Search - Toto :: Falling In Between

EPIC!

David A. Carrillo | Waterbury, CT, US | 05/09/2010

(5 out of 5 stars)

"All the Guys from Toto deserve a huge praise for this album! It is in fact very modern sounding with heavy Rock riffs and prog like scales, yet still has the melodic harmonies that Toto is well known for. Lukather is a living legend playing guitar, keys, and vocals. Awesome album... Some songs have an 80's rock vibe to them, like in Hooked. Lukather has a short and sweet ballad, EPIC! They literally have it all here even a jazzy prog fusion end track to it all. Incredible , Bobby Kimball rips the lead vocals from start to finish! An amazing rock voice that even with age can still maintain proper pitch and strength. Greg Phillinganes is an amazing addition to the Toto line up on Keys. He is incredible and adds a whole new Demention to the sound of Toto without loosing their classic sound. David Paich and Mike Porcaro are incredible, Period! In conclusion, this is a must for Technical music lovers and Toto fans alike! Definately not a let down for their final studio album before the split! Long Live Toto! ;)"

Falling Inbetween 4 and 5

P. Zeller | Vincent, OH | 08/04/2010

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I have now owned this disc for some time (purchased it right after it was released). I would consider myself a "closet" Toto fan. Always felt like a group that I had to listen to "on my own". However, there is no hiding this one! Several of the songs on this one are easily the best songs Toto has ever delivered. And, I do not hesitate to say this is Toto's best album since at least Farhenheit, if not IV, which then makes it either their best or top 3.



The opener, the title track, is a fantastic piece of rock and roll. It is a very good summation of all that is good about Toto.



Dying on My Feet is an interesting song and goes in a couple of directions you really don't expect. I especially enjoy the "Chicago-esque" finish to the song. The wind section is totally unexpected and is never tiring, even after many repeated listens.



Bottom of Your Soul is one of four songs on this album that stand head and shoulders above ANYTHING Toto has ever done before. When I first bought this disc, my kids made me repeat this one over and over and sang along with the chorus everytime. Even today, when I play this, they will stop what they are doing (an accomplishment all by itself for teenagers) and sing along. I search for words to better describe this one, but they come up short. According tothe liner notes, this song was written in response to the tsunami disaster of a few years ago. Leave it to say, they deliver the music so well, I feel (just for a moment) that I had lost family members on that terrible day.



Both King of the World and Hooked are above average Toto songs. Enjoyable, but more on par with where they have been in the last 20 years or so.



Simple Life is the second of the "fantastic four" songs on this album. It is a simple, incredibly powerful love song. Period, end of statement. It is so good, in fact, that I find it highly frustrating because it is too short!!! It stops about when you are ready for another verse or a couple more repeats of the chorus. Even then, one of Toto's best, bar none!



Taint Your World is a not so subtle bow to Van Halen circa the 1984 album. Very good, very fun. However, for me, it is very distracting that they insist on dropping the "f***" bomb right in the middle, clear as day. Not needed, not additive, but there it is. Even after all these years, that distraction has not gone away and takes away from an otherwise great song.



The next two songs, Let It Go and Spritual Man, are the remaining two songs of the great 4. The underlying funk rhythm of Let It Go is amazing in both its twists and turns along with level of musicianship required to deliver this song effectively. This song, more than any other in Toto's long catalog, illustrates effectively and enjoyably just how good each of the muscisians really are without the song coming off as an instrumental or just a jam session. I thoroughly enjoy Greg's lyrics and vocals on this one.



Spiritual Man is written like a hymn in that it does not have a chorus but rather four versus, each one focused on a different view of a highly respected figure from history. It builds and develops with each passing verse and brings the listener's spirit along with it. Whether or not you agree with the teachings of each of the first three focal points of the song, Jesus, Buddha, and Mohammad, the song develops beautifully and powerfully to the point that it is a natural conclusion to connect the "muscial spirituality" of John Coltrain (subject of the fourth verse) with the first three.



No End in Sight is easly the low point of this album. Not a bad song musically (actually quite good). However, the political theme is so poorly developed, yet so insistantly delivered, that it becomes very off-putting. Obviously intended as Bush bashing thinnly dressed as an anti-war song, it is old, tiresome, mis-guided political tripe and was when it was released...



Reeferman is a short jazz piece and is approaching free-form jazz. If you are into that, you will probably enjoy this little ending. If not, it is not too long as to become bothersome.



Overall, this is an exceptional album. It is one of Toto's most consistent albums (along with IV). I would say it is a "return to form", but only two of their albums really even were close to being this consistent. So, it is more of a "return to ideal form" for the band.



Judging by comments made recently by Steve Lukather, this may also end up being Toto's swan song. While I hope that it is not, it is a good way to "go out" if it is."