TOTO isolation - Very straight and rock

Isolation marked a transitional phase for TOTO. After the departure of original vocalist Bobby Kimball Fergie Frederiksen came on board, which characterizes the sound insulation with its rather high vocals. Unfortunately, already pointed to the following tour that FF requirements not grown, respectively the circumstance to go every night to the limits of his voice was doomed in the long run to fail. He left the band after just one album and was replaced by Joseph Williams.

However Frederiksen was not the only one who made his official debut. Even David Hungate was replaced by Mike Porcaro, the little brother of Steve and Jeff, on bass. This step proceeded, however, much more harmonious than the separation of Bobby Kimball, Hungate knew that he should be replaced at times by Mike.

Isolation is but significantly also influenced more by the sound of the 80s, in contrast to its predecessor album TOTO IV. So the synthesizer occurred but increasingly to the fore. The guitar is on the album more accents than that it is the supporting tool.

Musically, the work is certainly a reflection of the time when bands like JOURNEY, BAD ENGLISH, Boston and others with a similar (perhaps stolen, as suggested Toto guitarist Steve Lukather frequently in interviews) music style could celebrate great successes. In addition, will be represented at isolation some very good songs, such as Carmen, Stranger In Town, Angel Do not Cry and Holyanna. But somehow you will not shake the feeling that it's not exactly that's what want to achieve TOTO. The then the guys came much closer to certainly with the following studio album Fahrenheit. Everything there looks a bit more harmonious and organic.

Nevertheless, fans of AOR music should be allowed to define this record blindly. Because the name TOTO guarantees already first-class music, even if isolation from the other albums (and it has also still the disadvantage between two great LPs - to be published - TOTO IV and Fahrenheit) but a little weaker appear. Nevertheless, the work has earned five Stere because this is only small drawbacks.