The Toll – Sticks & Stones and Broken Bones

Drew Layman
12 minutes ago
5 min read

If The Price of Progression was The Toll’s grand, sprawling thesis—ambitious, theatrical, and defiantly uncommercial—then Sticks & Stones and Broken Bones was its leaner, more focused follow-up. But behind the scenes, the band was navigating a very different landscape.

The Toll

Sticks & Stones And Broken Bones

Geffen Records – GEFD-24386

1991

Front cover of The Toll Sticks & Stones And Broken Bones

No one at Geffen Records believed in The Toll quite like A&R executive Michael Rosenblatt. He didn’t just sign them—he understood them. Rosenblatt had a knack for spotting unconventional talent (he also signed Madonna), and he saw something in The Toll’s raw, poetic intensity. But when he left Geffen for WEA in England, the band lost their most powerful advocate—and, arguably, their creative compass.

Still under contract, The Toll pressed on. In 1991, they returned to the studio to record their second album, Sticks & Stones and Broken Bones.

Music Week - February 9, 1991 WEA's A&R hunt ends at Geffen — Music Week - February 9, 1991

By this point, the band had matured. They’d been through the wringer—recording their debut, touring extensively, and weathering the fickle industry. But they were still relatively green when Geffen pulled them off the road after the second single from The Price of Progression failed to make waves.

Their first attempt at a follow-up, a concept album titled The Parable of Pariah, was rejected by the label. Enter producer Matt Wallace—known for his work with Faith No More and The Replacements—who brought a sharper, more radio-friendly sensibility to the project.

The Toll sign with Geffen at Modern Music, W 3rd. Video courtesy of Greg Bartram

With Wallace co-producing alongside the band, the songs on Sticks & Stones became more streamlined. Gone were the sprawling, improvisational epics of their debut. In their place: tighter arrangements, clearer hooks, and a more polished sound. Guitarist Rick Silk later reflected on this period with frontman Brad Circone on Circone’s 2021 podcast, Getting the Brand Back Together:

Back tray insert of Sticks & Stones And Broken Bones

“Especially during Sticks & Stones, I was struggling with the fact that I couldn't play technically what I wanted to play,” Silk admitted. “I was extremely frustrated with that aspect.”

To help smooth things out, Wallace ran Silk’s guitar through a delay, allowing his off-the-beat style to blend more seamlessly into the mix.

Review of Sticks & Stones And Broken Bones — Clip courtesy of Greg Bartram

Released in August 1991, Sticks & Stones and Broken Bones received a warmer reception than its predecessor. Critics who once dismissed the band’s lyrical ambition as overwrought now praised their social commentary—perhaps because the messages were delivered in more digestible, melodic packages.

But even as the band found its footing artistically, the industry was shifting beneath them. Without Rosenblatt in their corner, tensions with Geffen escalated.

The band was on tour in Europe when Geffen insisted on releasing “One Last Wish” as the lead single—a soft, sentimental ballad that didn’t quite capture the album’s energy. Silk recalled the moment for Ohio Rising Stars magazine:

“They [Geffen] wanted to release a schmaltzy ballad-like song from our record. We fought about it on a conference [call] for three hours. They won, of course.”

The timing couldn’t have been worse. Just a month earlier, Nirvana’s Nevermind dropped, reshaping the musical landscape overnight. Grunge was in; The Toll’s brand of earnest, theatrical rock was suddenly out of step.

The band’s momentum stalled. They lost a key ally at their booking agency when Jorge Quevedo passed away. And in a 1992 shakeup, Geffen dropped The Toll along with dozens of other acts. They considered recording a third album, but the spark was fading. A March 1992 show would be their last.

Silk, disillusioned, left the band. “I just couldn’t take it anymore,” he told Ohio Rising Stars. “We were still playing shows here and there, but I turned 30 and it started to bother me that we weren’t getting over the hump.”

On the podcast, he added:

“I think where it all went south is when Mr. Rosenblatt left… because nobody else understood, like he did, who The Toll were.”

The members of The Toll moved on, each carving out a new path:

Brad Circone founded the marketing firm Circone + Associates
Rick Silk became a lawyer
Greg Bartram pursued photography and worked in the aviation industry
Brett Mayo transitioned into energy management, concert promotion and music event catering

Some of the members would continue playing music, but as a collective they've only reunited twice. In both instances, it was to honor the passing of a friend: a 1993 benefit honoring Columbus musician Ronald Koal, and in 2011 to honor late disc jockey "Andyman" Davis. The Toll's story echoes that of many bands caught in the churn of the late ’80s and early ’90s music industry—brimming with ambition and vision, but ultimately undone by timing, turnover, and the unforgiving machinery of major labels.