Isolation (Toto album)



Isolation is the Gold-certified fifth studio album by Toto, released on October 18, 1984. This was one of two albums the band made with Fergie Frederiksen as the primary vocalist, the other being their soundtrack to Dune. Isolation failed to achieve the popularity of its predecessor, Toto IV, although it achieved gold record status and gave the band their highest charting mainstream rock single "Stranger in Town" (No. 7). Relatively few songs from this album were featured in live performances after 1985's Isolation World Tour.

Background and recording
Frederiksen, singing lead on seven of the ten tracks, replaced original Toto vocalist Bobby Kimball while the band was in the recording process for the album. Kimball had recorded vocals for some of the album's tracks prior to his termination; sources differ on how many - Kimball says most of the album, whereas David Paich and Steve Lukather say around 3 or 4 songs. Some of Kimball's background vocals can be heard on the record, such as in their single "Stranger in Town", and at least one song, "Lion", had a demo recording with Kimball on lead vocals before being recorded with Frederiksen.

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."

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, Duane Seykora and David Schober.
 * Strings engineered by John Kurlander
 * Mixing: Greg Ladanyi and Toto
 * Mastering: Doug Sax at The Mastering Lab (Los Angeles, CA).
 * Art Direction and Design: Bill Murphy
 * Illustration: Robert Kopecky
 * Photography: Raul Vega

Toto

 * Fergie Frederiksen -  lead vocals (except on "Stranger in Town", "How Does it Feel" and "Holyanna"), backing vocals
 * Steve Lukather -  guitars, backing vocals, lead vocal on "How Does It Feel"
 * David Paich -  keyboards, backing vocals, lead vocals on "Stranger In Town" and "Holyanna", co-lead vocal on "Carmen", orchestral arrangements on "How Does it Feel" and "Change of Heart"
 * Steve Porcaro -   keyboards, electronic sounds
 * Mike Porcaro -  bass
 * Jeff Porcaro -  drums, percussion

Additional musicians

 * The London Symphony Orchestra - strings
 * James Newton Howard - orchestral arrangements on "How Does it Feel" and "Change of Heart"
 * Lenny Castro - percussion
 * Joe Porcaro - percussion
 * Mike Cotten - synthesizer on "Stranger in Town"
 * Chuck Findley - trumpet
 * Jerry Hey - trumpet, horn arrangements on "Lion"
 * Tom Scott - saxophone
 * Tom Kelly - backing vocal on "How Does it Feel"
 * Richard Page - backing vocal on "How Does it Feel"
 * Gene Morford - bass vocal on "Stranger in Town"
 * Bobby Kimball -  backing vocals

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

Singles

 * Stranger in Town / Change of Heart
 * Holyanna / Mr. Friendly
 * How Does It Feel / Mr. Friendly
 * Angel Don't Cry / Mr. Friendly (released in Australia)
 * Endless / Isolation (released in UK)