The search for Toto...and a realization about the music industry

Couple of days ago, I went Toto CD hunting in Makati. Got off the MRT at Ayala Station. Visited SM Makati's record store, and the Astrovision branch they had. Scooted off to Music One Glorietta, then moved on to the record store in Landmark. Made a last stop at Music One Greenbelt. And then made it all the way back to the Ayala MRT Station because that's the same place where the terminal is for BF-bound shuttles. So that's an hour's worth of walking to and browsing through five record stores.

I was looking for any Toto album that was NOT the Best Ballads nor the Essential Toto collection. I already have Best Ballads, and Essential has basically the same songs. I was also looking for their latest studio album, Falling in Between (2006), or their latest release, Falling in Between Live (CD and DVD, 2007).

Anong napala ko?

All I saw were the two albums I WASN'T looking for. But thankfully I did score a VCD of their 25th anniversary gig (Live in Amsterdam 2003), and the commendable record store was SM!

It just sucks, because here I am, a very willing consumer, loaded with Toto-cash, but nobody wants to sell me albums. The record company should've cashed in on this moment; besides, that's what tours are for, to promote their albums.

Hmph.

Anyway, I've watched snippets of the 25th anniv gig, and that didn't help one bit in watering down my anticipation of their Manila gig on April 3.

We're off to the province this weekend though, so I'm bringing the VCD to watch when everyone's sleeping already. Plus I've printed some chords/tabs that I plan to try out during lull times over the weekend ;)

I don't think I've ever been this excited (and well-prepared! or at least trying to be...) for any gig I've gone to before =D

P.S. Signs of the times. I haven't gone to these records stores in ages. Which is why I was shocked to see that Music One Glorietta has been reduced to 1/4 its original size, while Music One Greenbelt is just half of what it used to be. Haaay. Panalo na ba ang mga pirata? Hindi pa naman siguro, diba? =(

P.P.S. Actually I did score something other than the 25th anniv gig. Recently my co-teacher Menggai and I talked about Richard Marx (who's friends with Toto's Steve Lukather). As I was Toto-CD-hunting in SM, I chanced upon Richard Marx CDs. And guess who was just beside Richard? None other than Steve Lukather :) So yeah, I have Luke's latest album, which is awesome. I wish I could score his old CDs as well.

P.P.P.S. (04/08/08) Recently visited SM Megamall and was surprised to see - or NOT SEE - Music One. It was all just Powerbooks where Music One/Tower Records used to be. I don't know if they transferred, or M1 was totally obliterated from Megamall. Odyssey is also now just half of what is used to be.