Toto IV

BY Toto

(Customer Reviews)

$7.50

SKU: CK37728

Label:

Columbia

: Category:
AOR

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"It was do or die for Toto on the group's fourth album, and they rose to the challenge. Largely dispensing with the anonymous studio rock that had characterized their first three releases, the band worked harder on its melodies, made sure its simple lyrics treated romantic subjects, augmented Bobby Kimball's vocals by having other group members sing, brought in ringers like Timothy B. Schmit, and slowed down the tempo to what came to be known as "power ballad" pace. Most of all, they wrote some hit songs: "Rosanna," the old story of a lovelorn lyric matched to a bouncy beat, was the gold, Top Ten comeback single accompanying the album release; "Make Believe" made the Top 30; and then, surprisingly, "Africa" hit number one ten months after the album's release. The members of Toto may have more relatives who are NARAS voters than any other group, but that still doesn't explain the sweep they achieved at the Grammys, winning six, including Album of the Year and Record of the Year (for "Rosanna"). Predictably, rock critics howled, but the Grammys helped set up the fourth single, "I Won't Hold You Back," another soft rock smash and Top Ten hit. As a result, Toto IV was both the group's comeback and its peak; it remains a definitive album of slick L.A. pop for the early '80s and Toto's best and most consistent record. Having made it, the members happily went back to sessions, where they helped write and record Michael Jackson's Thriller." - Allmusic

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AOR

"In better than 25 years, singer and songwriter Damian Wilson has had a remarkable and prolific career. Lately known for his work with progressive rock acts Threshold and Headspace, Wilson has also done solo work over the years. Built For Fighting is latest and fourth solo studio album, and once more produced by Andrew Holdsworth.To be honest at the start, I think Damian Wilson is one of the best singers on the planet. So don't expect some objective unbiased review. It ain't happening.Wilson's versatility and range, tone and timbre, are well suited for progressive rock and metal to the AOR melodic rock of Built For Fighting. I've liked most everything that he's been a part of, simply because I like listening to his voice. He has a natural melodic sweetness wrapped in inherent passion.Wilson is also an exceptional songwriter. He writes songs that are dripping with melody, often defined by his voice, acoustic guitar, or piano. Also, his lyrics are usually intelligent and cogent, filled with meaning. With this album, and I'm merely speculating here, his words seem more reflective, perhaps introspective, thoughtful of his life, times, and relationships.To the songs, as mentioned earlier, they are largely AOR melodic rock, many times within a symphonic wrapper. The album has some variety and some shifts in character. The first five songs are lighter fare dominated by the trio of the piano and acoustic guitar lines with Wilson' voice. Yet, the lead track and first single Thrill Me is a bit more spry and lively, coming off as attractive and radio-friendly power pop. Alternatively, Fire turns almost entirely on voice and piano, wrapped in violin and cello. It's a beautiful piece of music.Halfway in, beginning with short, catchy and sexy, Sex & Vanilla, Wilson and crew get their groove on again. The song is another punch of power pop. The following Can't Heal War is also a bit more heavy thanks to the sharp riffs. Written In Anger, a song that seems almost autobiographical, becomes more dense and moody from the deeper bottom end, riffage, and generous orchestration. All I Need returns you once more to the brisk riffs and groove of a power rock song. In the end, the album winds down with two quieter songs, I Won't Blame Life and Battlelines. Wrapped in the lightness of acoustic guitar and orchestration, then led by Wilson's voice, both songs have passionate lyrical themes: the former to life and loss in relationships, the latter to the irony of war.So what's my biased bottom line? I liked everything about Built For Fighting. Damian Wilson is a superb singer who writes exceptional melodic rock songs. His voice is terrific, the music delightful. Get the album. You won't be disappointed in the least." - Dangerdog.com
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Toto
Toto IV

