Original Album Classics

I was wondering if there is more good songs than the usual hits and -oh boy - there's plenty of great music there.

Though not a total Toto fan and thus not familiar with their exact discography, I got five cds with my Original Album Classics, not three (like the other reviewer, to date). I presumed these to be their first five albums.I had Toto 'IV' (on the strength of 'Africa') on LP and in the digital age, went for their 'Past To Present' greatest hits. This collection always seemed inadequate to me and thus, by far the most cost effective way of getting "IV" on CD, along with four more, was via this ten pound set.I presumed that, being complete albums and with the singles and stronger tracks spread far and wide, that the actual originals would be patchy and weak. Not so. I was very pleasantly surprised as to how many were good, strong tracks and none that I wanted to skip. Yes, 'IV' IS the best, maybe because it is the most polished and contained their singles. It's good also to hear their progress as a band, chronologically.The outer box is nicely put together and presented and the five slip case inserts seem to have what would have been on the reverse of the original album cover. But nothing more; so no band line-up or photos etc but you do get a track listing, of course.I've now purchased a couple of other Original Album Classics, from the Manic Street Preachers and Japan. Absolute fans will want the original CDs with leaflets and full info etc but for the rest of us, these represent brilliant value for money and an excellent way to cover lost musical ground.

Bought as have always likes the famous Toto songs. However, listening through, now I know why I only know and hear certain Toto songs as most tracks not up to much.However, a few other good tracks and great guitar playing. Needless to say great value as well.

What a fantastic idea to put three CDs into one package. Basically a bunch of session musicians who got together to form a band (and, yes, they were named after Dorothy's dog in 'The Wizard Of Oz'). Being session musicians these guys know how to produce good pop/rock music, none of this electronic wizardry at the mixing desk. This contains their first three albums, 'Toto', 'Hydra' and 'Turn Back'. The 1st, 'Toto' contains the huge selling single 'Hold The Line' and is a cracking début. Their 2nd, 'Hydra' did not live up to what was expected, producing a medium selling single, '99', from the soundtrack of a very obscure film, which did not help. The 3rd, 'Turn Back' was a disappointment, not selling very much at all. But this is all a part of the history of Toto as the next album was Toto IV a classic. So for a collector this is a must.....and good value too.

Arrived very promptly.

All is OK

AOR overload.

A good bargain collection of Toto's first three albums, dating from 1978-81. Although very few of the tracks are well known from radio play, many are firm fan favourites, and most display all the classic Toto attributes, such as accomplished musicianship, anthemic songs, overwrought vocals and melodramatic guitar solos - which are of course appreciated by some listeners, derided by others. The big disappointment remains that although these three albums have been available in different forms on CD for years, they still have not been remastered, and consequently sound a bit weak, with instrument definition being less clear and immediate than on the various recent remastered Toto hits collections. Many of the best tracks within these three albums are never included on any of the hits collections, so this is the only way you can currently hear them. These albums certainly all deserve to be reissued in a decent remastered form, so this bargain collection is a bit of a wasted opportunity. The three discs come in cute cardboard replica LP sleeves which fit into a cardboard slipcase, but there is absolutely no information provided in terms of personnel, production or composing credits. If you want that you'll have to go to the Toto website. So it's great to have them available at a bargain price, but Sony should have done a more thorough job with the sound and the packaging.