Toto XIV by Toto

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Superbly written songs, superbly performed...great LP. It's been a long time since I've wanted to listen to all tracks on a disc repeatedly. Usually, there are only one or two tracks that I like and the rest are forgotten. Not so with this recording. Each song is strong and, contrary to some reviews, I don't believe that they belong on a Lukather solo album, a Steeley Dan album or that the engineering is off. This is Toto at its finest. I've listened to the tracks on a variety of systems and love the results each time. The bass is gloriously deep and the groove it sets, especially on 21st Century Blues, is delicious. My only chagrin is that our US radio waves are silent. We need to be hearing these songs on the radio. One of the best of 2015 FOR SURE!!

Well I was not sure about this since.... …I fell in love with the old style from Isolation and their beginnings. My favorites IV and Hydra. This album is sooooo good!! that now shares the 3rd place as my favorite ones from Toto. So Hydra, 4 & 14 are the best! Thanks guys!!!!

Love the band, please less complession/limiting. And please less of this "loudness war" hard limiting (almost clipping) often heard on loud parts. Come on, You are veterans, You don't need to be super loud to be heard! Love You anyway!

1 Word. MASTERPIECE !

Buy the CD too, it's that good.. I've listen to this album more than 10 times and still not bored. This is how music is supposed to sound. Toto is hot again, and everyone needs to demand the radio, MTV, etc. to play the tracks on this album for all to hear. Buy the CD too, Toto really needs to know you want them to make another record.

WOW - Fantastic!. Top to bottom - GREAT! This album is LONG overdue and meets the expectations of any hardcore Toto fan while being totally accessible to those who are casual listeners/fans. It has the definite Toto sound while sonically being fresh and modern...never sounding dated but not loosing the sound of their roots. The album flows one song to the next great and the chemistry of all the signature elements of each of the monster musicians that make up Toto (now with the most original members together that they’ve had in a VERY long time) with CJ Vanston at the helm producing…simply put: their hard work and payoff is so well worth it. The song writing is by far some of their best; lyrically its some of their strongest work (something that in the past has been an easy target of critics); the balance between “radio friendly” (if that even exists any longer) and musically deep is great. Honestly, it has virtuosic excellence - In the usual fashion the musicianship is outstanding but not so far above the average listeners head that it’s for fans only. Excellent melodies sung with excellent vocals. Joseph Williams sounds better than ever (I love Bobby Kimball, but no disrespect…I don’t miss him on this album as Joseph is killing’ it) and the combination of Steve Lukather (guitar master), Steve Porcaro (yes, Steve Porcaro) and David Paich all having lead vocal turns further shows the strength of the band. David Hungate’s return (since Toto IV) on bass is more than welcome and Keith Carlock's (Steely Dan; Sting) drum work is fantastic. Throw in some Michael McDonald vocals on a couple cuts and great horn arrangements from Tom Scott and how can anyone find anything wrong on what I consider a modern masterpiece? I have been a fan, follower and musical disciple of the guys in Toto since the beginning (even to the Boz Scaggs period). I love all their albums but not every album has been a favorite - this one is for sure. If this album is their swan song album it's one heck of a finale. My hope is it's a rebirth of more studio albums from them with CJ at the helm again. The combo and chemistry works better than ever! Including their world class talent to the various tracks are Lenny Castro - percussion, Lee Sklar - bass, Tal Wilkenfeld - bass, Tim Lefebvre - bass, Tom Scott - saxes, Martin Tillman - cello, CJ Vanston - synths with additional backing vocals from Michael McDonald, Mabvuto Carpenter, Amy Keys, Jamie Savko, Emma Williams, CJ Vanston & Keith Carlock.

Awesome!. I've been a fan since I bought their first album and saw them in concert in 1980 for the Hydra tour. These guys are incredibly talented and I'm can't get enough of this new music. I only hope I get to see them perform in concert in U.S

Needs to be Remastered.... There's some great music here, but as others have mentioned, the mix is really a distraction. Having listened to it through multiple systems, including through my Home Studio Mackie Monitors, I really feel like the Mastering is doing this project a disservice. I'd love to hear what Steven Wilson would do with the mix...