AOR

"It was do or die for Toto on the group's fourth album, and they rose to the challenge. Largely dispensing with the anonymous studio rock that had characterized their first three releases, the band worked harder on its melodies, made sure its simple lyrics treated romantic subjects, augmented Bobby Kimball's vocals by having other group members sing, brought in ringers like Timothy B. Schmit, and slowed down the tempo to what came to be known as "power ballad" pace. Most of all, they wrote some hit songs: "Rosanna," the old story of a lovelorn lyric matched to a bouncy beat, was the gold, Top Ten comeback single accompanying the album release; "Make Believe" made the Top 30; and then, surprisingly, "Africa" hit number one ten months after the album's release. The members of Toto may have more relatives who are NARAS voters than any other group, but that still doesn't explain the sweep they achieved at the Grammys, winning six, including Album of the Year and Record of the Year (for "Rosanna"). Predictably, rock critics howled, but the Grammys helped set up the fourth single, "I Won't Hold You Back," another soft rock smash and Top Ten hit. As a result, Toto IV was both the group's comeback and its peak; it remains a definitive album of slick L.A. pop for the early '80s and Toto's best and most consistent record. Having made it, the members happily went back to sessions, where they helped write and record Michael Jackson's Thriller." - Allmusic
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Styx
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AOR

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Leprous
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Progressive Metal

In a time where progressive music is rising and there are so many options available to new listeners, it takes serious guts and personality to turn heads anymore. Norway’s Leprous has done just that in recent years, and it has been such a joy to watch them emerge into the limelight of awareness within the progressive community. It is no wonder, however, as Leprous continues to mature and to cling ever closer to their hearts when crafting new music.Leprous is a visionary band that defies genre labelling, not just in the style, but also in their attitude. After releasing “Tall Poppy Syndrome” (2009), “Bilateral” (2011) and “Coal” (2013); these artists released their monster album “The Congregation” (2015) that spurred high acclaim and an enormous world tour. Leprous, however, is not a band that takes success resting on their hind quarters, as they believe in pushing boundaries, learning from their mistakes, and following their instincts. They are prepared to release their new album “Malina” this summer, and it is set to offer a left hook to the progressive world.Of all things, Leprous is not a band that can be caged into any single genre. They aren’t interested in any of that. What they do believe in, however, is pursuing their artistic passions and following wherever their hearts may lead. They have been celebrated for years for their evocative mix of polyrhythmic grooves, melancholy atmospheres, melodic vocals, and biting lyrics; but their new album represents a pure stream of consciousness in the changes they have made to their sound. It’s in this imaginative style of composition that the band finds “a lot of the beauty about composing and creating: There’s always movement.”The band, however, found their instincts leading them away from simply polishing the melancholy progressive metal of “The Congregation”. They followed their conviction about creating music that feels right in the moment, which they consider to be the core of all true musical expression. In the process, Leprous has become a band that is “more accurately defined as a rock band than a metal band”, though even that label is unsatisfactory and binding to them. This is music that expresses their souls, embodies their passion, and confirms their genius. They believe in making quality music that speaks to who they are right here and right now.About these changes, the band had this to say, "This album is the perfect example on how you can start with avision and ending up with a result that has nothing to do with the original idea. The writing of the album started out with the idea to perfect the sound and working method we began with on "The Congregation". While the writing process was actually pretty similar (30 sketches, elimination process etc etc) we gradually started noticing stuff with the sound and the songwriting on the previous album that we wanted to sound different. Gradually we realised what needed to be done. This album needs to sound more alive, more organic and more dynamic. The longer into the process the more obsessed we got with this idea”.“Malina” is set to be a change in direction in more ways than one. Right away, you can see that the cover art is more colorful and more mysterious than they’ve ever had in the past. The album itself has been nothing short of a labor of love. The album took 4 times as many days in the studio to record as past albums, as the band was certain that the sound they wanted would be found in the recording studio, and not in a digital mask that would be applied during the mixing stage.With this concept in mind, David Castillo of Ghostward Studios was brought in to produce and record the album to meet the band’s demands for a specific sound and the then went with Jens Bogren again to mix the album. The band was however adamant about what this album needed to be, “We wanted it to sound like it sounded. We did not want to "digitalise" the sound.”The members of Leprous have poured their blood, sweat, and tears into the process of creating “Malina”. They’ve challenged themselves to mature and grow in ways they themselves did not expect. It’s because of these amazing qualities that the band is set to conquer the music scene once again in 2017. Combining a new album with a fresh sound with their upcoming, biggest headline tour yet Leprous is ready to bring their passion and badass energy to fans and new audiences worldwide this year.
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GTR
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Phase
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Fusion

