antiMusic.com: Steve Porcaro - Someday/Somehow Review

Steve Porcaro - Someday/Somehow

by Kevin Wierzbicki

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Putting out a solo record has never really been in the cards for Toto keyboards man and session player Steve Porcaro; he only recently decided to release this debut solo collection, filled with songs initially intended for other artists, partly after coming to the conclusion that Life's too short� Opening ballad Ready or Not kind of fits into that mindset as Porcaro sings his devotion to a possibly hesitant lover over a gently-encouraging melody. Porcaro handles vocals on about half of the album's cuts including Back to You, a pop-rocker that harkens back to the days of Toto's heyday and happy times for Steve; he wrote the song in the early '80s in celebration of his romance with actress Rosanna Arquette and before the passing of his brothers Jeff and Mike Porcaro, who both play on the cut. Guest vocalists include the instantly-recognizable Michael McDonald on the jaunty Swing Street and the tender and understated Night of Our Own. Also in a mellow mood are She's so Shy with Jamie Kimmett on vocals and Painting by Numbers featuring singer Mabvuto Carpenter. Kimmett's vocals and the slow funk of Face of a Girl recall the subtle side of Michael Jackson, perhaps influenced by Porcaro's work on Jackson's Thriller album (he co-wrote Thriller track Human Nature.) Steve Lukather, Lenny Castro and Shannon Forrest of the current line-up of Toto appear and the musicianship is flawless but not showy throughout. Just don't expect the album to rock out; this is a quiet and reflective offering.