I just was listening to the whole thing a minute ago while burning some CDs, and I kinda forgot how varied it was. It almost doesn't even seem like it's the same band making most of the songs.

Pretty much it's known for the energetic AOR lite "Rosanna" and "Africa", which is a poppy midtempo ballad. Aside from that, there's not a whole lot of consistancy. "Lovers in the Night" is heavy jazz, "I Won't Hold You Back" is a really soft, tearjerking love song, and "Afraid of Love" almost sounds like arena rock. "Make Believe", "Good For You" and "We Made It" are slower pop songs with a strong '70s holdover influence of R&B. So is "Waiting For You Love", although it's a little more upbeat. Then, there's unique stuff like "It's a Feeling" which just sounds atmospheric and cloudy.

Other than the two big singles and "Afraid of Love", there's really not much of an '80slike sound to it either. The rest actually feels very much like a singer-songwriter album that came out a little too late. The guys in the band used to be session musicians who worked with artists like Boz Scaggs, and the influence is obvious.

I remember when this album was all the rage.  It would go on to win several awards, and launch 5 singles into the chart, all of which I remember.  My favourite is still 'Africa' :)

In 1999, 'I Won't Hold You Back' was re-popularized in the UK when American DJ Roger Sanchez topped the chart with a remix of it titled Another Chance

I remember when this album was all the rage.  It would go on to win several awards, and launch 5 singles into the chart, all of which I remember.  My favourite is still 'Africa' :)

In 1999, 'I Won't Hold You Back' was re-popularized in the UK when American DJ Roger Sanchez topped the chart with a remix of it titled Another Chance


"Africa" is catchy, I remember hearing that on the radio as a kid (although we never owned the album, and I was too young to really know about the album as it happened). I always used to mishear alot of lyrics in it too. For instance, I thought he was saying "My pants were raised down in Africa". ;D

when it comes to toto, i prefere their early stuff, their first wo albums were great, every song!  toto 4 at best has rosanna and africa!

I didn't have the album, but I like that song "Africa".  I heard that song when it was first released in 1982.