OT: Toto's best song, Africa or Rosanna?
Ok. I've been in some serious debate with my close friends regarding the best Toto song. While I think Africa is a fantastic song, I'm squarely in the camp that Rosanna is better. I get that these are up to opinion, but I'm getting some serious push back from my friends who think Africa is clearly better. One friend goes so far as to say, "there are two people in this world: one who likes Africa, and one who likes Rosanna"
My general thought is that even though these two songs are off the same Toto album (Toto IV), they are vastly different in style and meaning. In my opinion, Rosanna sticks with Toto's roots as a progressive rock group that uses varying and unique degrees of tones and stanzas. For Africa, they simply injected a pop sensibility to the song that was meant to appeal to a wider range of audiences, and worked. Nothing wrong with that, but I just better like the basis in progressive rock that is true to song Rosanna, while Africa comes off as a "sell-out" to make money.
MgoBlog. What say you?
Rosanna is hotter than Africa, hands down.
Hold the line>Rosanna>Africa
It looks like your dogs are ready to back you up.
That said, who am I to disagree with your rankings?
Seriously though, Hold the Line is far and away the best; Rosanna is listenable, but the song Africa is meh or worse.
And the group Toto neither makes my top 100 groups of their era nor my top 300 of all time. Just not my cup of tea. Too bland.
Give me Kansas, Pure Prairie League, Christopher Cross, Al Kooper, Asia, Survivor, Mr. Mister, Boz Skaggs, Huey Lewis & the News and many other bands of that genre and/or era every day of the week over Toto.
Hey rob f, went to Fisk Knob last night on your recommendation to see the comet. Great view of the sky but not able to identify the comet. Had not been there in probably 40+ years. First round is on me when we get together.
Always liked Little River Band over Toto.?
Really? I got there late, around 11:15-11:20 but left less than a half hour later. Spent the last 5 minutes near my car, using it to steady my binoculars to get a better view of Jupiter and 3 of the 4 Galilean moons and also to take a look towards Saturn to see if I could detect the rings of Saturn at all (right now, the angle of Saturn's axis presents the rings at an angle that optimizes their visibility through small to medium telescopes and powerful enough binoculars).
I left at approximately 11:45, 2 other vehicles left just ahead of me.
(edit: the comet isn't quite as bright, but I spotted it immediately, knowing exactly where to look. Tonight and tomorrow, it will be directly below the scoop of the very tilted Big Dipper, about 3/4 of the way above the horizon relative to the bottom of the Dipper.)
(edit #2. Also this:
... although, judging from the angle of the comet's tail, that video is at least a week old.)
We got there around 10:10. NW sky still too bright from sunset. Probably left around 10:50ish. Got home about 11:15. Watched for awhile from the driveway as the big Dipper was quite visible above the trees. Must have just missed you.
Edit: maybe we saw it but didn't know that's what we were looking at.
I hadn't planned on going because it was cloudy enough yet around sundown that I didn't think visibility would be very good. By 10:30 or so when I went out to roll up my car windows I noticed it had cleared considerably. Short window of opportunity, though, as by 1am it was again mostly cloudy.
BTW, I had posted earlier today in XM's comet thread from a few days back.
Hopefully tonight will be clear enough and we can look again ?
NOAA forecast cloud cover is projected at 31% at 10 pm and 24% by 11. Worth again keeping an eye on.
I do enjoy both of those songs from Toto. I'll add that Weezer's cover of Rosanna is way better than their cover of Africa.
Africa.
Hold the Line
Yes, Hold the Line. The other's are running for 2nd and 3rd. Africa>Rosanna I guess
Stranger in Town
Rosanna is more upbeat whereas Africa is slower and puts me to sleep. Hold the Line deserves mention.