Phase - Midnight Madness is the third release in our limited edition Modulus series. Pressed in an edition of 500 copies, it comes housed in a old school style tip-on mini-LP jacket. A 12 page booklet features detailed liner notes from the members of the band.Phase was a New Jersey based quartet formed in 1978. It featured Regan Ryzuk (piano, Moog, Celeste), Dave Anderson (electric and Anscor stereo guitar), Carl Scariati (Carl Thompson electric bass), and John Hvasta (drums/tympanis). All members were young but highly accomplished musicians with a serious interest in jazz, classical composition, and progressive rock. Their high energy instrumental music clearly demonstrated these influences. The music of Phase can easily be classified as fusion but there are strong undercurrents of progressive rock that weaves its way through the album - not just in terms of the instrumentation or playing, but the compositions as well.The band signed a deal with QCA/Red Mark Records in Cincinnati. The band left New Jersey and heading out to Ohio to record Midnight Madness. The album was recorded and mixed very quickly. It saw a release in 1979 and unfortunately sank without much of a trace. Keyboardist Regan Ryzuk reissued the album two years label, rebranding and repackaging the release under the Fusion Quartet moniker.Hearing this music for the first time was quite a revelation. I was blown away to say the least. When I'm asked to describe the music I typically reply "Return To Forever meets Emerson Lake & Palmer". Not only did this quartet have chops from hell but the compositions were challenging as well. If you are a fan of RTF, Mahavishnu Orchestra or the prog giants ELP, Yes, Zappa, and PFM you will find much to enjoy here.Please keep in mind that when this edition sells out it will be gone forever.
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Redemption
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Progressive Metal

Four years after their latest studio album, now finally "I Am The Storm" arrives - an intense slice of heavy music, evoking the presence of one's inner strength. Like a force of nature, every lover of sophisticated metal music with depth will fall in love with Englund's inspired vocals, the sheer power and exquisite arrangements.The masters of song-oriented progressive metal are back! Los Angeles- based band REDEMPTION, fronted by charismatic vocalist Tom S. Englund (also Evergrey) are one of the most respected and critically acclaimed bands, highly praised in prog- as well as melodic/power metal circles. Four years after their latest studio album, now finally "I Am The Storm" arrives - an intense slice of heavy music, evoking the presence of one's inner strength. Like a force of nature, every lover of sophisticated metal music with depth will fall in love with Englund's inspired vocals, the sheer power and exquisite arrangements.
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Haken
L-1VE (2CD/2DVD)

Progressive Metal

"The release of official live material is a project that is long overdue and we know our existing fans have been crying out for this for some time now. Whilst we have filmed and recorded many shows in the past we have always felt there were elements of our shows that could be improved 'visually' before we documented and immortalised this for the world to see and that the timing for a live release never felt right for us. This is just our nature as creative people to be so extremely self-critical and constantly strive for perfection. It is largely due to the will of the people that the idea of this project became a reality. Both the band and the label were inundated with emails requesting a live release in some shape or form, and it was actually rather flattering, so giving the people what they wanted just felt like the right thing to do" - Haken"Following the release of the bands much-acclaimed fourth studio album 'Affinity', they embarked upon their 10th anniversary tour across Europe & North America. Recorded and filmed on the 13th April 2017, at the legendary Melkweg venue on the Amsterdam stop of that tour, this represents the band's first ever live document with tracks from across the band's discography.'L-1VE' will be released as a 2CD/2DVD Digipak package & as digital download. The DVD will include 4 bonus tracks filmed at ProgPower USA 2016 that also includes Mike Portnoy's cameo appearance on gong, as well as all of the official videos from the 'Affinity' album."
$20.00

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My Soliloquy
The Interpreter ($5 Blowout Price!)

