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Hi Luke,

I honestly don't know what to say now, whether I should laugh or cry! What's the matter tonight here in Munich in front of just about 3.000 spectators at the Olympic hall. - 3.000 in a venue fitting usually in aprxo. 12.000. Lucky you, that it is the stage beeing in the limelight and not the audiance, so you don't check what it looks like. 
Is this really still Toto, who are up there, I ask myself. I mean, those Toto, who I've checked out so often in the past in every way and including Jeff Porcaro. Bless you Jeff up there! - And what about the rest of the Gang? What happened? Mike Porcaro has injured his hand, so he can't be with you on tour. And David Paich is aparently still part of Toto, but doesn't wanna tour anymore. Is it really just you and Bobby Kimball left from the original line up? It seems so. No, don't get me wrong please. Your current buddies in the band are excellent musicians, no doubt about that. They have got themselves a reputation long before they came into Toto. Whether it's Simon Phillips, our stardrummer, who actually is quite a while in the band yet. Greg Philinganes, who took over David Paichs position, and Lee Sklar on bass, who substitutes Mike on this tour. Last but not least, there's a second guitarist named Tony Spinner who is a pretty decent guitarplayer, but doesn't have a huge aura. Why are you actually having a second guitarplayer in now?



But seriously, let's get it straight, Luke. In the end Toto is mainly you, followed by Bobby, and then there is long nothing before something else.
I ask myself, why you and the rest of the guys take so much of the singing parts from Bobby over? No actually, I know anyway. It's his voice, which doesn't reach the very high tunes anymore. Exspecially at Rosanna it's pretty much recognizable. And Bobby takes  his whole power to get around somehow. Sorry, it's still recognizable. Though you have changed the chords a little to make things easier it's still hard for Bobby to keep the leadvocals on this high level. Hey, I don't mean anything bad! You know exactly how much I like you and put you in my heart over all these years. 
But I'm  worried about you as well. After about five songs everybody can see, that there is something not right with you, somehting is bothering you physically. Hope you didn't fall back into old times. You know what I mean. What's wrong? I remember last time we saw, you told me that you're so well and happy. I also remember when Jeff had died, and you were crying and totally down. Yeah I cried as well, that's pure natural. My god, how much did I miss him and I still do. No not only musically, because it's been a fact, that Jeff was the spirit behind Toto, the little big boss. But also as a person, as a character, who I certainly knew not that well than you did. However I knew him well enough to say: sorry man, but with Jeff's death, also Toto died in some ways. It's sounds pretty brutal, I know. And I hate to say so. Everything after was okay, but it never could reach the high standard and level of the former multi-platin-Grammy superband. 

Back to you. Hope you haven't got any problems, which have thrown you back. I mean, you still play your guitar really well - respect! In cobination with the excellent drum playing and the well played keys, it's truly a great musical performance.I believe, whatever condition you are, you still don't get any tune wrong, do you?! That's why there are son many musicians in the audiance to check you out every time you are here. And please do not have a too bad go on us journalists.
We just do our work, and sometimes we do not have enough freedom like we wish we had. Some of us are not that bad, like we maybe seem so. However, I'm glad that I am not only a journalist for you, but also a friend. You what I mean. 

But back to your performance tonight. Of course, the classic tunes like 'Africa' and 'Rosanna' go well down at the 3-generation consisting audiance, expecially at the younger dudes, who have no comparison to the past. They still think you're pure genius. But those freaks who have experienced you in the past in the classic original line up, they know exactly, that this here tonight is just a squeak of the glory times from then.. No Luke, to be honest, up there are a bunch of brilliant musicians including yourself, despite your questionable condition, but with an original singer, who doesn't get the tunes right. Whereby I have to admit, Bobby looks damn well and fit for becoming 60 years of age next week. 

Although he is the actual weak point, why the whole magic is getting a bit lost, though you take a lot off his shoulders. .And believe me, I'm not the only one, who realized this. The audiance does as well, and half of them are musicians themselves, or think they are.... 
No, I rather think, it's the honouring for what you have created in the past with all those musical highlights over twenty decades, belonging to music history. That's why everybody, exspecially here in Germany still likes you soooo much and is still in deep devotion for you and all these great songs and your huge talent. 

Please don't  take my review to personally. The human side has nothing to do with the musical one. And believe me, I don not belong to these bad ignoring journalists, who you are mentioning on stage. I'm stuck in an awkward middle here. One one side I still think, that you're cool up there apart from the leadvocs. But be honest, is this still really Toto? Please tell me! I'm not too sure about it. 

However, I personally wish you all the luck in the world. Please take care about yourself, and don't overdo it. You know what I mean. Like I said before I'm worried, because I really do like you sooooo much. All the best - and I talk to you soon.....

                                                                                     View also  Diary  for Pre- and Aftershow photos