Toto – Hydra

I have a TML-M stamped Santa Maria? I couldn't find a listing for it, but it DOES exist.

This pressing offers great dynamics. However, on my system, this remaster is too bright. I prefer Dave Donelly's 2000 SACD remaster. His mixes offer even more dynamics and a very smooth top end, very natural. My record has a slight warp, which doesn't affect playback. I also prefer the SACD over the 2020 -24bit flac, which is also very bright sounding.

Just found one of these today; Very dynamic and silent. Great pressing if you see this in the wild; pick it up.

Great album, maybe Toto’s most prog, overall. This pressing is just ok. No distortion or noise and it sounds great upon first listening, but heard back to back with a TML stamped Pitman pressing is a shocking difference. The TML is infinitely more 3D than this pressing. I keep this one to play on the vintage garage system when I’m working on cars or to show friends the difference between a good and a great pressing on the main system. For the $1 I paid for it, it’s fantastic! If you want the best pressing of Hydra, find a TML stamper.

If it’s got TML on the runout, you’re usually in for a good time, and this disc is no exception! Of the several copies I’ve picked out of bargain bins over the years, this is by far the most detailed, separated, extended, deep and dynamic with a spectacular soundstage! This is the kind of pressing that this hobby is all about! Five stars for me

The more I listen to this album, the more I realize how much more evolved musically it is than simply a quick follow up to “that album with Hold the Line.” In some ways, the writing, playing and recording is more grandiose and virtuosic than anything they did after. A lot of those details and very subtle and layered in a way that makes this record more system dependent than most. On my backup phono stage (2M Blue, Orbit, Mani), it’s very flat, shallow and just plain dull. Through my main system (Starling, X8, TubeBox DS3), it sounds like a different pressing: lively and dynamic with strong basslines and details popping out from all over the soundstage! Well worth the few bucks they can be had for!

I have the OG, Japan and now this copy and it smokes the others! Toto being one of my favorite bands and this being one of their best releases IMHO. Just a great mix with excellent dynamics but nothing over the top. All instruments are represented the way they should. Flat, quiet and smooth like butter.

I've owned a few different vinyl versions of Hydra, but this UK 1979 original pressing is EASILY the best of them all. Dramatic soundstage, lovely cymbal sounds. Jeff Porcaro's overall drumming is done total justice on this pressing, from subtle nuances to out and out near enough heavy metal drumming, brilliant. Lukather's guitar rips through, just fantastic. White Sister will blow your t**s off!

Imo, don't both with the many reissues, try and track down a decent copy of this.

Toto's most underestimated album. Here are some of the best songs on one of Toto's best sounding album. Just listen to St.George and the dragon, hydra or 99. The sound is fantastic. The vinyl is extremely quiet with no background noise.

I found a near mint copy and it sounds firm with good bass response, and the instruments are all separate without sounding muddy. It has the 70s drums, but the synths sounds smooth as all analogue synths. I can highly recommend this pressing.