Progressive Metal

My Soliloquy is a British band formed in 2002 by multi-instrumentalist Pete Morten. Since then the band has released a number of demos, gaining traction in the metal underground. The band had a number of notable support shows with Pagans Mind, Power Quest, Oliver and Rick Wakeman, and Threshold, as well as a second-to-headline set at Bloodstock 05 and a showcase at 2007’s ProgPower UK II.Since 2007, Morten has been an active member of British prog metal legends Threshold. His membership has raised awareness (and created anticipation) for My Soliloquy’s long awaited debut.The essence of My Soliloquy is pure forward thinking metal – symphonic keyboards, shredding guitar leads, soaring vocals – all finely woven together with a blend of intricacy and melody. The Interpreter was mixed and mastered by Rob Aubrey who has been a mainstay of Marillion’s camp for many years.
$5.00

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Southern Empire
Southern Empire (CD/DVD)

Progressive Rock

"Southern Empire were formed by keyboardist Sean Timms following the dissolution of Unitopia.Influenced by the likes of Dream Theater, IQ, Transatlantic, Karnivool and Steven Wilson, Southern Empire bring a harder, more edgy sound to their music whilst displaying a knack for catchy songs and great melodic hooks."Southern Empire is Australia's newest, most exciting progressive rock band: Sean Timms - Keyboards/Vocals/Saxaphone Danny Lopresto - Lead Vocals/Guitar Cam Blokland - Guitar/Vocals Brody Green - Drums/Vocals Jez Martin - Bass/VocalsSean Timms: After a 17 year stint as main song-writer, producer and keyboard player with Unitopia Sean was looking to bring the finest musicians together in one band. He feels he’s achieved that with Southern Empire.Danny Lopresto: A seasoned performer with a huge vocal range, mad guitar skills and many years of live and studio experience, Danny’s work with nationally renowned band Clearway and the highly successful sold out Queen/Zeppelin Show sees him regularly playing to packed houses.Cam Blokland: Lauded nationally as one of Australia’s premiere guitarists, Cam was the face of the 2014 Adelaide International Guitar Festival, sharing the stage with some of the world’s finest guitarists including Guthrie Govan.Brody Green: One of a rare breed of drummers, Brody is not only great at hitting things with sticks, but also a stunning vocalist with a supersonic range, guitarist, keyboardist and song-writer.Jez Martin: A highly in-demand bass player, Jez can be seen and heard with the Bill Parton Trio, Lather (The Frank Zappa Tribute Band), The Dream Theater Tribute Show and many musical theatre performances.
$16.00

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Journey
Original Album Classics (5CD)

AOR

5CD slipcase set includes the following 5 albums:InfinityEvolutionEscapeFrontiersRaised On Radio
$24.00

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Toto
Past To Present 1977-1990

AOR

"Toto's compilation is to be recommended in that it contains all four of the group's Top Ten hit singles -- "Hold the Line," "Rosanna," "Africa," and "I Won't Hold You Back." It also contains four more of Toto's 14 pop chart singles -- "Georgy Porgy," "99," "I'll Be Over You," and "Pamela." But that means it leaves out six chart entries, including the Top 40 hits "Make Believe," "Stranger in Town," and "Without Your Love." In their place are an album track from the most recent album, The Seventh One, and four newly recorded songs co-written and sung by the group's fourth lead vocalist, Jean-Michel Byron, who is more soulful than his predecessors, but no more memorable. As such, this is not the ideal Toto best-of and earns its "pick" designation over Toto IV only by virtue of its inclusion of the group's first hit, "Hold the Line."" - Allmusic
$7.50

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Dream Theater
Distance Over Time (Collector's Box Set)