Needs better mixing and remastering.. I agree what two others mentioned in their reviews, they should have let Steven Wilson do the mixing and re- mastering. Is is the best out now. If you don't know who Steven is, check out his work. Anyway the songs are great!

I don’t say this lightly: Best album I’ve ever heard.. I don't even know where to begin....... In one word: Art. In two words: Pure musicianship. In a paragraph: Don't put it on shuffle; it's a wild ride that is carefully crafted to take off with some good energy, then blow your brains all over the wall, get down and groove, trip you out, lift your spirits, throw back to the old days, cry a little, get funky, and then put it all together in a finale that rocks like has never been rocked before. Now I will rave. I've never heard an album that literally took my breath away, made me tear up, or got my heart racing. This one did all three. The only thing I can compare it to in terms of creative genius and performer talent is classical music. You'll hear some of the most well-trained rock musicians working in perfect harmony and blending their talents and ideas into an epic masterpiece. I never thought I'd elevate any kind of rock music to the level of masterpiece... But this I do. It doesn't feel like a studio recording; it feels like the greatest live performance ever put on. It feels like attending a Mahler symphony or something. It's just so unified and perfect, and you can really tell each distinct contribution that the members make. And the mastering... C.J. Vanston came through in spades. You hear more than just left and right--it's 3-dimensional, and it takes the mountain of sound that Toto produces and arranges it all just perfectly. I'd do a track-by-track review, but I just can't do it justice. It'd be like reviewing individual sections of one giant painting. It truly is Toto's best work, covering everything from the feel goods, the light n easy and the cheesy synths to the explosive rock, bluesy groove and deep and rich ballads. So buy it. Now.

Great Music but Terrible Mastering!. I absolutely Love the music but the mastering/Mix is very poor! Listen to the sample of unknown soldier and you can hear the volume drop out. The music is distorted in area’s as well and I have the CD of this. Love ToTo but something is wrong here.

Latin Fan. Toto took me back to the days when listening to music was fun and exciting!!! The guys show they haven’t lost their craftmanship and finesse. Toto’s artistry is simply monumental. My only complaint is the horrible engineering and mastering work, I hear artifacts here and there and a level of compression that kills whatever headroom there should be for them to sound BIG, it’s like the engineers wanted to strangle the huge moments that should create momentum for the album. Frontiers Records, please, please please consider re-mastering this timeless jewel, Toto deserves much more than a mediocre engineering work.

Always California cool!!. Great Band with a Great Sound, a lot of history through the years. They have created another special recorded for all us to enjoy!

Can't get any better than this. So cool to have Jo Williams back with Toto!! Amazing how Running Out Of Time and Holy War sound like the stuff from The 7th One. And what about bringing back Steve Porcaro and Dave Hungate in the studio? You end up with tunes like Chinatown, an awesome Georgy Porgy-area song. And do I need to mention Paich and Luke? Wow, this is the REAL deal.

Amazing Album!. I can't believe this is one of my favourite Toto Albums, I haven't listened to them since quite a while and this album invigorated my love for them, they are undoubtedly an aggressive-yet-melodic band, that everyone should love this album is guaranteed

Refined, smooth, musically intense!. Goddamn I've missed Joseph Williams on vocals! Good to hear him again. Not to take anything away from the other guys in the band. They sound as good as they always have. But Toto, the 7th One, came out when I was a youngster and I loved that album and always associated Toto with Williams. This album just blows me away. It's good to see the guys are still putting out solid jams that are as powerful as always. However... As some other reviewers have stated, the engineering seems a bit muddy I guess is the best way to describe it. I thought it was my headphones but after trying all 4 pair I own, (a pair of $300 monsters) something still sounded "off". But these are all still wonderful songs! I've always been and still am a huge Toto fan and this album does not disappoint. Keep it up guys! It never disappoints!

Wow - Unexpected. And I thought Falling In Between was an excellant album from the boys for the new century! Great Expectations could have been right next to Hold The Line in '78. Very impressed!

