Toto / Mind Fields

Following Toto XX in 1997: Good Old Toto returned with the then-new studio recording album "Mind Fields" featuring the original vocalist Bobby Kimball. At that time, I believed that many fans felt high frustration towards the 1990’s band’s albums except "Toto XX" since Joseph Williams left the band. With respect to the album "King Of Desire" and "Tambu", Old Toto fans were not satisfied with the productions because most of the tunes did lose their good old harmonies and true vocals by the real professional vocalist. I admit Steve Lukather is one of the most talented and unique guitarists and very good composer, but his 1990's guitar way of doing were totally different from his good old ones in 1980's.
However on the Mind Field album, Luke sings very well because he need not sing mid and up-tempo tunes and hard-driven tunes by Bobby's return to the band. On the track "Better World", we can feel TOTO' s progressive aspects we experienced on the second album "Hydra" ."Melanie" (written by Steve Lukather, David Paich and Randy Goodrum) is very good Luke's ballad song like "I'll Be Over You". "Mad About You" is a typical good old Toto song, on which Luke plays like 1980's good old Luke. "One Road" is my favorite on this album. This tune reminds me of “Hydra" or "Toto IV". Yes, Toto was really back. "Mad About You" is another remarkable tune written by David Paich and Joseph Williams, even though Joseph was not coming back as the vocalist for Toto as yet. And the other thing to be noted is that Steve Porcaro plays keyboards as a supporting musician for the album.


Release:, 6 March, 1999 (Europe) / 10 March, 1999 (Japan) / 16 November, 1999 (USA)
Label: Columbia, Europe (493245 2) / Sony Music Entertainment Inc, Japan. (SRCS-8888) / Legacy Records, USA (JK69607)

Tracks:
1. After You've Gone
2. Mysterious Ways
3. Mind Fields
4. High Price Of Hate
5. Selfish
6. No Love
7. Caught In The Balance
8. Last Love
9. Mad About You
10. One Road
11. Melanie
12. Cruel
13. Better World (Parts I, II & III)
14. Spanish Steps Of Rome*

* Bonus Track for Japanese edition and US edition

Producers: TOTO and Elliot Scheiner

Toto:
David Paich: Keyboards, Vocals
Steve Lukather: Guitars, Vocals,
Mike Porcaro: Bass
Simon Phillips: Drums
Bobby Kimball: Vocals

- Musicians-
Keyboards: Steve Porcaro
Percussion: Lenny Castro
Horns: Tom Scott, Jim Horn, Chuck Findley, Gary Grant, Bill Reichenbach
Harmonica: Clint Black
Background Vocals: Phil Soussanm Mark Hudson, Timothy B Schmit, Richard Page, Clint Black, Chris Thompson, Maria Vidal

#Toto