American fans finally get the Toto treat most other worldwide fans have had for months: On the eve of their 2019 fall tour, Toto released the live follow-up to their 40 Trips Around the Sun greatest-hits collection.
These are good days for us Toto fans. We got that retrospective project in 2018, and this year saw the release of the expansive Toto box set, All In. There’s even a CD-only box set for us cheapskates who chose to forgo the vinyl reissues.
40 Tours Around the Sun takes us back to the European portion of these dates, just prior to founding member David Paich’s sabbatical due to health reasons. “Spanish Seas,” an updated leftover from the Isolation era just after David Hungate departed, is excellently represented here.
The groove by drummer Shannon Forrest and bassist Shem von Schroeck is fantastic, as it echoes the Jeff Porcaro / Mike Porcaro original. Lenny Castro’s contributions are equally important to the groove. David Paich’s piano is rhythmically strong, demonstrating why he is considered one of the best players in the business – but he doesn’t stop there. Paich also handles the vocals on the verses with the power and assurance you expect from an expert.
Shem von Schroeck gets special mention for his operatic handling of the chorus, making the part seem effortless. Joseph Williams and sax player Warren Ham add further depth to the Toto chorus, too.
Of course, the song is full of other Toto treats: The middle synthesizer solo by Steve Porcaro is pure Toto magic. That swirling soundscape is almost outer-worldly. Add into this the fact that Steve Lukather finds just the right parts to play on his acoustic, and you’re satiated.
Luckily, “Spanish Seas” is but one of many treats on 40 Tours Around the Sun. If you get a chance to see Toto this fall, do it. Rumor has it this will be the last tour for a while.
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