Progressive Metal

Limited Deluxe Collector's Box Set:Artbook180g 2 LP Gatefold Vinyl w/ Exclusive Artwork and Exclusive LP Color (White)Exclusive picture disc 7"60 cm x 60 cm poster10 art cardsSlipmatPatchPinHand-numbered certificate of authenticityTwo-time Grammy-nominated and millions-selling progressive music titans Dream Theater announce the forthcoming worldwide release of their 14th studio album, ‘Distance Over Time’ on 22nd February 2019. ‘Distance Over Time’ showcases a newfound creativity for Dream Theater while maintaining the elements that have garnered them devoted fans around the globe. The album also marks the first for the band’s new label InsideOutMusic / Sony Music. The artwork was created by long-time cover collaborator Hugh Syme (Rush, Iron Maiden, Stone Sour). ‘Distance Over Time’ was produced by John Petrucci, mixed by Ben Grosse and mastered by Tom Baker.“When I listen back to the album, I can distinctly recall every moment of the writing process; where I was standing in the room, what inspired us in that instant and the meaning behind each song. As a producer, my goal was to try and create the best-sounding Dream Theater record we’ve ever made so that listeners can just be enveloped in the music. I really wanted this recording to truly reflect the spirit, joy and passion that went into making the album and for people to walk away feeling some of the organic nature, personality and raw energy that the band captured while together in the studio. For me, I think it accomplishes that and I hope that other people will feel the same way,” explains John Petrucci.In June 2018, Dream Theater secluded themselves in a private location in upstate New York to begin writing for the new record. While spending the summer living together in the property's adjacent residence, the band spent their days and nights crafting the music that would make up the new album in the ‘Yonderbarn’; a beautiful and spacious barn that had been meticulously transformed into a state-of-the art film and recording studio. Following an intense & extremely productive period of group writing sessions and wanting to retain the magic that was captured in this scenic and inspiring location, they decided to record the album in the very room they had all convened to write together in. Living together during the writing and recording for ‘Distance Over Time’ marked another first for the band’s 33-year career. The result is a heavier collection of songs that showcases the early roots of the band while exploring new territory as musicians and as friends.“It was like going back to summer camp,” adds James LaBrie. “Being around each other the whole time made it that much more of a profound experience. I think the songs reflect the energy. It was a lot of fun to have a situation so powerful at this point in our career.”It has been 3 years since Dream Theater released new music. To announce the details of the brand new album, Dream Theater enlisted the help of one lucky contest winner to break the news of the record to the loyal fans of the band. An Alternate Reality Game was launched that encompassed a “treasure hunt” whereby fans were able to search for clues hidden in various photos, videos, social media posts, and more. Ultimately, one lucky winner was given access to content before everyone else including the release date and cover artwork, and the winner would be the one to share the first taste of never before heard music. Dream Theater is also planning to hit the road in support of the new album. The ‘Distance Over Time’ Tour of North America was recently announced and kicks off on March 20, 2019 in San Diego, CA. The tour will run for seven weeks before wrapping up in Mexico City on May 4, 2019.Progressive metal pioneers Dream Theater — James LaBrie (Vocals), John Petrucci (Guitars), Jordan Rudess (Keyboards), John Myung (Bass), and Mike Mangini (Drums) — share a unique bond with one of the most passionate fan bases around the globe as evidenced by their two GRAMMY® Award nominations and 15 million records sold worldwide. The 1992 opus Images & Words received a gold certification and landed on Rolling Stone’s coveted “100 Greatest Metal Albums of All-Time.” Guitar World placed the follow-up Awake at #1 on “Superunknown: 50 Iconic Albums That Defined 1994.” 1996’s A Change of Seasons notably soundtracked NBC’s coverage of Downhill Skiing at the 2002 Winter Olympics. Fans voted the 1999 Metropolis Pt. 2: Scenes from a Memory the “Number One All-Time Progressive Rock Album” in a 2012 Rolling Stone poll. Not to mention, it ranked as the “15th Greatest Concept Album” by Classic Rock. 2009 saw Black Clouds & Silver Linings crash the Billboard Top 200 at #6 as A Dramatic Turn of Events [2011] and Dream Theater [2013] maintained a three-peat in the chart’s Top 10. Consequence of Sound dubbed 2016’s The Astonishing, “An absolutely unique experience.” Beyond three platinum and two gold videos, the group was inducted into the Long Island Music Hall of Fame in 2010. On its 14th full-length and first release for InsideOutMusic / Sony Music, Distance Over Time, the band recharge the brotherhood that has kept them creating music together for over 30 years. It’s Dream Theater at their most dynamic, direct, and definitive.
$145.00

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