TOTO "africa" classic or dud

I would argue they are more mercenary because the quality of session guys are different. The Motown or Stax guys, for example, played to the song. The Toto guys, they had serious chops, and wrote songs to their serious chops. Under the logic that they are better players than everybody else, therefore they can construct better music than anyone else. Sort of like some prog bands, but without the adventure or invention, imo. Or like, I dunno, Asia. I think it bears considering, if I recall correctly, that Toto as a hit making force was actually pretty hit or miss, but not for a lack of churning out schlock.

I think of a cat like Larry Carlton. Awesome in Steely Dan, but left to his own devices more or less sucks.

What does mercenary have to do with quality? What do you even mean by mercenary?

God help me you are not making me c&p a dictionary definition of a word on the internet

Anyway Africa rules
Agree w Ye Mad Puffin I'm a sucker for AOR schlock

Ha, I quite like a couple of Larry Carlton albums (s/t - the instrumental tracks anyway - and Larry & Lee with Ritenour). Whatever criticisms could be made of them, I don't see how it could be argued that his solo instrumental fusion records are more mercenary than his pop session work. (I think that confuses me about the distinction you're making, too, tbh: doing what the producer needs you to do to make hits out of other people's songs seems more mercenary than writing songs to your own chops.)
xp!

Under the logic that they are better players than everybody else, therefore they can construct better music than anyone else.

did they actually say this or something

the rest of the post.. ru drunk

Not drunk! Anyway, I guess it's just relatively rare for a group of session dudes to actually spin off into their own band (is it?), and by mercenary I suppose I sort of meant cynical, just unleashed from the relative restraint of session work in service of someone else's vision in favor of slick but, well, serviceable AOR. Like, this is what they do when they're on their own, this hugely talented crew of dudes? They wanted to sound like Toto?

Re: the band's chops, I have to admit I haven't listened to much Toto, though I have watched several Jeff Porcaro youtube clips, and while I've always been impressed by his dedication to come up with new and cool ways to assist the group's pap, I've been less impressed by the other dudes, who often find a way to show off in the cheesiest, silliest way possible (like the synth-flute solo in "Africa," for example.) Anyway, if y'all want to defend Toto, that's cool. They're like number one million on my list of uncool bands I'd want to defend.

Don't know if I missed this somewhere, but isn t a big part of the recent popularity of "Africa" and "Don't Stop Believing" down to each having been prominently featured on hit TV shows.

When was "Africa" used? I like the "Grand Theft Auto" theory.

Oh, wait, you mean "Africa" in "Stranger Things?" I dunno, it felt like it had been simmering to the surface before that. Whereas Journey clearly had a big uptick after the Sopranos ep. Isn't that when it became the most bought song on iTunes or something?

my former students on fb like africa by toto, a quality sound recording from the 1980s decade

don't stop believing has been big in San Francisco forever, long before the Sopranos. It's been like the semi-official song of the Giants for some time.

"They're like number one million on my list of uncool bands I'd want to defend."

where are they in relation to Poco?

poco are cool as hell

Yeah, isn't Poco kind of cool Cali country rock?

Re: Journey and sports, I brought that up earlier. They've always been around sports. In fact, infamously when they were gearing up for the World Series or playoffs or something, the Detroit Tigers (who had adopted Don't Stop Believing) played it while entering the field to play ... the San Fran Giants.

they play "lights" in the middle of the 8th inning at at&t park, i believe

anyway Journey are undeniably a better 'band' than Poco were because they wrote lots of pretty memorable great songs and Toto wrote Africa and Rosanna. They played on Thriller which is great.

I think Stranger Things definitely played a part in the "Africa" revival.

Toto. toto. not poco. they're the same thing to me. see

the first time I saw renewed interest in Africa was when Low covered it for AV Club which was certainly before Stranger Things.

renewed hipster interest, that is

Could there have been a slow accumulation of "Africa" covers that no one notices until suddenly it's a revered old classic (see also Talking Heads "This Must Be the Place"). This is one of the big numbers in my 17-year-old nephew's high school chorus group's repertoire.

there are covers of 'this must be the place'?

Re:Cover - I saw John Pizzarelli & Jessica Molaskey's cabaret show in 2013, and they opened with a mashup of "This Must Be the Place" (sung by Jessica) and the Beatles' "Two of Us" (sung by John). Also, Shawn Colvin recorded an acoustic version on her Cover Girl album.

Also, The New Yorker said it was so in 2012, so it must be so.

My son played "Africa" in middle school jazz band earlier this year. It's definitely gone beyond hipster interest.

