I never ever should have told you
You're my only world
Georgy Porgy, pudding pie
Kissed the girls and made them cry
Georgy Porgy, pudding pie
Kissed the girls and made them cry
Georgy Porgy, pudding pie
Kissed the girls and made them cry
Georgy Porgy, pudding pie
Kissed the girls and made them cry
Georgy Porgy, pudding pie
Kissed the girls and made them cry
Kissed the girls and made them cry
Kissed the girls and made them cry
Georgy Porgy, pudding pie
Kissed the girls and made them cry
Kissed the girls and made them cry
Kissed the girls and made them high
Georgy, yeah
Porgy, yeah
Kissed the girls and made them cry
Kissed the girls and made them cry
Georgy, yeah
Porgy
Kissed the girls and made them cry
Kissed the girls and made them cry
04 Manuela Run (03:54)
Don't look now, you better watch that sword that's hanging over you
It's a long hard road and they will spit you out
When they get through with you
Don't hang your head, so the wise man said, or boy you'll soon be dead
Chorus:
You better run, run Manuela-uela run
They're gonna shoot you in the back with your own gun
You better run, run Manuela-uela run, Manuela run
There's no more time for living out your life, your sky is falling down
Don't close your eyes or make a wish on three
'Cause they will still be 'round
Don't hang your head, so the wise man said, or boy you'll soon be dead
Chorus:
(Instrumental break)
Don't hang your head, so the wise man said, or boy you'll soon be dead
You better run, run Manuela-uela run, you better run, run Manuela-uela run
You better run, run Manuela-uela run
(gonna shoot you in the back with your own gun)
You better run, run Manuela-uela run, you better run, run Manuela run
You better run, run Manuela run
(gonna shoot you in the back with your own gun)
You better run, run Manuela run
05 You Are the Flower (04:11)
You never lose a minute, if in it there is love
And "old man time" always pulls you through
It's better not to depend on the morning dew
For the rose you plant in your bed tends to you, hard and blue
Some folks take money, some take their life, some take forever to see
Blind faith, blind love, they're no mystery to me
You must take the time, for that's the fee
Chorus:
It's worth the pain that makes the tears
It's worth the light of a million years
Only your love I can't explain, you are the flower for my rain
You light the sun that shines from my eyes
It's all in return for what you're givin' me
You are the reason for the earth beneath my feet
And you kill the space that I call free
Chorus:
(Instrumental break)
You are the flower for my rain, you are the flower for my rain
You are the flower for my rain, you are the flower for my rain
You are the flower for my rain, you are the flower for my rain
06 Girl Goodbye (06:13)
Well I'm out on the road, and the devil's got my soul
And I'm looking for the Lord in New York City
Yeah I'm out on the run, got some heat, got a gun
If they don't find me soon, it'll be a damn pity
So it's
Chorus:
Goodbye girl, goodbye girl, girl goodbye
It's so hard to see the truth with the sun in your eyes
Goodbye girl, goodbye girl, girl goodbye
Must be in the way that she cries, must be in the way that she cries
Must be in the way that she cries
Oh there's smoke in the air and there's blood everywhere
But I'm hoping that the white man don't recognize me
I'm so sorry what I've done, and I say it not in fun
When I tell you that there's no one left inside me
And it's
Chorus: Goodbye girl....
So it's
Chorus: Goodbye girl...
08 Rockmaker (03:19)
Don't know quite what to say, haven't seen you in seven ages
Can you tell that it's me, or is my picture on torn out pages?
Chorus:
And you think it's real, but it's just another future deal
And you know you're right, 'cause you've waited for it all night
Then you find yourself, sitting on a little shelf
Don't know quite what to do, I've been acting my life in phases
Is it really true that they're keeping us locked in cages?
Chorus
(Instrumental break)
Chorus
Rockmaker (repeats 4x)
09 Hold the Line (03:56)
It's not in the way that you hold me
It's not in the way you say you care
It's not in the way you've been treating my friends
It's not in the way that you stayed 'til the end
It's not in the way you look or the things that you say that you'll do
Hold the line
Love isn't always on time, woah, woah, woah
Hold the line
Love isn't always on time, woah, woah, woah
It's not in the words that you told me, girl
It's not in the way you say you're mine, ooh
It's not in the way that you came back to me
It's not in the way that your love set me free
It's not in the way you look or the things that you say that you'll do
Hold the line
Love isn't always on time, woah, woah, woah
Hold the line
Love isn't always on time, woah, woah, woah
It's not in the words that you told me
It's not in the way you say you're mine, ooh
It's not in the way that you came back to me
It's not in the way that your love set me free
It's not in the way you look or the things that you say that you'll do
Hold the line
Love isn't always on time, woah, woah, woah
Hold the line
Love isn't always on time
Love isn't always on time
Hold the line
Love isn't always on time
Love isn't always, love isn't always on time
Hold the line
Love isn't always on time
Love isn't always on time
Love isn't always on time
Love isn't always on time, woah, woah, woah
10 Angela (04:45)
Can't eat, can't sleep, can't seem to find time anymore
Somewhere she weeps, her hair gently brushes the floor
I know my way, I know that I'll find her somehow
Chorus:
Angela carries me back to the time
When I knew that her love was still mine
Angela's holding the child in her womb
And I pray that she will be calling soon
Cold moon, dark sky, I'm watching my mind disappear
She sits alone, not knowing that I am so near
Why can't she hear my voice as I call out her name
Chorus
It's a silly situation, it's just infatuation, no need to be sorry
Can't eat, can't sleep, can't seem to find time anymore
Somewhere she weeps, her hair gently brushes the floor
I know my way, I know that I'll find her somehow
Chorus
It's a silly situation, it's just infatuation, no need to be sorry
Carico i commenti... con calma
Altre recensioni
Di Rockmaker
"Un lavoro interessante quanto sottovalutato".
"Hold the Line, poderoso brano con cui i Toto confermano il grande successo dell'album."
