Tokyo
San

German Toto fans called Tokyo are having their third album, originally released in 1983, rereleased for the first time on CD. A band that was rather big in Germany but after the popular debut with dwindling popularity if I am to interpret the sources I have found on this, the internet does not really hold that much information about this band. We have already looked at the band’s first two releases and now it is as said time for the third one. This time they have a more interesting looking album cover than on their earlier albums and a Japanese sounding title to match. As with the earlier rereleases this Tokyo release also has a few bonus tracks in order to make it more interesting or something, that is a touch not too often used on the Yesterrock albums he have seen.

Musically it is not different from the earlier Tokyo albums, they apply the same catchy way of doing rock music as they did before. Melodic with catchy choruses and quite the typical AOR sound to be honest, Toto is a band that I think comes close if you want a band as a reference point. The production is clean and polished, it is more mature than it has been on the earlier albums and the band has managed a good sound and whatever they do they do with confidence and authority. The songs are melodic and catchy all the way through this album and this time the bonus songs blends better in with the other tracks making the album a bit more coherent than before. There are sixteen tracks on this album and they play for over 57 minutes thanks to the bonus tracks.

San is the best of the Tokyo albums I have heard, the album feels more mature and better produced than the earlier albums, the songs are also better overall even though there were better hit songs on those earlier works. I think this album is very good and I like listening to it but like all other Tokyo albums that I have heard, it lacks that little extra that the best AOR albums do have. Still it is a very strong album and definitely it represents 57 minutes of good entertainment even though it might not be memorable enough to remain in the mind when it ends.

As I said there were better hit songs on Tokyo or Fasten Seat Belts but on San the tracks are overall better and the overall feel of the album is also better, so despite the dwindling popularity I think the band improved over the albums and this is the best of those three and I think it should mark the end of the albums that Yesterrock is rereleasing these years, but what do I know? I have enjoyed this fine album and despite it not leaving a lasting impression I think Tokyo does leave an impression in my mind with these high quality albums that we now have seen rereleased for the first time on CD, and those rereleases feels well motivated, that’s for sure.

So, a good album well worth checking out if you are a fan of the so-called AOR genre or like melodic rock music. An enjoyable album and the best I have heard by Tokyo, maybe not fantastic but still good.