Life is funny at times. I had just returned to work after the Christmas break and came home ready to write the AOR review when a package was thrust in my hand by youngest! A late birthday present perchance? Not quite but rather better,  the new Toto album to be precise.

Signing Toto is a bit of coup for Frontiers, being as they are one of the big three AOR bands ( Journey and Foreigner being the other two IMHO) and  Toto were the only one of the three who regularly toured Europe and whose European success outstripped their US sales. This new album has been hyped to the hilt and for once it actually lives up that hype unlike certain albums I could mention! 

The album opens with the title track, 'Falling In Between' which opens in typical Toto fashion before the guitar riff kicks in and  I swear I would have said that’s a Dream Theatre riff had I not known better. The song also features a very extended guitar/keyboard interlude that is also reminiscent to an extent of Dream Theatre and the vocals, courtesy of Bobby Kimball sound very pissed off (just like his track on the Radioactive CD). Second track in, 'Dying On My Feet' kicks off in a more sedate fashion, almost jazz like in style until the middle eight where the pace picks up and the backing is augmented by a clever heavy riff. The guitar solo though is pure Lukather and the track has a massive outro featuring  guitar and horns bringing to mind Chicago - the band not the city... 

Bottom Of Your Soul is the first single culled from the album and the longest track at almost seven minutes in length and lets be honest here, I love it . It could almost be the son of 'I Will Remember' from the Tambu album. Based around a clever drum pattern and featuring Steve Lukather on lead vocals, until the chorus when former lead vocalist Joseph Williams joins in, which makes the track hark back to Toto of a bygone era, but not for too long! In fact the drum pattern reminds me of the extended version of Africa I heard on a bootleg many years ago! 

'King Of The World' in IMO is the start of a three song cycle that could be autobiographical in some ways. and is a typical Toto mid-tempo rocker. The vocals are split three ways between Lukather, Paich and Kimball with the lyrics appearing to be about getting to the top of ones chosen profession. 'Hooked' is the second part of the cycle and is an altogether heavier affair and that is reflected in the lyrics which are about getting hooked on many different things, sex, drugs, life, etc. The chorus is very catchy (or hookey even!) and once again Lukather’s solo is stunning! Featuring a great Hammond sounding keyboard under it introduces a extend musical interlude that is a big feature throughout this album. If the previous two tracks had dealt with the pressures of succeeding in your career and then what happens once you have attained that success then 'Simple Life' which rounds out the cycle says it quite succinctly in that no matter what fame and fortune comes your way all you really want is a a simple life. A short, acoustic ballad the track is one that Steve Lukather’s vocals were born to perform and certainly keeps up the high standards so far set.

'Taint Your World' takes a complete left turn after the 'Simple Life' being, as it is, a cross between Joe Satraini’s 'Satch Boogie' and Van Halen's 'Hot For Teacher' - different for Toto to say the least, but the vocal performace from Kimball suit the song to a “t” and I could have not put it better than the closing line “That’s what’s I call a nice fucking boogie Isn’t it!” 

'Let It Go' reminds me of 80’s Toto circa Isolation the seventh one and is a bit middle of the road for me but it  is a chance to hear the lead vocals of Greg Phillinganes for the first time and most Toto fans will dig this track. 'Spiritual Man' is a slow builder of a number that builds from a simple foundation and becomes an almost gospel style ballad and just goes to show how varied this album is.

'No End In Sight' is the sort of thing Toto do so well on albums like Tambu and particular Kingdom of Desire . The track starts simple and builds and builds with the tempo slowly changing until the song becomes a full on rocker - stunning Add in the vocal interplay of Lukather and Kimball and you have one of the best tracks on the album. 

This is  Toto’s first proper studio album in seven years and was well worth the wait - in the mean time there's been two live albums, a live DVD and that god awful covers album. This is easily the band's best work since Kingdom Of Desire but, unlike that album which took time to click, 'Falling In Between' gives instant gratification to the Toto fan. Whilst this may never sell as many albums as say '4' (the one with Rosanna and Africa for the uneducated ones out there!) did back in the 80’s this is an absolute monster of album and I cannot see anything else beating it this year and it's still only January! 

'Falling In Between'  gets a massive 9.6/10 from this reviewer -  my highest rating for an album ever!

Let us know your views on 'Falling In Between'

Track List

Falling In Between
Dying On My Feet
Bottom Of Your Soul
King Of The World
Hooked
Simple Life
Taint Your World
Let It Go
Spiritual Man
No End In Sight

Line Up

Steve Lukather - Guitars/Vocals
David Paich - Keyboards/Vocals
Greg Phillinganes - Keyboard/Vocals
Mike Porcaro - Bass
Simon Philliphs - Drums
Bobby Kimball - Vocals