Past to Present 1977-1990

Performer: Toto
Artist: Jean Michel Byron
Distributor: Sony Music Distribution (

Notes: Engineers include: James Guthrie, Al Schmitt, Tom Knox. Recorded at Bearsville Studios, Bearsville, New York; Schnee Studios, North Hollywood, California; Sunset Sound, Studio 55, Villa Studios, Manor Studio, The Complex, Los Angeles, California from between 1977 and 1990. Toto's compilation is to be recommended in that it contains all four of the group's Top Ten hit singles -- "Hold the Line," "Rosanna," "Africa," and "I Won't Hold You Back." It also contains four more of Toto's 14 pop chart singles -- "Georgy Porgy," "99," "I'll Be Over You," and "Pamela." But that means it leaves out six chart entries, including the Top 40 hits "Make Believe," "Stranger in Town," and "Without Your Love." In their place are an album track from the most recent album, The Seventh One, and four newly recorded songs co-written and sung by the group's fourth lead vocalist, Jean-Michel Byron, who is more soulful than his predecessors, but no more memorable. As such, this is not the ideal Toto best-of and earns its "pick" designation over Toto IV only by virtue of its inclusion of the group's first hit, "Hold the Line." ~ William Ruhlmann

Q (6/00, p.131) - 3 stars out of 5 - "...[They] had three great songs. 'Hold The Line'...'Africa'...and 'Rosanna'....their 3 best songs were their 3 great hits..."

The original members of Toto were L.A.-based session men who had played with everyone from George Benson to Boz Scaggs and wanted to create something they could call their own. They scored a hit straight out of the gate with the AOR smash "Hold the Line" from their 1978 debut. Their biggest success, however, would come in the early '80s with "Rosanna" and "Africa" from TOTO IV. The band endured some major personnel shake-ups over the years, and in 1992 founding drummer Jeff Porcaro died unexpectedly, but Toto continued working, even as the individual members kept their lucrative session careers going.

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