Thank God You Guys! - More! More !. This really hit the spirit for me! Die hard fan since your 1972 material. The ones that I really love and now this! Heard your story and saw the interviews. Believe me when I tell you. It’s also real the life and times we all go thru. Peace ... - T. Renderings

Great Expectations…met. I haven’t written too many reviews on iTunes over the years, yet feel compelled to throw some love Toto’s way. I think I echo many other sentiments when I say this album goes beyond even my wildest expectations. My favorite Toto vocalist was Joseph Williams. I loved the sound he brought to the band in the eighties and seeing him return to form is a real treat. Considering his backstory, it’s a redemption tale on vinyl. That alone would have my cemented my purchase. But seeing how members, past and present, came together really elevates this album into classic status. My favorite cut is Great Expectations. Hearing everyone take a crack at vocals only to hear Williams bring home the chorus - well, it’s a wonderful moment. The musicianship you’ve come to expect from Toto is all here. The precision and attention to detail - all here. I hate to think XIV is their swan song because if they’ve got this kind of effort still in the tank, I selfishly don’t want it to end. However, it works as a tremendous bookend to a consistently strong repertoire of albums. Bravo Toto. And thanks.

YEP!!!. Big surprise here...Chinatown to me a classic already...thanks gents for playing real music...

Play It Again!. Kids will like "Orphan." Parents will groove to "Chinatown." Everyone will love "The Little Things."

GREAT ALBUM!!!!. I've "liked" Toto forever... I had their Past to Present CD since Columbia House days, and kinda left it at that. Not sure how, but recently I got back into them, and started getting the individual albums which I usually do when I really start to enjoy a band. I have had The Seventh One, Farenheit, and Hydra playing alot here recently, and just picked the new album as my next. I wasn't honestly expecting it to be this good.... It's actually really awesome and I am a big fan of the Joseph Williams vocals on Farenheit and Seventh One so I was more than excited he was back. There is even one song that he pretty much nails his exact tone/sound from those days... The guitar, bass, drums... Everything just truly blew me away. Thank you Toto! I'll be buying the vinyl straight from your site here soon ;-)

Best Album I've Heard in Years. Simply stated, this album is musically brilliant. I hear something new with each listen, as the craftsmanship of these musicians is mind blowing. Why Toto is selling out concerts around the world but being ignored in America is absolutely puzzling to me. The track "Burn" should be on the radio. "Great Expectations" is beautifully complex like a classical piece. In fact, every song stands on its own - a rarity. No filler songs on this one. Folks, if you appreciate great music, download this album.

Are these reviews real?. I was a Toto fan in the past. This “Album” lacks any real feeling of emotion. AOR garbare! Too bad I really respect the musicians. I guess they think they have a built in audience. I want my Money back!

Great performance, weak production. As so many have mentioned, this is a very welcomed addition to the Toto catalogue and long overdue. The fellows are still some of the best at what they do and don't disappoint in their craft. What DOES disappoint is the presentation of the performance. The overall sound is muddy and when examined in a production suite, the reasons are many. Someone with experience at top notch production had to be absent during the mixdown and mastering. When examined as a whole, there are THOUSANDS of clipped samples in the recording. This comes from the industry-wide tendency to max out the volume to 0db and above. Distortion results every time. If the multi-tracks were turned over to an engineer and producer who actually knew what they were doing, this could be SO much better. The songs will stand on their own...the production is crippled from the start.

Talent never goes out of style.... TOTO is a powerhouse of talent with each member bringing a mind-boggling amount of artistrty and talent to their instrument. To listen to TOTO live is to experinence the ultmuate form of concert going experience.

Long Live TOTO!. Great album full of awesome melodies played by REAL musicians. With so much bad music out in our world now, I wish everyone could appreciate music like this. I saw TOTO live in October, 2014 and they still have it BIG TIME! Long live TOTO!

The musicianship is stellar. The mix is not good. Toto are amazing musicians but the mix is pretty dismal. The tracks lack clarity and separation. David Paich's vocal performances are not great but the mix does nothing to complement the tracks. That being said, tracks like Burn, and Great Expectations are evidence of other worldly musicianship, but the mix doesn't allow this to shine through

Awesome!. Thank you for another great album from Toto.

Amazing Toto. This album is great from start to finish. The bad has never sounded better. Tight, clean and amazing. 100% classic Toto.....so glad I bought this.

