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Forums > Music: Non-Prince > A song with probably the greatest guitar solo ever: Toto, I Won't Hold You Back.
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Thread started 10/01/21 9:38am

2freaky4church
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A song with probably the greatest guitar solo ever: Toto, I Won't Hold You Back.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2k1RUGWkf9o

Simple solo, but lovely.

All you others say Hell Yea!! woot!
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Reply #1 posted 10/01/21 11:38am

TrivialPursuit

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I play a Yacht Rock station on Amazon Music all the time. This song rotates regularly. The other day it came on and I thought, "wow, this really is just a beautiful song." It's so cinematic, and the chord progression is interesting.

It came out in 1983, so it was likely written a year or two before. There's a period in music there, right at that time, where chord ideas in music changed a bit. You still had that yacht rock sorta progression from Doobie Brothers, Air Supply, or Chicago. It was popular up to the start of the 80s. You sorta knew what you were getting, even though the songs from that era are just fantastic.

But in that period, you also get newer progressions, different ideas in pop music, and these sorta songs took a back seat. Sure, there were a few bleed throughs in the next few years, but in general, it was a period of change. "I Won't Hold You Back" really straddled the line between the two. It feels newer, but it also has a consistent late 70s soft rock feel to it. (Again, see Air Supply "Making Love Out Of Nothing At All," etc.)

To the solo itself, I also think it's great because it feels natural. When you hear it, it's like "of course that's what it's supposed to sound like!" It's not just "let's put a solo here," it's "this is the only solo for this song." It's melodic, compliments the song, and isn't there for it's own glory. It's just so inherent to the song, you can't imagine a version without it.

Toto IV seems to be a seminal album for them. The shuffle on "Rosanna," the keyboards and rhythms on "Africa," plus "I Won't Hold You Back" as a whole. "Make Believe" sounds like a Billy Joel outtake. "Waiting For Your Love" is purely infectious. The vocals are stellar, and that rhythm is just as catchy as "Shake Your Body (Down To The Ground)" by The Jacksons.

Interestingly, they were struggling to have a hit album. They delayed putting IV out because - and wait for it - they were session musicians for Thriller and Chicago 16. (There's the crossover between the old and new happening, too.) So it seems serendipity let IV come out at just the right time. And that songs like "I Won't Hold You Back" was exactly what the music scene needed.

[Edited 10/1/21 11:40am]

"eye don’t really care so much what people say about me because it is a reflection of who they r."
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Reply #2 posted 10/08/21 6:56pm

thesexofit

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Lukather goes hard on Jacksons "wait". I use to think Tito played it LOL.

That is a beast of a song and solo!

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Reply #3 posted 10/09/21 8:39am

DonRants

That Toto IV Album is amazing. It is the "Pre-Thriller" since they went on to make such stellar contributions on Thriller.

And yes...such a tastefull solo...just amazing.

To All the Haters on the Internet
No more Candy 4 U
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Reply #4 posted 10/09/21 6:59pm

thesexofit

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DonRants said:

That Toto IV Album is amazing. It is the "Pre-Thriller" since they went on to make such stellar contributions on Thriller.

And yes...such a tastefull solo...just amazing.

I love Lukather's chunky riffs on "Beat it". Eddie Van Halen gets all the glory though (and so he should). True, a few other session guitarist coulda done his part, but it's cool it's still him though

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Reply #5 posted 10/14/21 7:25am

2freaky4church
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The solo fits, good take.

All you others say Hell Yea!! woot!
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Reply #6 posted 10/14/21 10:43am

TrivialPursuit

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It's interesting Toto and Jackson never toured together.

And to address the pre-Thriller comment: there's some truth in that. Toto finished their album and released it in April 1982. Thriller's process started in April 1982. So Toto was really on their game at that point. They were gelling, they had spent months together getting their record together, then just kept their own momentum going for the Thriller sessions.

I don't know about much cross pollenation there, but the sheer professionalism and inner-cohesiveness of them shined through on Thriller as well as IV.


"eye don’t really care so much what people say about me because it is a reflection of who they r."
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Reply #7 posted 10/21/21 9:43am

Vannormal

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Those first albums by Toto are still on my play list.

-

"The whole problem with the world is that fools and fanatics are always so certain of themselves. And wiser people so full of doubts" (Bertrand Russell 1872-1972)
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Reply #8 posted 10/22/21 10:25am

automatic

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Did Toto work on anything else with MJ after the Thriller album? They made a great team.
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Reply #9 posted 10/22/21 10:42am

TrivialPursuit

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automatic said:

Did Toto work on anything else with MJ after the Thriller album? They made a great team.


Yes.

"eye don’t really care so much what people say about me because it is a reflection of who they r."
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Reply #10 posted 10/24/21 11:44am

2freaky4church
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You know I'm anti MJ?

All you others say Hell Yea!! woot!
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Reply #11 posted 10/24/21 11:54am

TrivialPursuit

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2freaky4church1 said:

You know I'm anti MJ?


Doesn't mean we can't talk about him. eek

"eye don’t really care so much what people say about me because it is a reflection of who they r."
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Reply #12 posted 10/24/21 2:51pm

SPYZFAN1

Great player. Always dug his solo on Lionel Richie's "Running With The Night". He was warming up, jamming licks along with the track and Lionel recorded it without Luke knowing it. Luke was ready to lay down the solo and Lionel told him; "We already got it!".

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Reply #13 posted 10/25/21 5:11pm

TrivialPursuit

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SPYZFAN1 said:

Great player. Always dug his solo on Lionel Richie's "Running With The Night". He was warming up, jamming licks along with the track and Lionel recorded it without Luke knowing it. Luke was ready to lay down the solo and Lionel told him; "We already got it!".


That's a great story, I've never heard it before. Reminds me how EVH went into record "Beat It," and thought, "Hey, these bars don't need a solo," and Q and MJ just sorta went with it. It is a weird break before the solo there, that could've almost been cut out. (Before anyone argues otherwise, if it were cut, we'd never know it anyway.)

A similar thing happened with the tinkering piano in "What Have You Done For me Lately." J.Jam was just noodling around on the piano while the track was playing back. It was recorded, and voila, that piano is in the song, and I think more of it is in the 12" version.

"eye don’t really care so much what people say about me because it is a reflection of who they r."
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Forums > Music: Non-Prince > A song with probably the greatest guitar solo ever: Toto, I Won't Hold You Back.