With him declaring that there will never be another studio album from Toto, co-writing most of the record with Joseph Williams and David Paich, and appearances from other past members, Bridges is as close as you’re going to get. Santamental was recorded in six days, after which Lukather proclaimed it "his first and last Christmas album". He also denoted that this version includes "one of the greatest piano solos" that he's heard of in his life by Jeff Babko, and that David Paich plays a great " Steve Winwood organ solo". He is also recognized for his efficiency in the studio, often recording tracks in one take using minimal sound processing.

Steve Lukather – Bridges (2023, Blu-Spec, CD) - Discogs

I guess I'm a rock guy trying to play jazz" – Steve Lukather talks Rosanna, Eddie Van Halen and his new solo album". When Lukather's record company, Bop City Records, approached him about recording a Christmas album, he responded with a quip about his suitability for the project. This has nuances of his body of work tossed in for good measure making this like a new greatest hit. Alongside his tenure as the only member of TOTO to never take a hiatus from the band, he has performed on thousands of albums as a session musician. His reputation as a skilled guitarist led to a steady flow of session work beginning in the 1970s that has since established him as a prolific session musician, recording guitar tracks for more than 1,500 albums spanning a broad array of artists and genres.While Lukather focused on instrumental writing and production on previous albums but collaborated with lyricists, he wrote much of the lyrics for All's Well That Ends Well himself. His song-writing philosophy is that if a song sounds good with only guitars and vocals, it will likely sound good after a full production. As Lukather had written a number of songs that did not appear on Toto albums, he decided to pursue a solo album, with the intention of presenting a dimension of his music that fans would be unfamiliar with. Lukather plays primarily a signature electric guitar manufactured by Ernie Ball Music Man bearing his nickname, Luke.

Steve Lukather - Bridges :: Rock Report Steve Lukather - Bridges :: Rock Report

I think this proves that is not the case, and I wanted to make music with my old friends, alongside having a laugh or two. He has also affirmed that it's a great and fun song to play, that he loves the lyrics and the vibe of the song, and that "not a lot of people have done it" as far as he knows. The company wanted him to do the record knowing he would approach the project with a unique angle and produce something different from the typical Christmas album. The resulting album, No Substitutions: Live in Osaka, won a 2001 Grammy award for Best Pop Instrumental Album. Two months later, he announced that he would release solo albums simultaneously with longtime Toto collaborator Joseph Williams.When he was born 35 years ago, I looked into his eyes before I cut the cord and said to myself, ‘I wonder if he will follow in my footsteps? Lynch, of Heartbreakers fame co-wrote multiple songs with Lukather, Paich and Williams, and Goodrum with Lukather alone on ‘All Forevers Must End’. In the autumn of 2006, Lukather contributed his cover-version of the Michael Landau-song "I'm Buzzed" (originally from Landau's Tales From The Bulge album) from a live recording of his side band project, El Grupo, to the album project Artists for Charity – Guitarists 4 the Kids, produced by Slang Productions, to assist World Vision Canada in helping underprivileged kids in need. Tracks like Someone and the fulsome ballad, All Forevers Must End, are a true celebration of Lukather, the vocalist.

Steve Lukather - Bridges - (CD, Vinyl LP) | Rough Trade Steve Lukather - Bridges - (CD, Vinyl LP) | Rough Trade

It also proves that most of my old pals and I are still great friends, and I wanted to do a record ‘in the style of,' as TOTO will never record another studio album. This entry was posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS and tagged album, Bridges, classic rock, David Paich, guitar, guitarist, Joseph Williams, review, Steve Lukather, Toto. He stated in an interview that "you can hear us having fun on the record—you can hear the smiles on our faces.Lukather said, “Some people think ‘cause someone has left the band or moved on to their own thing that we stopped being friends or stopped wanting to work together. While he once used many guitar effects in the studio and on stage, he now frequently disparages such practice, and instead advocates cleaner tones and minimal studio processing.

STEVE LUKATHER - Bridges - 100% ROCK MAGAZINE MUSIC REVIEW: STEVE LUKATHER - Bridges - 100% ROCK MAGAZINE

In 1985, he released the instructional " Star Licks" guitar video featuring many of the guitar parts from the first five Toto studio albums. He has stated that dynamics are the most important element of producing a recording with good sound quality. This is a great track, captures the mood of a labor of love, and has the best guitar work on the album. Lukather recruited keyboardist Jeff Babko and guitarist Larry Carlton, who Lukather had worked with previously, to help arrange the songs. The standout track is All Forevers Must End, a bleak, reflective break-up ballad with the killer lyrics: " Waking up inside an empty room, acid teardrops burn my face as I contemplate my doom.Influenced by blues-rock guitarists such as Jimi Hendrix and Jimmy Page, and such jazz fusion players as Al Di Meola and John McLaughlin, Lukather is known for a "melodic and intense" playing style. The band hired for the recordings included Gregg Bissonette on drums, Jorgen Carlsson and John Pierce on bass, and David Paich and Jeff Babko on keyboards. Unless otherwise stated, all content, including photography, is owned and managed by MetalTalk and must not be used elsewhere without written permission.