Toto has long been a unique and dependable band since their inception in the late 70's. On one hand, the group has always been able to deliver killer pop songs filled with tasty instrumentation and memorable hooks. For the flip side, these musicians possess some killer musicianship, so there's always been this underlying hard rock/jazz/prog thing going on, which really has come to the surface more over the last decade or so. Falling In Between Live is a 2CD set recorded in Zenith, Paris on March 26th, 2007, as the band was winding down their long tour in support of Falling In Between. For longtime fans, this set is a virtual 'best of' collection, as there are 23 songs covering Toto's entire career, and the band was firing on all cylinders that night, delivering a stunning set littered with jaw dropping musical chops, funky grooves, and melodic vocals.
The current incarnation of the band is Steve Lukather (guitar/vocals), Simon Phillips (drums), Bobby Kimball (vocals), Greg Phillinganes (keyboards/vocals), Leland Sklar (bass), and Tony Spinner (guitar/vocals), so as you can see this is a virtual all-star line-up at this point, with musicians well travelled in the rock & fusion genres. Of course, it's Lukather and Phillips who remain the stars of the show, each one a well recognized virtuoso on their respective instruments. The two lead the band through many new and old classics, including "Hold the Line", "Rosanna", "I'll Supply the Love", "Pamela", "Africa", "Stop Loving You", and "Bottom Of Your Soul". The real treat are the multitude of heavy, more progressive rockers, like "King of the World", "Falling In Between", "Don't Chain My Heart", "Isolation", "Kingdom of Desire", "Hydra", and the roaring blues-metal number "Gypsy Train". There's also guitar, keyboard, and drum solo spots for those who want to hear Steve, Greg, and Simon strut their stuff.
The CD booklet comes jam-packed with color photographs, making it almost like a mini-tour program, adding further value to this wonderful live set from an ever-dependable veteran band.
Track Listing
Disc: 1
1. Falling In Between
2. King Of The World
3. Pamela
4. Bottom Of Your Soul
5. Caught In The Balance
6. Don't Chain My Heart
7. Hold The Line
8. Stop Loving You
9. I'll Be Over You
10. Cruel
11. Greg Solo
Disc: 2
1. Rosanna
2. I'll Supply The Love
3. Isolation
4. Gift Of Faith
5. Kingdom Of Desire
6. Luke Solo
7. Hydra
8. Simon Solo
9. Taint Your World
10. Gypsy Train
11. Africa
12. Drag Him To The Roof