Toto: 35th Anniversary—Live in Poland

California stadium-rock band Toto has experienced significant lineup changes since the 1990s, but their basic sound remains the same in this 35th anniversary show filmed at the Atlas Arena in Lodz, Poland, in 2013. Featured here are three of the original players (keyboardist Steve Porcaro, pianist David Paich, and guitarist Steve Lukather), three longtime associates (singer Joseph Williams, bassist Nathan East, and drummer Simon Phillips), and two backup singers (Amy Keys and Mabvuto Carpenter). Together, they put on a crowd-pleasing concert that heavily evokes the 1980s (despite the use of sampling technology to duplicate some instruments). If Toto aren't as bombastic as Starship, they also aren't as soulful as Journey or as distinctive as Supertramp, although all work in the same radio-ready genre. During the often-frantically-paced 21-track set, Toto serves up hit songs including “99,” “Rosanna,” “Africa,” and “Hold the Line,” which would all have benefited from a more relaxed pace (with the exception of “99," from 1979's Hydra, which gets the balance right). Presented in DTS 5.1, Dolby Digital 5.1 and stereo on DVD, and DTS-HD 5.1 and LPCM stereo on Blu-ray, extras include a behind-the-scenes featurette in which the core players talk about their roots in San Fernando Valley's high school music scene. Given the band's popularity, this should be considered a strong optional purchase. (K. Fennessy)