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The best Toto compilation, period Dec 07, 2008
There aren't many people my age that have the music taste that I do. Many have told me I sound like an old person when I talk about my music preferences. I'm 28 now but I've always preferred the older music, even in high school, and I was made fun of because of this but turned a deaf ear toward them and continued listening to the good stuff. Classic rock and 80's are what I cite as my favorite genres. What can I say, I prefer music that has actual SINGING, rather than screaming or talking fast. I like lead guitars and there's nothing I love more in music than a great harmony. Toto's always been one of my favorite artists and I've never thought they got the credit they deserved, except with their album, Toto IV.
The vast majority of my CD collection is compilations. Unfortunately, most compilations have sore spots in the form of major omissions, when it comes to artists that had several hits. Some leave off #1 hits (see Huey Lewis & The News's Time Flies), several leave off Top 10 hits that even casual fans know and want (Bon Jovi's Cross Road and Phil Collins's Hits, for instance), and then there are others like Toto's Past to Present that have all the monster hits, but for ones who know are more familiar with the band's material, they leave them frustrated and wanting more.
When I first started collecting compilations about ten years ago, Past to Present was one of the first ones I bought, and it was my first review on this site. I originally gave it 5 stars because it had all the songs I knew by Toto, along with some I didn't know at the time that I liked a lot. But then I bought Joel Whitburn's "Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits" (I recommend this book X infinity for music fans who like statistics) and saw that Toto had a few Top 40 hits that I wasn't familiar with at all, that I've never heard on the radio. That showed me how flawed of a compilation Past to Present and all of Toto's other U.S. compilations truly are. Super Hits and even The Essential Toto aren't complete.
Hit Collection is definitely the most complete compilation for this awesome group. It's the only one that has all 10 of their Top 40 hits, and not surprisingly, it made me a big fan of a few more songs that I didn't know, such as "Rockmaker," "Holyanna," and "Mama." None of the U.S. compilations include the excellent, haunting #30 hit "Stranger in Town," which is essential Toto, no matter what anyone says. It also includes the #30 "Make Believe," the #38 "Waiting For Your Love," and a song that came out in the late 70's that I actually prefer to "Hold The Line," the #45 "I'll Supply The Love." Toto was one of the most versatile groups of its time, finding success with several different singers, and to say they were great musicians is an understatement. Also, they sound equally great in love songs and rockers, and you'll notice a jazzy sound in many of their songs.
Not to say that this is a perfect compilation (that's impossible without at least a 2-CD collection, which The Essential should've been). I would've liked to see a song or two from the "Dune" soundtrack included, and "Can You Hear What I'm Saying" would've been great, but until a 2-disc compilation comes along, this is the collection you need to call your own. It's packed to the brim with 79:15 minutes of nice, easy listening. All of the songs are the original studio recordings that you know by heart, and none of them are cut short. The sound quality is good, but it could've been remastered; you'll just have to turn your computer or CD player up a little louder.
Just a quick note for those kindred spirits who like to check out CD's booklets to read the biographies, view pictures, and see statistics of the songs (when it was released, how high it climbed on the charts, etc.), this album's booklet will leave much desired, but I guess that's what Google searches and Wikipedia are for.
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