Review Summary: Often classified as a hard rock act, Toronto’s songwriting has a very strong pop element which becomes only more dominant on their following releases. Their formula is similar to Pat Benatar, but with more emphasis on keyboards and synths.
Often classified as a hard rock act, Toronto’s songwriting has a very strong pop element which becomes only more dominant on their following releases. Their formula is similar to Pat Benatar, but with more emphasis on keyboards and synths. Toronto’s 2nd album HEAD ON was produced by Terry Brown at Le Studio in Quebec around the same time that he’d also done Rush’s legendary MOVING PICTURES.
The band was a six-piece during the recording of this album that included Annie “Holly” Woods (vocals), Sheron Alton (guitar, backing vocals), Brian Allen (guitar & lead vocals), Scott Kreyer (keyboards, backing vocals), Nick Costello (bass) and Jimmy Fox (drums). Both Costello & Fox would depart the band following this album.
Toronto’s music has always been something of a guilty pleasure for me. While I’d admit that these songs aren’t all top shelf compositions, but they are catchy and quite enjoyable. HEAD ON was probably my favorite record by them because it seems more focused and not as cloyingly sweet as those that followed. The production gives their songs a vaguely new wave sounding sheen. The title track “Head On” is a good example of that and is reminiscent of the sort of things The Cars were doing in the studio. However, the soaring vocals of Holly Woods what really energizes these songs. Her performances throughout this album are very impressive.
The first half of the album features songs written by Brian Allen. “Head On” and “Silver Screen” are rather good tracks. “Someone Will Play The Blues” is a nice change of pace and features some slide guitar, as well as some great bluesy singing from Woods. “Still Talkin’ ‘Bout Love” is probably my least favorite track, maybe because it’s just a bit too cliched and saccharine sounding. “It Comes From You” is a tribute to their live audiences that is a nice idea, but comes off sounding like it was written for Broadway.
The second half of the album contains a much stronger batch of songs. “Enough Is Enough” is a really catchy song that deservedly became a single. Sheron Alton’s “Master Of Disguise” starts with some unusual guitar / keyboard harmonies that sound like something Rush would have come up with! I also rather like the song “Blackmail” which uses a lot of spider metaphors to describe a bad relationship. The album closer “Gone In A Flash” is also quite nice and gives Woods an opportunity to showboat a bit towards the end.
Overall, this is a very good pop/rock record that I still revisit periodically and definitely my favorite Toronto album of the bunch.
