In stark contrast to the frenetic opening of the title track on 2006’s Falling in Between, “Dying On My Feet” finds Toto in a more relaxed mood. To set the scene, the song begins with a lyrical country-esque guitar melody which is complemented by a piano delicately echoing the line.
“Dying On My Feet” is a mid-tempo rocker that moves from verse to chorus effortlessly but without a hook for the listener to grab onto. That doesn’t sound too enticing, but stay with me here.
If this were a card game, you’d rightly figure that Toto would be holding something special but might be wondering when they’ll reveal their hand. I can tell you with “Dying On My Feet” that Toto plays its trump cards commandingly at the end of the round.
Before we get there though, let’s spend a moment focusing on the contributions leading to that point.
For starters, Mike Porcaro on bass: It’s so great to re-listen to this track and revel in the way Mike played. He was so disciplined and in the pocket, laying it down exactly where it needed to go and leaving space for everything to breathe. In the verse, he danced; in the chorus, his bass was the driving pulse.
Simon Phillips, as to be expected, effortlessly sets a light groove and, for good measure, throws extraordinary fills into the mix without stealing the limelight. Kimball deftly changes from his lower register in the verses and soars in the chorus. He was in fine form.
The song itself is standard verse-chorus fare – rinse and repeat. But after the second chorus, Toto tips its hand. Bobby Kimball’s vocals begin to rise and rise – and then the song lifts majestically into a Dune-like anthemic swell. There are strings, courtesy of Steve Porcaro, firing off phrases across the sound stage, zooming from right to left. A synth lead subtly supports the melody and then leaps an octave to take focus before handing off to a tasty guitar solo from Steve Lukather.
“Dying On My Feet” is slow and lyrical – no need for fire here – with impeccable note choices across the changes. As per the liner notes, Phillips rates it as his favorite on the album.
Another chorus follows and then another one of those vocal rises. “Cause I’m dyin’, I’m just dyin’, I’m just dyyyyyyyin'”: Kimball is bringing it here, but that’s just a harbinger of what’s to come. “Dying On My Feet” veers slightly, instead of the glorious orchestral uplift, the tension gives way to a vocal chant and some righteous percussion courtesy of Lenny Castro rises in the mix.
And here in the final minute, Toto starts to up the stakes. A beefy guitar riff joins the proceedings, and then a sassy and highly polished horn section steps up, including trombonist James Pankow of Chicago fame (who serves as arranger of this horn chart), trumpeter Lee Thornburg and tenor saxophonist Ray Hermann.
Together, they bring to life one of the best musical conversations ever. I have looped this last section countless times. Fifteen years on, and it still brings me joy: The call and response, crunchy 13th voicings, syncopation, piano stabs to accentuate horn blasts and tight unison riffs with stratospheric trumpet lines. I just wish this had been interwoven throughout the song, as opposed to a featured coda.
Regardless, it’s a fantastic way to end “Dying On My Feet,” and proves that when Toto want to win a hand, they take the pot.
- Toto, “Spanish Sea” from ‘Old Is New’ (2018): Toto Tuesdays - June 15, 2021
- Toto, “Devil’s Tower” from ‘Old Is New’ (2018): Toto Tuesdays - May 11, 2021
- Toto, “Alone” from ‘Old Is New’ (2018): Toto Tuesdays - April 27, 2021
