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Saturday, March 14, 2020

Toto - Hydra (1979) | Analysis, Fun Facts & Trivia

Toto - Hydra (1979) album front coverToto - Hydra (1979) album back cover
Toto - Hydra (1979)

🎸 Toto – Hydra (1979)

Release Date: October 1979
Label: Columbia Records
Genre: Rock, Progressive Rock, Pop Rock
Length: 42:37
Producer: Toto

🔥 Hydra is the second studio album by Toto, released in 1979. After the commercial success of their debut album, the band expanded their sound with more progressive arrangements, fantasy themes, and complex musicianship.

The album blends hard rock, progressive rock, jazz fusion, and melodic pop, showcasing the incredible technical ability of the band members, many of whom were already legendary session musicians.

📝 Tracklist

  1. “Hydra” – 7:31

  2. “St. George and the Dragon” – 4:45

  3. “99” – 5:13

  4. “Lorraine” – 4:46

  5. “All Us Boys” – 5:08

  6. “Mama” – 5:13

  7. “White Sister” – 5:40

  8. “A Secret Love” – 3:11

🎤 Album Credits

  • Bobby Kimball – Lead Vocals

  • Steve Lukather – Guitar, Vocals

  • David Paich – Keyboards, Vocals

  • Steve Porcaro – Keyboards

  • Jeff Porcaro – Drums

  • David Hungate – Bass

🎶 The band members were among the most respected session musicians of the 1970s, working with artists such as Steely Dan, Boz Scaggs, and later Michael Jackson.

🌟 Most Popular Tracks

  • “99” – The album’s biggest hit, a melodic pop-rock song inspired by a dystopian science-fiction film.

  • “White Sister” – A fan favorite featuring powerful guitar riffs and dynamic vocals.

  • “St. George and the Dragon” – A prog-influenced rock track with a fantasy storytelling theme.

💰 Sales & Commercial Success

💿 Hydra reached the Top 40 on the Billboard 200 chart and continued the band’s growing popularity after their successful debut.

📀 The album eventually received Gold certification in the United States from the Recording Industry Association of America.

While not as commercially huge as later albums, it helped establish Toto as a serious musicians’ band with progressive ambitions.

🎉 Fun Facts

  • The album title and cover art reference the mythological Hydra, a multi-headed serpent from Greek mythology.

  • Toto experimented with longer compositions and fantasy-inspired lyrics on this album.

  • Several tracks became live staples during the band’s late-1970s tours.

🕵️ Trivia

  • The song “99” was inspired by the science-fiction film THX 1138 directed by George Lucas.

  • The album’s progressive title track runs over seven minutes, unusual for radio-friendly bands at the time.

  • “White Sister” later became a cult favorite among Toto fans for its hard rock energy.

🤔 Did You Know?

  • Toto’s members later played on Thriller, the best-selling album in music history.

  • The band would achieve massive global success just a few years later with Toto IV in 1982.

  • Songs from Hydra show the band’s progressive rock influences, something they toned down in later albums to focus more on radio hits.