Toto is an American indie rock band that formed in 1977 in Los Angeles, California. The band’s present lineup includes John Pierce, Robert “SRK” Milavec, David Paich, and Steve Martin, all of whom are also members of The Doors. The band has gone on to sell over 30 million albums worldwide, which make it one of the most successful and influential bands of all time.
In their mid-nineties song “Toto,” America heard its first black lead vocalist. This artist was Steve Vai, who had previously been a member of The Yardbirds and JLS. Though Vai is best known for his vocals, he also made a name for himself as a guitar player. The band continued to experience success throughout the decade, which is why many bands – especially those who began in the early seventies and eighties – have yet to reach the level of Toto that they have attained.
In Hollywood Forever, Thomas van den Heuwrok covers nearly every genre of rock and pop music. He covers early favorites such as “I Remember You,” by The Rolling Stones, “LP” by Rod Stewart, and the classic “Tears in Heaven,” by Led Zeppelin. Also included are songs from eras other than those listed above, which give insight into the life of Thomas van den Heuwrok, as an artist, husband, father, and musical genius.
Toto’s extensive catalog of material also includes a demo disc and a second album called Golden Memories. The former contains a great deal of material that didn’t make it to the final album, including demos of tracks from earlier works as well as new songs. The songs on this disc, which clocks in at over ten hours long, are well worth the listen. They include “My Sweet Lord,” “My Last Duchess,” “Haitian Vaudeville,” “Mystery Train,” “Miles Away,” “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star,” “I Remember You,” and “Thank You.”
A TOTO album that isn’t actually recorded live would be the group’s last album, titled Por Favor. This was a collection of songs recorded during a period of much tension between the band and their record label, RCA. Though there wasn’t a single song from the session that is on a Por Favor album, it does feature the band performing some of their most popular songs, including “Tales of Tonight,” “Reelin’ in the Years,” and “Dogs.” No further details have been released about the upcoming album, but fans can anticipate plenty of great music from the band in the years to come.
For anyone who has ever seen a TOTO album cover, the band features a unique image. The members all have jet black hair, as do most of the covers on their albums, and there is a lot of glitter in the artwork. It is certainly not a conventional image of a rock and roll band. For those who are unfamiliar with the group, there is no doubt that they would quickly become fans, simply due to the unique image the band presents.