TOTO: FALLING IN BETWEEN
The latest album from TOTO finally in my hands! It’s the version with one bonus track, The Reeferman. I was so excited to find this CD on a local store and I instantly played it in my car while driving home. Considering they’re not the AOR band we knew in the 80’s, I was fully prepared. Never been absent listening to Toto since their Grammy-award winning Toto IV in 1982, I knew what I was expecting. What excited me most was to read ex members Steve Porcaro and Joseph Williams joined as guest stars!
The formation was still David Paich (keys & vox), Steve Lukather (guitars & vox), Mike Porcaro (bass), Simon Phillips (drums), Bobby Kimball (vox) and new member Greg Phillinganes (keys & vox). Greg was not a new face in this music scene. I remember him being a session musician for many artist. His 1981 album Significant Gains (with I Don’t Want To Be The One as his hit single), was among my favourite back then.
Falling In Between kicked off with their almost-progressive rock title track. I thought this track was overrated as a self-claimed progressive rock. Yes there were odd time signature between lyric paragraphs. Perhaps this was the ‘falling in between’. But still I thought it wasn’t sufficient to be called a progrock tune. I would call the 2nd track Dying On My Feet more prog than the 1st. It has so many interesting riffs and the horn arrangement was so cool! James Pankow (of Chicago) made the arrangement.
The 3rd track Bottom of Your Soul has Joseph Williams & Jason Scheff (of Chicago) as backing vocalists, and they really made this song fun. The last time I heard Joseph in a Toto album was their Toto XX, released with unpublished materials as part of their 20th anniversary. Joseph and Steve Porcaro even joined the band when they tour promoting the album.
The 4th track, King of the World was an upbeat tempo dan very rocky. Hooked (5th track) was very interesting as they made this arrangement as I’ve never heard before. Especially the shouting vocals. Ian Anderson (of Jethrotull) contribtued his solo flute. The 6th track, Simple Life was a very lovely ballad sung by Steve Lukathter and I haven’t heard they made a ballad like this for quite some time.
Taint Your World started with solo electric guitar, with the style that Van Halen trademark. I really loved this song! They continued with 8th track, Let It Go, with that groovy Mike Porcaro’s bass playing and Steve Lukather’s melodic guitar. This was one of my favourite. The 9th song, Spiritual Man, was a tribute to all religius and spiritual persons. It’s a very lovely and calming song.
The last song (on normal release) was No End In Sight, and it was very clever to placed this song as their last. It sounded like their 1987’s Home Of The Brave style. Old funs should love this! The bonus track, The Reeferman, was an instrumental song.
Toto is scheduled to play in Jakarta, May 14th 2006 and I can’t wait to see them! I only asbent in their 2nd gig here. I was always there in their 1992 and 2004 show, including their press conference which I got Simon Phillips and David Paich signature on my Toto 25th Anniversary DVD
