This is nice little must have for Joseph Williams, Bill Champlin and Peter Friestedt. Peter has of course teamed with Williams before, but most recently the duo became a trio with the addition of Chicago’s Bill Champlin for the Live In Concert release.
This album of all original material is everything the names on the box would suggest.
Fans of Toto’s Seventh One album will love four of the five opening tracks – they are classic Toto AOR with Williams in fine voice.
Champlin fans get a taste throughout those songs, but Bill takes lead on Still Around and then again on Nightfly, which is also lush in harmonies and has that strong Toto influence.
Hearts At War is as smooth a ballad as you’ll hear this side of Air Supply’s Greatest Hits.
The last three tracks lose it a bit for me, heading out of AOR territory into Westcoast 101 and into a tempo more reserved for those considering their retirement plans.
Still, there’s nothing but class throughout. The 10 tracks are explicably produced and arranged, not to mention the near perfect instrumentation.
Some will find the tempo a little slow and mellow and some will find like I did, that the end is just a little too fluffy, but the opening 4-5 songs are just perfect soft AOR.
The new album also includes contributions from Steve Porcaro, Randy Goodrum, Will and Tamara Champlin. This must be a purchase for all card carrying members of the Westcoast Toto fanclub.
