Toto: Falling in Between Live Blu-ray

Toto: Falling in Between Live

 (2007)

Music



Toto were formed in LA in the late 70’s by a group of friends who were all much in demand session musicians. They went on to epitomize the classic American pop/rock sound of the 80’s and 90’s with hit albums and singles including Hold The Line, Africa, I’ll Be Over You and the multi-Grammy winning worldwide hit Rosanna. This concert was recorded at Le Zenith in Paris in March 2007 in front of a wildly enthusiastic sell-out crowd. It captures the band rocking at their hardest and most powerful and giving a new life to all their best loved tracks.

For more details about Toto: Falling in Between Live on Blu-ray, see the Toto: Falling in Between Live Blu-ray Review

Toto: Falling in Between Live Blu-ray, Video Quality

 


Presented in an aspect ratio of 1.78:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080i "live" transfer, Toto: Falling in Between arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Eagle Rock Entertainment.

Filmed at Paris' Le Zenith in March 2007, Toto: Falling in Between looks good on Blu-ray. Detail is strong - both during close-ups as well as during the numerous panoramic shots - and clarity pleasing. The color-scheme also does not disappoint - blues, reds, yellows, browns and blacks are lush and well saturated. The lighting effects are rather strong and as a result a few of the panoramic shots tend to look a bit thick (primarily the heavy blue lighting). There is also a bit of low noise that pops up here and there (see "Cruel"), but I don't think this is something that the overwhelming majority of you would find distracting. Serious image deteriorations are not present. To sum it all up, Toto fans should be pleased with Toto Falling in Between. (Note: This is a Region-Free Blu-ray disc. Therefore, you will be able to play it on your PS3 or SA regardless of your geographical location).

Toto: Falling in Between Live Blu-ray, Audio Quality

 


There are three audio tracks on this Blu-ray disc: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1, Dolby Digital 5.1, and LPCM 2.0. I opted for the DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track and later on did a few random comparisons with the other two tracks for the purpose of this review.

In 2006, Eagle Rock Entertainment released Toto: Live in Amsterdam on Blu-ray, but many audiophiles were not overly impressed with the disc's audio portfolio. Well, I hope that most of these people end up purchasing Toto Falling in Between, because this is certainly the best sounding live Toto show that I have ever seen.

The DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track is very strong. The long guitar and piano solos sound absolutely terrific. From "Rosanna" to "Hold The Line" to "Africa", there is very good separation between the different instruments and Bonny Kimball and Steve Lukather's singing. The wide range of dynamics is also impressive. The "live effect" is certainly prominent but not overpowering - the crowd noise is delicately handled (listen to "Africa"). Finally, I did not detect any disturbing audio dropouts or balance issues to report in this review.

The LPCM 2.0 is surprisingly effective. It lacks the dynamic intensity of the DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track, but it certainly handles many of the individual solos quite well. The "live-effect", however, is not as intense on the LPCM 2.0 track as it is on the DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track.

The Dolby Digital 5.1 track is acceptable, but, once again, not the track I would recommend that you experience Toto's show with. Even a quick comparison between the Dolby Digital 5.1 track and the DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track makes what should be obvious...obvious - the former lacks the depth and fluidity of the latter.

For the record, Eagle Rock Entertainment have provided optional English, German, Spanish, French, Italian, Dutch and Portuguese subtitles (interviews only).

Toto: Falling in Between Live Blu-ray, News and Updates

• Concert Blu-ray Wave from Eagle Rock - August 31, 2009

Toto: Falling in Between Live Blu-ray, Forum Discussions

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