Classic Toto, Great Album, Welcome Back !!!. This album has the guys getting back to classic Toto song writing and playing. The glue that made Toto a, "musicians band" is clearly back in this album. I really hope that it gets the air time here in the states that it deserves. It's so nice to listen to an album that has vocals, arrangements and seasoned players vs playas with sampled off beats and lyrics that send one to confession for 3 hail Mary's. My condolences to the guys in regard to Mikes passing but I'd have to think that Mike & Jeff are high 5'ing to these new tracks. Time to audition a shredder harp player and get heaven rocking. :)

Love Me Some Toto. This is an amazing collection of pure Toto. Outstanding work guys.

Compression kills this…. The compression kills what otherwise is a 5 star review.. Love the band, the original compositions and the performance of this album. Make it PURE!

Toto is back!. What a masterpiece of great music Toto has created. I can't stop listening to this album. Just bought as a gift for someone else. All vocals are amazing, great team of musicians and excellent song writing. Very inspirational:)

An Instant Classic!!!. If you happen to be a fan of the first 4 TOTO records, or Boz Scaggs Silk Degrees...Do yourself a favor and purchase the new TOTO CD, XIV! The sound is more consistent with what TOTO V should have been. The record is a total departure of the band's style during the Simon Phillips years, and a return to the signature style that made the band international stars. The writing, performance, and engineering combined has yielded the best rock & roll album I've had the pleasure of listening to in many years. 👍

Sheesh!!!. First off my audiophile critique. The bottom end does get a bit muddy.....man it gets low with the bass notes though. Even then it's still a fantastic recording......now for the actual material review! It's been a while since an album gave me chills. This album does I got my first listen on headphones (which was great) from beginning to end as it flows with change so nicely. It flows yet no two songs 6sound alike....all are all unique and at least in some small classical way TOTO. The Little Things is so beautiful and poignant it would no doubt be a hit across genres if it were to actually get airplay. You can feel Steve Porcaro's emotion and love come through in Melody. Burn is just plain powerful and majestic. Orphan is certainly top 40 material and I could even imagine a remix version tearing it up further. Lastly I have to mention Great Expectations which is simply awe inspiring it sticks with you in a way that is hard to put into words. The hair on my neck was standing up!!! All the vocal parts and harmonies are flawless, simply fantastic!!

Outstanding!!!. Sad to know this will be the last from these guys as a group. As far as people complaining of the mix, turn it up... It's made to be heard loud. Superb musicianship all around. I am proud to be a fan...

Relentless Musicianship. Long time TOTO fans have always appreciated the impeccable legacy these musicians have stamped on the history of music. This album reiterates the fact that hard working gifted people like these are becoming more and more extinct in our growing culture of sub-par musicianship. Congratulations to this crew who have weathered many storms and still remain at the pinnacle of their craft. Having said that, through the years of following TOTO I have come to the conclusion that the real prince of artistry that has emerged in this bunch is Steve Lukather, who is arguably the Paul McCartney of TOTO (it’s no accident he tours with Ringo). After first listen to this album I would say 2:40-3:10 of “Running out of Time” is the best 30 seconds of the album—it is the sound of TOTO, a moment of renewed energy and sentimental purity for those who have been long time fans. Luke’s vocals on Holy War, Unknown Soldier and his guitar on 21st century are also some of the most notable moments. Luke’s most intoxicating elixir is by all means his guitar but his vocals are grossly under appreciated. Steve Lukather's voice is much more soulful and textured than Joseph Williams, who, IMHO, is a mis-match for this band. I can only speculate where Bobby Kimball’s head is and why he chooses to live in a delusional self aggrandizing, “I MADE TOTO FAMOUS” world making music by himself. It kills me to say so but Kimball is really missed here. However, I would argue that Luke is just as much and probably more appropriately considered the quintessential TOTO vocal sound than Kimball is (e.g. Georgy Porgy, 99, I’ll Be Over You). Obviously I’m biased and would be happy to hear more of Luke’s vocals, especially on the song Orphan, which is perhaps the catchiest tune on the album. I’ve always considered the holy trinity of TOTO to be Jeff, David, and Luke. Luke is clearly God, Jeff is Jesus (still hoping for his resurrection!), and Paich the Holy Spirit. Clearly he provides the bedrock layer on everything, and once again hints that he really is like a sound “glue” of this band that connects everything. Carlock is a worthy addition, a legend, a drum god, and HE IS AMAZING on every track! Steve Porcaro is a welcome back layer of synth savant genius (though Greg Phillinganes was no shabby sub), and welcome back Hungate who puts forth some outrageously deep and subterranean sound here. TOTO fans will always miss the groove of Mike and the sheer genius of Jeff but the band lives on and these guys are the coolest gigging cats on the planet. I LOVE THIS ALBUM, and can’t wait for the tour to his the U.S. but I can’t

