Has Toto really been around for 30 years? Wow, how time flies! As I recall the band back in the day, they were know for some well crafted pop songs that featured excellent musicianship and even better sonics. Perhaps a bit too polished for some, their recordings really sounded great, whether on the radio or on a serious home stereo system. When I read that Toto would have a live concert release on Blu-ray featuring lossless audio, I was interested in seeing if that same attention to detail that made their studio recordings sound so good would make its way to the Blu-ray release. I can thankfully report that it does, and in spades.

Concert

I can report without question that if you are a Toto fan, you will love this live concert recording. The show was recorded at Le Zenith in Paris, France (is there really any other?) back in March 2007 and has already been released on DVD and is finally making its way to Blu-ray. The crowd obviously enjoyed this concert and I can see why as the band plays most of their better known hits including Africa, Hold the Line, I’ll Be Over You and Rosanna. All in all, this set features 20 tracks plus another track designated as Greg Solo.

The set includes in order Falling in Between, King of the World, Pamela, Bottom of Your Soul, Caught in the Balance, Don’t Chain My Heart, Hold the Line, Stop Loving You, I’ll Be Over You, Cruel, Greg Solo, Rosanna, I’ll Supply the Love, Isolation, The Gift of Faith, Kingdom of Desire/Luke Solo, Hydra/Simon Solo, Taint Your World, Gypsy Train, Africa and Drag Him to the Roof. The performances here are top rate as the band really brings the tunes to life.

The band consists of Steve Lukather on guitars and vocals, Simon Phillip on drums, Bobby Kimball on vocals, Tony Spinner on guitar and vocals and two new members of the band for the tour, Leland Sklar on bass and the great Greg Phillinganes on keyboards. I hadn’t seen Lee Sklar perform in a concert setting since the first time I saw James Taylor live. Yes his beard is as long as ever, just a lot grayer. Greg Phillinganes is probably better known for his studio work with Quincy Jones and for backing up Michael Jackson and he really puts on a show here on the keyboards, playing two at once, jumping from one to another to yet another on a number of the songs. If you are Toto fan and are looking for a live recording to add to your collection, this is the set for you. Recommended.

Video

I really hate to use the word, but the word that popped to mind while watching this release was perfect. Yes, the video here is darn near perfect and is without question, the best looking concert video this writer has ever seen. Everything that you look for in the production of high def video is right here. This is as reference as it gets folks. I was a little taken aback by the footage of the band backstage as they come on stage to kick off the concert, as it is grainy, soft and washed out. However, once the curtain dropped on the stage and the concert began, all I could say was Holy Cow.

The video features bright and bold and yet extremely accurate colors. Detail and clarity are as good as I have ever seen outside of a video production facility. The video here presents a totally three dimensional image with some of the deepest and inky blacks I have ever seen on my display. Seeing Steve Lukather seemingly popping off the screen in front of you against a jet black background is simply amazing. Video noise is simply non existent. Despite the deepness of the blacks, shadow detail is well preserved. When you sit back and watch this release on a big screen, you are simply transported to Le Zenith on the night of the concert. It is almost as good as being there. This release sets the standard for all concert releases. I wish they all looked this good!

Audio

As good as the video is, the audio is every bit as good. While I have had the pleasure of viewing many concert videos on Blu-ray, I can’t think of one that is quite this good sonically. This release puts you into the venue with the audience in a way I had not yet experienced in the home. I can’t image the live concert experience sounding any better in the venue than it does on this release. By all means, this release needs to be experienced at reference levels.

The dynamics on this release are off the charts, with deep and tight bass and crystal clear and open highs. The impact of the drums is as good as it gets, just like at a live show. The vocals are clear and distinct and always intelligible or as intelligible as a rock singer can be. The vocals never are drowned out by the rest of the mix. The surrounds are used beautifully, to produce a totally immersive sound mix, placing you right in the middle of the hall.

The overall fidelity of the recorded sound is top notch, sounding smooth and open with excellent transparency and openness. Take a listen to Greg Phillinganes “solo” as an example of what I am talking about. You can clearly hear all of the reverb of the sound of his keyboards in the hall, the natural decay of the sound as it fades away. This is reference material and was a pleasure to experience at home. If you are looking for demo audio material, this is without a doubt, the release for you.

Special Features

Not surprisingly, there is little in the way of extras on this release. The extras include a series of brief interviews with the individual band members at the concert venue, where they discuss aspects of their careers and their experiences with the band and in the case of Greg Phillinganes, a demonstration of his keyboard playing during one song. There is really nothing here that would be appealing to anyone other than a hardcore fan of the band. The interviews are presented in high def as well as with a lossless audio track. There is no digital copy or DVD included and the disc is not BD-Live enabled.

Final Thoughts

While you may or may not enjoy Toto’s music, there is no disputing their talent as musicians and performers and there is no way to question the truly reference audio and video on this release which is as good as I have ever seen or heard. Do yourself a favor and check it out, it is really that good. Recommended for all you Toto fans out there.