OTOH, his high school marching band percussion section is apparently doing an arrangement of "15 Step" by Radiohead, so who even knows anymore...

FWIW a friend of mine on FB over in Atlanta just now posted all-caps complaining that the bar next to her apartment is currently playing this song, and she added that this proves said bar is 'fuccboi central,' so perhaps that explains it.

I would argue that hipster appreciation for this stuff can be traced back to the Yacht Rock videos

It seemed p.ubiquitous back in, uh, 2007 - mashup w/MIMS' "This Is Why I'm Hot" used to get played at parties a bunch:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fl6s2Q9BNO4

Once saw Romania, a minor new wave/new romantic-styled Teenbeat band, play a dead-on cover of "Africa" in the late '90s. Was not ironic, which sort of made it ironic. Certainly back then it had not been reintroduced as anything novel, it was just sort of a deadpan punchline.

There was some forwarded youtube clip a few years back of open-mic dudes doing a pro cover of the song, I remember that.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MLrC7e3vSv8

9 million views! 2010.

tangential and prob OT but i only recently found out that miguel ferrer (yes, that miguel ferrer) played the drums in steve lukather's latin disco project, baby'o

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0GSo2HKS_GY

This is one of the big numbers in my 17-year-old nephew's high school chorus group's repertoire.

Ur-text for acapella Africa

https://youtu.be/2Fe11OlMiz8?t=1m51s

I actually remember seeing that open mic night Africa a lot on Facebook and stuff, I think those randos had more to do with it than Stranger Things, which was late to the party of anything

There are tons of dance remixes of Africa

My theory is that it's a good song and ppl like it

It's a great song!

The mystery is how this particular song spanned the generation gap(s) as both beloved (?) tune and ur-80s cheesy ironic joke. A la Baker Street or maybe Freebird (for their respective eras). Good song or no, there are obviously hundreds of good songs that no one under the age of 40 knows. My cousin in DC, who is a total bro under 30, seemed really interested in an upcoming protest that involved people gathering to sing Africa at the White House or something.

Idk, are there that many #1 hits in the 80s that are unknown to anyone under 40?

*from the 80s

I'll give you that the way people appreciate "Africa" seems a little different/more self-conscious from the way people appreciate "Every Breath You Take" or something.

i feel like this song is just as popular now as it was like 10 years ago *shrug*

Yeah I'm not even sure if my last post is accurate.

Just heard Toto "Africa " at a wedding and it had multigenerational appeal. Had me thinking about my dislike for it way back when.

just cos i'm bored, these are some random US number ones from the 80s that i'm guessing not too many people in their 30s could sing

"Stars on 45 Medley" Stars on 45
"The One That You Love" Air Supply
"Jessie's Girl" Rick Springfield
"Who Can It Be Now?" Men at Work
"Truly" Lionel Richie
"Everytime You Go Away" Paul Young
"A View to a Kill" Duran Duran
"Oh Sheila" Ready for the World
"There'll Be Sad Songs (To Make You Cry)" Billy Ocean
"The Next Time I Fall" Peter Cetera and Amy Grant
"Shake You Down" Gregory Abbott
"At This Moment" Billy Vera and the Beaters
"Jacob's Ladder" Huey Lewis and the News
"Always" Atlantic Starr
"Head to Toe" Lisa Lisa and Cult Jam
"Lost in Emotion" Lisa Lisa and Cult Jam
"Wishing Well" Terence Trent D'Arby
"Together Forever" Rick Astley
"Foolish Beat" Debbie Gibson
"Hold On to the Nights" Richard Marx
"Love Bites" Def Leppard
"Wild, Wild West" The Escape Club
"When I'm with You" Sheriff
"I'll Be There for You" Bon Jovi
"Baby Don't Forget My Number" Milli Vanilli
"Cold Hearted" Paula Abdul
"Blame It on the Rain" Milli Vanilli

I'm 41 and I only know 6 of those

"Jessie's Girl" Rick Springfield

nah

That's one of them

xp Pretty much everyone I know in their 30s knows and could sing "Jessie's Girl."

I'm in my 30s and the last seven are seared into my brain but OK, fair point on a lot of those, especially the ones that are contemporary with "Africa".
4xp Well, yeah, "Jessie's Girl" too

I know pretty much all of those by heart, but then I'm 46.

i'm 30 and i know most of those but i'm weird

I am 42 and could sing 18 of those off the top of my head. The others, I would not be shocked if I heard just a second or two of them and they immediately came back to me. maybe I'll check.

i feel like this song is just as popular now as it was like 10 years ago *shrug*

― dyl, Tuesday, September 19, 2017

OTM. "Africa" and "Rosanna" have never gone away.