Artist: Toto
Title: “Falling In Between Live” [Blu-ray]
Label: Eagle Vision
Release Date: 10/20/2009
Genre: Rock
Rating: 5/5

Having reviewed this DVD when it originally was released on standard edition DVD and finding no real difference other than the presentation on the Blu-ray medium I am re-presenting my words about this issue for those fans who might not own it yet. Please continue.

Following the 2008 CD/DVD release that bears the same name comes the Blu-ray edition of the incredible concert performance by legendary Rock group Toto. If you had happened to pick up this CD when it came out then you are no doubt excactly like the majority of other fans who longed for a film of this same concert to be released and lucky for all of us, Eagle Vision decided to do just that. Filmed in front of an apparently sold out crowd at a stadium in Paris, the show finds the band in tip-top shape as they deliver material from their latest studio album “Falling In Between” and also make plenty of room for the classics that they had delivered for over thirty years. The downside for fans in the United States who might be watching the show would be the bands literal absence from the touring circuit over here and one can thank the ever shifting geography of the regions music scene and what the industry “professionals” who maintain it deem as relevant today as the root cause of this. As one can see by the reaction and response from the fans in attendance at this show, there is clearly a lot of love left for a band like Toto and rightly so. They have never really hit a downward spiral or released several albums worth of crap before making any triumphant return to form. Instead it has been a steady progression of quality tunes even when membership shifts. The DVD presents the band as on fire today as when they had been in their earlier years and that their newer material is still music that cooks better than much of what is presented as some new hit maker. One cannot expect any less from a crop of studio level musicians whose combined body of work spans over a couple of hundred releases from some of the world’s biggest talents. The only remaining original members in the lineup for the show are guitarist Steve Lukather and singer Bobby Kimball, as over the course of the years there has been quite a bit of rotation in the roster. The band now presents Tony Spinner (guitar), Greg Phillingraines (keyboards) and Leland Sklar (bass) as part of the touring group. Sklar came in around the time of this recording to fill in for an ailing Mike Porcaro. Folks might remember him from some tours he had done with Phil Collins over the years. He is a solid player and fits right into the mix of things on the Toto material with no seeming difficulty.

The song selection on this one is simply incredible and if you are a fan from way back like myself who had never had the chance to enjoy them in concert, this film on a decent sized television with a kick ass stereo pumping it out will certainly bring you closer than you could have hoped for. Lukather’s guitar is ripping and I expected this based on the amount of expertise he actually possesses. He is one of those axe slingers who inspires others of his kind and he continually raises the bar in this area. Kimball still is capable of hitting all the necessary high notes and makes songs like “Pamela” and “Rosanna” look simple. I also enjoyed the way Phillingraines played and sang when it came to “Africa”. The keyboardist has a really good voice and his level of performance really does the band justice. Simon Phillips is a drummer who really needs no introduction and while the studio level player is also known for some of his early Heavy Metal work, he shows skills and fluidity of motion on the kit that makes one almost understand how he is doing this. He plays lefty on a righty set up kit, and we get a lot of cool close up’s that will serve to both educate and confuse any young drummers watching. The film also presents the viewer with a solo from both Greg and Simon and I think those would interest most of the armchair fan as opposed to sending them off to make another coffee or get a snack. Notable tracks are numerous on this one but some of my favorites have already been brought up and also include “Hold The Line” and the later years “Drag Him To The Roof” – the bands rousing closer for the performance.

The DVD comes with a twelve page booklet that presents about five pages of photos from the show and some liner notes about it and the bonus feature on the film is the band being interviewed. If you are bored with the so called flavors of the day bands that are currently being dished out you should definitely grab a copy of this one and offer up some homage to one of the greatest and still champion acts in modern music history.

If you don’t already own this release and you have the means to view the upgraded aspects of the Blu-ray medium then I suggest that you invest your money wisely and buy this one. Should you already own the standard edition version and be over the roof about it, then perhaps you should give this edition a look at and put your original one on Amazon.com for sale or make a present of it to someone special.

Track Listing:
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 Phillingraines – Keys Solo
12. Rosanna
13. I’ll Supply The Love
14. Isolation
15. Gift Of Faith
16. Kingdom Of Desire
17. Steve Lukather – Guitar Solo
18. Hydra
19. Simon Phillips – Drum Solo
20. Taint Your World
21. Gypsy Train
22. Africa
23. Drag Him To The Roof

Official Website: http://www.toto99.com