Toto/CT,USA 2019

TOTO has finally completed their 40th anniversary tour and announced a hiatus. Their latest live albums will be released all at once. This work is the third in a series of four simultaneous releases. This is the best audience recording of “October 18, 2019 Mashantucket Performance”. All four works released at the same time are masterpieces, but this work is No. 1 when it comes to sound. This is a live album that will continue to be talked about as a masterpiece and masterpiece even on the North American tour that ended the other day. [Live album after the shocking declaration of suspension of activities] I’m curious about the sound, but first of all, the position of the show. The outline of the 2019 tour will be explained in the first part “KANSAS CITY 2019” released at the same time, but here we will check the mutual relationship of the four series in the schedule.・September 20th – 25th (5 performances) ・September 27th “KANSAS CITY 2019” ・September 28th – October 13th (10 performances) ・October 15th “PORT CHESTER 2019”《October 16th・October 16: Inglewood performance ・October 18: Mashantucket performance ←★This work★ ・October 19: Red Bank performance ・October 20 “PHILADELPHIA 2019” This is a total of 21 performances of the North American tour that just ended. “KANSAS CITY 2019” was the only show in September, but the other three performances were concentrated in late October. I was able to report on every other performance. As of October 16th, when news of the group’s suspension of activities spread, there were only 4 shows left. In particular, the last part is for three consecutive days, and the Mashantucket performance of this work was also the first day. [The best sound of the North American tour No. 1] The biggest point of this work that recorded such a show is the best audience sound. What is surprising is the sense of close contact with no sense of distance. Although the detailed recording position is not known, all instruments are close and sturdy. It’s not just that the core is strong, but the snare and bass drum, which tend to give a sense of distance, can’t hear any hall sound at all in the extreme, and the guitars and keyboards are so vivid that you think, “Isn’t this a sound board?” Not only can you hear every single word of the lyrics, but you can also hear each individual voice in the chorus. MC is surprised. Normally, even if a recording sounds like a line during a performance, when the MC becomes quiet, the sound echoes throughout the venue. However, in this work, even the MC doesn’t feel a reaction. Moreover, it is beautiful and has a great sense of stability. Even when I listened to it microscopically with headphones, I didn’t feel the slightest vibration, and the ensemble was three-dimensional. While the left hand of the piano and the bass are in sync, the vibes of each remain clearly distinct and separate, throughout the full show. When I first listened to it, I thought, “This is sound board quality,” but the more I listened to it, the more I realized how lacking it was. It is truly a top quality product. What further enhances that sound board feeling is the breath of the audience. This work also feels like real enthusiasm, but it feels strangely distant. The sound of the performance of “PORT CHESTER 2019”, which was released at the same time, was wonderful, but at the same time, it was also absorbing a certain amount of enthusiasm. In contrast, in this work, even in the applause between songs, there are no close voices, only delicate applause spreading throughout the venue. The balance is just like an official version that is recorded individually and mixed later, allowing you to completely immerse yourself in the finest performance. Lukather will not stop playing TOTO’s music, but the survival of TOTO itself is uncertain. He goes so far as to declare that “at least this lineup (Lukather/David Paich/Steve Porcaro/Joseph Williams) will disappear.” It is inevitable that we will take a long break, and this 40th anniversary tour may be the end of TOTO. This work is a superb live album that is rumored to be No. 1 on such North American tours. If you can’t decide between the four series released simultaneously this week, check out this one. This is one of my favorites. Live at Grand Theater at Foxwoods, Mashantucket, CT, USA 18th October 2019 TRULY PERFECT SOUND Disc 1 (51:06) 1. Intro 2. Devil’s Tower 3. Hold the Line 4. Lovers in the Night 5. Alone 6. I Will Remember 7. English Eyes 8. Jake to the Bone 9. Rosanna Disc 2 (79:49) 1. MC 2. Georgy Porgy 3. Human Nature 4. I’ll Be Over You 5. No Love 6. Stop Loving You 7 Xavier Talpin Piano Solo 8. Girl Goodbye 9. Band Introductions 10. Lion 11. Dune (Desert Theme) 12. While My Guitar Gently Weeps 13. Make Believe 14. Africa 15. Home of the Brave Steve Lukather – vocals, guitars Steve Porcaro – keyboards Joseph Williams – vocals Shannon Forrest – drums Shem von Schroeck – bass Warren Ham – saxophone, vocals Lenny Castro – percussion Dominique “Xavier” Talpin – keyboards