MacGruber prefers Rosanna
Toto ...dead at the age of WTFC
Everybody that answered C - “Hold the Line” is correct
I have to go with Rosanna, though the song feels over-produced with the synth part in the middle. Africa is just...they are trying too hard. The lyrics are way over the top: "The wild dogs cry out in the night...as they grow restless longing for some solitary company. I know that I must do what's right...as sure as Kilimanjaro rises like Olympus above the Serangetti." And what does this mean: "Gonna take some time to do the things we never had." Do the things you've never done--ok, I get that. Do the things you never HAD?
In summation, most of Rosanna.
MGOMASON says Africa by 33.9 million miles.
" ... Africa comes off as a "sell-out" to make money."
You say that like it's a bad thing.
Toto has some bangers, including those two but also Hold the Line and I'll Supply The Love. Honestly, I think it comes down to context. If I'm in the car or karaoke and just want to sing along I feel like Africa is better, but Rosanna is fun to chill out a bit to.
I'll also admit to being 1 years old when both of those songs came out so my preference is a bit less organic than hearing the fresh when released.
True story: about seven years ago I went into a coma and my heart stopped for almost seventeen minutes. I briefly went to Hell and saw -- in glimpses -- what it was like down there. Here are a few things that I noticed before I was "brought back":
1. There was an all-you-can eat circus peanut buffet, and you had to dip them in Sriracha sauce before you ate them.
2. The only beverage I saw was was non-alcoholic Peach Schnapps. It had all the nausea but none of the buzz.
3. The radio station played three songs on an endless loop, and they were "Rosanna," by Toto, "I want a New Drug," by Huey Lewis, and "We Built this City (on Rock and Roll)" by Starship.
4. There was entertainment, but it was stand-up comedy by only two acts: Gallagher and Weird Al. I saw a couple of old posters for shows by Jeff Foxworthy and Tim Allen, but apparently they no longer perform down there.
5. Franklin Hatchett kept getting up in my face and asking me, in hackneyed minstrel show dialect, to play golf with him.
No sugar-free gummy bears?
You must have only reached purgatory.
(and now I'm seeing someone deleted that thread ??)
marvin, as dark as this vision is, it is epic. very sorry to hear that franklin was getting in your grill about golf. could be that franklin = satan. i mean, you never see the two of them at the same time. could be.
"We're off to see the Wizard"?
Hash Pipe is by far their best song
Human Nature on Thriller
Of those two, I prefer Rosanna. But Hold the Line is better than both...
Africa - and I think the Weezer version while similar is superior.
Let’s consult the experts on this weighty existential question.
Hold the line
Neither Toto sucks and the weezer remake is a joke it’s the same exact song
I saw a performance of Ringo Starr’s All Starr Band, and it included Steve Lukather of Toto, singing both Africa and Rosanna. Sounded just the album, but live was much better. Lukather also played Santana’s guitar part when the organist (from Santana) was singing Black Magic Woman and other Santana hits. This concert was just what you’d hope to hear when several talented musicians perform together.
Hold the Line, then Africa. Rosanna, meh.
Two great songs. To me-mostly splitting hairs but I like Africa better. Just listened to the "Official Music Videos" of each. Both published in 2013-Rosanna a few months earlier. Rosanna has 61+ million views. Africa has 584+ million views. I believe there is your answer...despite the "sell-out".
Edit: Hold the Line a little over 105 million views. Clearly Africa has scoreboard here...not really very close.
Ok but Rosanna uses a horn section. Nothing other than that need be said.
Africa 100%
Rosanna.
The one people have heard
I have a soft spot for Africa. My girls sang it in show choir.
Best summer fashion advice: corduroy pants or turtleneck shirt.
In this day of hyper-polarization, hate and social upheaval, Africa.....
and F- you bastards on the other side of this argument and your attempts to undermine the one and only truth to which the answer of this question depends the hidden underlying fate of the soul of the universe....
the answer is Africa biatches.
I'm not even familiar with the second one lol
The correct answer is Rosanna, as recognized by all people of conscience
Greatest band ever. Love both songs, slight edge to Africa.
Saw them in concert last year. Definitely thought Rosanna was better live. Love the drums in that song
I like Africa better.