A Review of “The Solo Tapes: An Oral History of Toto” by David Katzmann

You may have heard about the great line-up that Toto has, but do you know what Toto was known for in the seventies? When they were young, Toto was a popular little band with a huge fan base. They even had their own record label, called Arista Records. The sound they created was similar to King Diamond and many other pop/rock bands from that era. The band broke up in the late seventies, but reunited in the late eighties, to play some shows.

In Hollywood Forever, by Mark Evanien and Bob Davis, you will learn all about the formation of Toto, and how they broke up. It’s interesting to see how the band broke up, and how Toto reformed, in the later years. You’ll learn how Toto created such recognizable music styles as jazz, folk and country music. You’ll discover the influence of Bob Dylan on the band, and how John Lennon influenced the group. There is also an account of how the Tin Man, Carlos Santana, helped rejuvenate Toto.

Another interesting thing about Hollywood Forever is that it is a book about how the Tin Man came to be, in the first place. This is another story that was told by the Tin Man, which is quite entertaining. The Tin Man had a reputation as being like an exaggerator, who would spout quotes like “TOTO! I’m a Tin Man!” is shown to be true, through the years.

You’ll find many other interesting things about the early days of Toto. There are descriptions of their practice sessions, and how they would jam together when they were young. There is even a look at the early versions of the songs that Toto has played since then, like “I am a Walrus” and “Bodhisattva.” And you can read some humorous stories about the characters in the band. Overall, this book is fun to read, and it tells the history of one of the most popular bands of all time.

From beginning to end, this book is a great read for anyone who enjoys music, and Toto. The book tells the interesting trivia behind Toto, their early beginnings, and what made them famous. It will be a quick read, and you might want to put it down after a few pages because there are so many interesting things discussed, and so many images are shown. However, if you continue reading after the first couple of pages, you will be enthralled with the band. Reading this book will make you want to hear some of the music, and you will probably want to see the band live, at least once.

If you enjoy music and know Toto fans, this is a must have book. For those who have never heard of Toto, or haven’t seen many of their concerts, this is a great place to start. This book review will help you decide if this is the book for you. I enjoyed listening to many of Toto’s albums, and this book brought me back.