On disc: Toto

 
- 25th Anniversary
- Live In Amsterdam
 
- Amir Djawadi -
 
 


 
- Falling In Between Live (DVD)
 
- Claudia Ehrhardt -
 
  

Falling In Between Live (DVD)

(Eagle Vision - 2008)



 
 

 

In 2004 the Californian band Toto presented Live In Amsterdam on DVD, now they release a new live DVD - this time recorded at Le Zenith in Paris on March 26th 2007. The show was recorded at the end of the Falling In Between tour and is also a kind of best-of of their 30 year career.

After King Of The World Bobby Kimball introduces touring bassist Lee Sklar who fills in for Mike Porcaro who suffers an hand injury. While keyboarder Greg Philinganes replaces David Paich live. For Bottom Of Your Soul Steve Lukather steps up and does the lead vocals while Mr. Kimball joins the backing vocalists. At Caught In The Balance Bobby Kimball is back doing leads, but when the chorus sets in they just steamroll you! The ballad Stop Loving You is mainly sung by guitarist Tony Spinner. Great to see the guys sharing vocal duties. One of their hits is Rosanna which they offered in a different, extended version incl. a long instrumental passage at the end and short solo parts. Later in the set some solos and even if Simon's solo was great, the keyboard background was annoying me.. But I'm a fan of drums, so this is probably just me....  Part of the lead vocals on Africa is sung by keyboarder Greg Philinganes and with Drag Him To The Roof they end the show after almost 2 hrs. - a cool set!

That the crew knew when to focus and make close-ups at the right time, so you get a very detailed look at the solo parts, but still its the whole band which is playing tightly and hooks you up... And soon you wish you would have been at this show! It the energy. It's the atmosphere. The whole package is just right! Highly entertaining!

That a band like Toto is just working with the best is no surprise and so image and sound quality are excellent. Beside the whole Paris shows they added an interview part. Playing time at all is 142 minutes incl. the interviews. Everybody in the band on this tour gets time to speak up like Tony Spinner talking about getting into music and how he started. Nice idea and well done.





Track list:



Falling In Between

King Of The World

Pamela

Bottom Of Your Soul

Caught In The Balance

Don't Chain My Heart

Hold The Line

Stop Loving You

I'll Be Over You

Cruel

Greg solo

Rosanna

I'll Supply The Love

Isolation


Gift Of Faith

Kingdom Of Desire / Luke solo

Hydra / Simon solo

Taint Your World

Gypsy Train

Africa

Drag Him To The Roof



Bonus: Toto interviewed

 
 






Claudia Ehrhardt


  
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25th Anniversary - Live in Amsterdam

(Eagle Rock - 2004)



 
 

 

A show of Toto is an event. Even if you know the music scene quite well, you'll find yourself wondering once in awhile "This is also from Toto?!?!" 

Sure, there are classics like Rosanna, Africa and Hold The Line. Beside that there are many songs which sound familiar. Now they celebrate their 25th anniversary and take a look back. Original drummer Jeff Porcaro tragically passed and so the original line-up can't celebrate this anniversary, but his brother Mike is still playing bass in Toto. Still it's a good chance to take a look at the successful past and to do the first step into a bright future. Their past is marked by golden vinyls and CDs and they also got honored several times with the Grammy award, but they do have the potential to add more highlights in future. Always they were going new musical ways and apply a new standard. They also do in 2003 with taking part on the Nokia Night Of The Proms tour. Just another highlight in their career.

The album Live In Amsterdam offers 9 tracks and 2 medleys which present the unique music of Toto to their fans and fans of high-class rock.

To give everybody the chance to share the experience they release also a DVD of the Amsterdam show - if I should get a copy in my hands, I'll review it! The Amsterdam show must have been a real event which documents the joy of playing live. Singer Bobby Kimball and his mates got enthusiastically reactions from the fans. Outstanding drummer Simon Phillips push his mates from track to track. Guitar magician Steve Lukather is joined by keyboarder David Paich, guitarist Tony Spinner and keyboarder John Jessel.

This a great documentation of the 25th anniversary of this great band. A high standard for other live recordings and a good start into the future of Toto. Let's hope that they will be around for some more years and that they will present more great songs!
 
 










Amir Djawadi
(translation: Claudia Ehrhardt)


  
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           ©2008-2010 by Claudia Ehrhardt • E-Mail: contact@ice-vajal.com