Isolation (Toto album)

Isolation is the fifth studio album by American rock band Toto, released in October 1984.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Isolation is the first album to include Mike Porcaro as the band's official bassist (after the departure of David Hungate) and the only album with Fergie Frederiksen as the primary vocalist.

While Isolation failed to achieve the popularity of its predecessor, Toto IV, it achieved gold record status and gave the band their highest charting mainstream rock (chart) single "Stranger in Town" (No. 7).

Relatively few songs from this album were featured in live performances after 1985's Isolation World Tour due to Frederickson's departure and the lack of well-known material from the album. <ref>Schraa, Benno (2007). Setlists of Toto, Toto Rocks.</ref>

Background and recording

While Toto IV was a massive, Grammy-winning success, Toto elected not to mount a U.S. tour for Toto IV, the album, a decision Steve Lukather has since regretted as a missed opportunity to become a "US-arena rock band."<ref name=":0">Template:Cite book</ref> Part of the reluctance to tour was the ongoing drug-related, legal, and personal problems of lead vocalist Bobby Kimball.

As the band began sessions for Isolation, Kimball reportedly struggled badly with his vocals.<ref name=":0" /> While Kimball would argue in later years that he sang lead on all the tracks on the album,<ref>March 2005. Bobby Kimball interview, Bobby Kimball Official Website.</ref> Lukather has stated that he only recorded one lead vocal, for the track "Lion."<ref name=":0" /> Even that reportedly required weeks of work, primarily because of Kimball's tendency to not show up for sessions and, when he did, to struggle with the vocals which were at the top of his range.<ref name=":0" />

Ultimately, Jeff Porcaro fired Kimball from the band. Before his firing, Kimball penned the song "Lion" with David Paich and recorded background vocals for three songs on the album. Kimball also offered the song Right Part of Me", which ended up the Toto XX album.

The usual practice of the band using multiple lead vocalists from the band on their albums, e.g., Lukather, Paich, and even Steve Porcaro, The fact the band used multiple lead vocalists on their songs, including David Paich and Lukather and even Steve Porcaro mitigated some of the impact of losing Kimball as the high lead vocalist. Nonetheless, it was a significant change for the band. Over the course of the next year, Toto would focus on other projects, notably the soundtrack for the film Dune.

When the band finally began auditioning potential lead vocalists, the job was first offered to Richard Page, who ultimately declined the offer because he had a contract for his band, Mr. Mister.<ref name=":0" /> Lukather then wanted to offer the job to Eric Martin, later of Mr. Big, but Jeff was interested in Fergie Frederiksen, then lead singer of the band LeRoux.<ref name=":0" /> The gig went to Frederiksen, who contributed not only vocals to Isolation, but co-wrote the tracks "Angel Don't Cry," "Isolation," "Mr. Friendly," and "Change of Heart."

The first cover design for Isolation was created by David Lynch, with whom Toto had worked on Dune. Though the band reportedly spent $25,000 on the work,<ref name=":0" /> the members were ultimately disappointed in it and did not use it. Jeff ultimately persuaded the band to use a surreal image by artist Robert Kopecky.

While the band was proud of the finished album, Lukather has noted that it was clear Isolation did not "sound like the work of the same band that had made Toto IV."<ref name=":0" /> Toto wanted to release the track "Endless," on which Frederiksen sang lead, as the first single. However, Columbia Records opted for "Stranger in Town," sung by David Paich and thought to be more similar to the hit "Africa."<ref name=":0" /> While "Stranger in Town" was a Top 30 hit, it was a disappointment compared to the chart topping success of the singles from Toto IV. The promo music video (featuring actor Brad Dourif) for the track was, however, nominated for MTV Video of the Year.

The tour to support Isolation was disastrous; Toto had been booked into arenas based on the success of Toto IV, the 10,000-seat venues were sparsely attended and, according to Lukather, the band "lost their shirts" on the tour.<ref name=":0" /> A tour of Europe was ultimately cancelled and Toto fired their booking agents.