Toto Fan. Great New Album have been waiting for years. The Group still sounds fantastic even better after all these years. Highly recommend purchasing this album.

Wow. With the things Steve L and David P were stating about this album I was cautious about getting too hyped about it in fears of being let down. Let me tell you, they know music, and they called it right on this one. Toto at it's best, without trying to be "current". It's their classic sound on this album that will please Toto fans everywhere.

Tremendous!. Best album I have heard in years, and the first I have sat and listened to from top to bottom with headphones for a very, very long time! When I read, “this is the true followup to Toto IV,” I admit that I thought it was just something they said to get people to buy the album, but they proved me wrong. There’s something for everyone on this one, and it’s pretty much all brilliant! Highest recommendation.

I was hopeful. Being a Toto fan from the early days, I was excited to see Steve Porcaro and David Hungate back. I was hopeful that we would see a return to the glory days. Great musicianship can't help this one. Toto left their roots a while back but now, in my opinion, their musical signature is unrecognizable. You could tell a Toto song from its sound and musical structure. They had groove. On XIV, the mixing is muddy and the songs have a heavy and dark feel. Best of luck to the band and for those who love this album, enjoy. I wish they'd dust off some more old demos and release those instead like XX. Give me more Georgy Porgy (one of the greatest grooves ever), Tale of a Man, Waiting for Your Love, 99, and Girl Goodbye. And I still miss Jeff.

Inquiry. sounds great would love to know how much of the line up is original members

Tiresome!. The harder rock edge is all but gone! Likely the folks have mellowed a tad and this reflects their more sedentary taste but this - for the most part - is a far cry from what I was expecting.....tedious and depressing!!!

Great!!. You just don't hear music like this anymore. The wait for this album was worth it. What a great blend of harmonies, rock, and ballads. Luke has not sounded better!!

OUTSTANDING EFFORT!. I was cautiously optimistic when I heard about Toto going back into the studio for another album. The last two studio efforts of original material “Mindfields” and “Falling In Between” were solid efforts that produced some great songs but the albums in total had some misses that didn’t have you listening to the album front to back in it’s entirety. Toto XIV from start to finish is a record worth listening to in it’s entirety. The effort and workmanship of the band trying to produce a quality album shines throughout this record. The songs are rich, fresh and relevant.

Cool Stuff...... I'm am happy to here this band belting out a good tune. With all the problems of the world I'm glad to here they see the bigger picture and are part of the solution. Only love and understanding will we over come our fear and selfisness.

Toto doesn't disappoint. Thank you Toto. I haven't bought much music in the past 10 or so years, but this one is a definite keeper. Having played some of your arrangements myself, I can really appreciate the work that was put into this album. Your musicianship shines through. I can't wait to listen some more, over and over, in the car and while working to get these songs stuck in my head, like the ones from way back. You make me feel young again. Kudos.

Great songs….marginal mixing :(. My 3 star marks are not a reflection of the songs or performance but of the mixing/mastering. Like donaldinks said it is definitely muddy sounding. There is a clarity that is missing that should be separating the various instruments. I got a kick out of what BongoBrains said about Steven Wilson mixing this. He is spot on! If Wilson had mixed this album there would have been a HUGE difference. Don’t get me wrong. I’ve been a life long Toto fan. I just would have loved to hear this as it should have been presented.

Epic. I have been a Toto since the beginning. I have had favorite albums starting with Hydra and pieces of all the albums with Mindfields and Falling in between being at the top. That being said this album was very well thought through. It has some old feel with the progressive feel they have been going toward for years now. It's a solid all around album and a fitting tribute to a fallen brother; Mike. Great work guys! Thank you for continued excellence in music.

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