Weezer Does Toto Proud With 'Africa'

I'm a big fan of Toto from way back. Weezer's cover of the chestnut "Africa" is nothing short of a revelation. The sound is polished for the millennial generation. Rivers Cuomo's vocals mimic the cool assurance of Bobby Kimball's from the 1983 original. Both are apt storytellers who weave mesmerizing tales plucked straight out of old time mythology. Cue the wild dogs echoing in the night, the old man searching for forgotten melodies saying "Hurry boy, it's waiting there for you. Kilimanjaro rises like Olympus above the Serengheti. That's New Age deep. In place of Toto's sound we get Weezer's juicy keyboard bridge. Thank you Brian Bell for your delicious handiwork. Patrick Wilson's drumming is feather soft and oh so lounge lizard too cool for the room. In comparison Toto's sound was ballsier, grittier. Overall Patrick's playing ably provides a wondrous comparison to Toto's original. Plus I finally got to understand the lyrics "I bless the rains down in Africa" which I always thought were "I bet the rain's down in Africa." It's funny how decades later mumbled words come to light in bold clarity. Anyway, Weezer's version of this timeless classic pays proper respect to the original in every way that matters. That's no small tip of the hat to Weezer's ability to take a song and make people forget it wasn't their version in the first place. Kudos to Weezer for doing my '80s memories proud.