Isolation would eventually achieve gold status in the United States and triple platinum status in Japan, but was nonetheless seen as a commercial failure. Although Frederiksen would begin work with Toto on their sixth album, Fahrenheit, he struggled with the vocals for the first track, "Could This Be Love," and the band moved on to Lukather's childhood friend (and son of Academy Award-Winning Composer John Williams) Joseph Williams.

Reception

AllMusic's retrospective review praised the performances of Jeff Porcaro, David Paich, and Steve Lukather in passing but dismissed Isolation as "a Journey clone album, minus the aching ballads that had made Journey such a success."<ref name="AllMusic"/>

Track listing

All lead vocals by Dennis "Fergie" Frederiksen, except where noted. Template:Track listing Template:Track listing

Personnel

Toto

• Fergie Frederiksen – lead vocals Template:Small, backing vocals
• Steve Lukather – guitars, backing vocals, lead vocals Template:Small
• David Paich – keyboards, backing vocals, lead vocals Template:Small, orchestral arrangements Template:Small
• Steve Porcaro – keyboards, electronic sounds
• Mike Porcaro – bass
• Jeff Porcaro – drums, percussion

Additional musicians

• Mike Cotten – additional synthesizers Template:Small
• Lenny Castro – congas, percussion
• Joe Porcaro – percussion
• Tom Scott – saxophones
• Chuck Findley – trumpet
• Jerry Hey – trumpet, horn arrangements Template:Small
• James Newton Howard – orchestral arrangements and conductor Template:Small
• Marty Paich – conductor Template:Small
• The London Symphony Orchestra – strings Template:Small
• Bobby Kimball – recorded but scrapped lead vocals Template:Small, backing vocals Template:Small
• Gene Morford – bass vocal Template:Small
• Tom Kelly – backing vocals Template:Small
• Richard Page – backing vocals Template:Small

Production

• Produced by Toto
• Engineers – Niko Bolas, Tom Knox, Greg Ladanyi and Shep Lonsdale.
• Assistant Engineers – Richard Bosworth, Ann Calnan, Terry Christian, Tom Fletcher, Stuart Furusho, Bill Jackson, Brian Malouf, Peggy McCreary, Franz Pusch, David Schober and Duane Seykora.
• Strings engineered by John Kurlander
• Mixed by Greg Ladanyi and Toto
• Mastered by Doug Sax at The Mastering Lab (Los Angeles, CA).
• Art Direction and Design – Bill Murphy
• Illustration – Robert Kopecky
• Photography – Raul Vega

Additional notes

Catalogue: (LP) Columbia 9C9-39911, (CD) Columbia CK-38962

Charts

Weekly charts

Chart	Peak position
Australian Kent Music Report<ref name="auchart">Template:Cite book</ref>	65
Canadian RPM Albums Chart<ref>Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved August 1, 2012</ref>	57
Dutch Mega Albums Chart<ref name="nlchart">Template:Cite web</ref>	26
Finnish Albums Chart<ref name="finchart">Template:Cite book</ref>	17
French SNEP Albums Chart<ref name="fracharts">Template:Cite web Note: user must select 'Toto' from drop-down</ref>	12
Japanese Oricon LP Chart<ref name="Jachart">Template:Cite book</ref>	2
Norwegian VG-lista Albums Chart<ref name="Nochart">Template:Cite web</ref>	8
Swedish Albums Chart<ref name="sechart">Template:Cite web</ref>	8
Swiss Albums Chart<ref name="chchart">Template:Cite web</ref>	15
UK Albums Chart<ref name="UKchart">Template:Cite web</ref>	67
U.S. Billboard 200<ref name="USchart">Template:Cite web</ref>	42
West German Media Control Albums Chart<ref name="dechart">Template:Cite web</ref>	15

Year-end charts

Chart (1984)	Position
French Albums Chart<ref name="frayearend">Template:Cite web</ref>	74
Japanese Albums Chart (Oricon)<ref name="JPYearend84">Template:Cite web</ref>	81

References

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