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Thread: New Memoir from Steve Lukather

  1. #1
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    New Memoir from Steve Lukather

    This popped up from my Audible subscription...

    https://www.audible.com/pd/The-Gospe...R2230911189OI1

    Really looking forward to listening to this next

  2. #2
    Studmuffin Scott Bails's Avatar
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    I need to get that
    Music isn't about chops, or even about talent - it's about sound and the way that sound communicates to people. Mike Keneally

  3. #3
    That should be an interesting read/listen. Is there a print version? I remember some yeras back reading a really funny interview where he talked about the then present state of popular music and the session scene. One comment was something like "Eventually, they're gonna have the guitars tuned low enough that you'll shit yourself every time they play a chord". The other was when he was asked about the studio scene, and he said something like "What studio scene?! There is no scene anymore, you go in, tune up, play a few bars, and then they loop it. The whole session is over in 10 minutes!" So I imagine this could be very entertaining.

  4. #4
    There's a 30 dollar signed edition on precise collectibles (I think that's the website) available now. I believe it's the same price as the regular hardcover so it's cool to get it signed!

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    I pre-ordered it. He has played with everyone so I am thinking it will be a good read.

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    ALL ACCESS Gruno's Avatar
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    In the early 90s, I asked Luke to sign Peter Criss’ 1982 album, Let Me Rock You. Luke laughs and says he doesn’t think he’s ever signed one of those. [it is a rare LP] He takes the album cover, turns it over, and signs it on the tip of Peter’s nose... hands it to me and says, “I signed it there in remembrance of all the coke we did during those sessions!”

    I will definitely be getting this book.

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    Studmuffin Scott Bails's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Gruno View Post
    In the early 90s, I asked Luke to sign Peter Criss’ 1982 album, Let Me Rock You. Luke laughs and says he doesn’t think he’s ever signed one of those. [it is a rare LP] He takes the album cover, turns it over, and signs it on the tip of Peter’s nose... hands it to me and says, “I signed it there in remembrance of all the coke we did during those sessions!”

    I will definitely be getting this book.
    He has tidbits of some great stories in his interviews. I'm hoping that he expands upon that in the book. He's certainly had an interesting career.
    Music isn't about chops, or even about talent - it's about sound and the way that sound communicates to people. Mike Keneally

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    Just downloaded it. I listen to audiobooks on my commutes.

    I can't say that I was a Lukather fan back in Toto's heyday (I was always grumpy that people listened to Journey and Toto instead of Crimson... yeah, I was a real hit at high school parties) but in my advancing years. I've come to see his undeniable talent. I am hoping that he reveals who he "soloed for" in his studio sessions that were credited to others.

    Also, didn't Zappa ride Toto (or "Toad-o") pretty hard on Joe's Garage?

  9. #9
    Quote Originally Posted by Scott Bails View Post
    He has tidbits of some great stories in his interviews. I'm hoping that he expands upon that in the book. He's certainly had an interesting career.
    I didn't know who Lukather was until I picked up Kingdom of Desire in a cut-out bin in 1993. I wasn't a big Toto fan but figured I'd try it for $1.99. I put it in the CD player and... couldn't believe what I was hearing. This wasn't Toto but some much better group. A year or so later I read a review that said "This is what happens when Steve Lukather takes over the band. That's a good take-over!

    When Toto broke up in 2008, Lukather made a comment like: "I mean, how many times can you go on stage and sing Pamela? I can't do that anymore."

    I checked, and sure enough Pamela was on the set list when they rejoined in 2010.

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    Studmuffin Scott Bails's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by yamishogun View Post
    I didn't know who Lukather was until I picked up Kingdom of Desire in a cut-out bin in 1993. I wasn't a big Toto fan but figured I'd try it for $1.99. I put it in the CD player and... couldn't believe what I was hearing. This wasn't Toto but some much better group. A year or so later I read a review that said "This is what happens when Steve Lukather takes over the band. That's a good take-over!

    When Toto broke up in 2008, Lukather made a comment like: "I mean, how many times can you go on stage and sing Pamela? I can't do that anymore."

    I checked, and sure enough Pamela was on the set list when they rejoined in 2010.
    Lukather's biggest issue during their break-up was that David Paich had stopped touring with them, and they no longer had a Porcaro in the band. He didn't feel like it was Toto.

    A couple years later they reunited to do some shows to benefit Mike Porcaro when he developed ALS, and they've been touring and recording ever since - with Paich and Steve Porcaro in the band.
    Music isn't about chops, or even about talent - it's about sound and the way that sound communicates to people. Mike Keneally

  11. #11
    Quote Originally Posted by yamishogun View Post
    I didn't know who Lukather was until I picked up Kingdom of Desire in a cut-out bin in 1993. I wasn't a big Toto fan but figured I'd try it for $1.99. I put it in the CD player and... couldn't believe what I was hearing. This wasn't Toto but some much better group. A year or so later I read a review that said "This is what happens when Steve Lukather takes over the band. That's a good take-over!
    With "The Other Side" co-written by Billy Sherwood. A very good song.

    Kevin

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    The memoir is described using the euphemism of "frank." I'll bet it is...

    20 years ago I took a (prim and proper-type) date to see California Guitar Trio who were opening for Lukather. She wanted to leave after CGT but I persuaded her that Lukather was an amazing player and it would be worth it. After all this was the guy who wrote "Rosanna".

    So in between every song Lukather starts ranting about his girlfriend throwing him out of their apartment a day or two before. Every sentence out of his mouth was "f%ing bitch" this and "damn f#&$ing whore" that. But the playing was so hot I kept persuading my date to stay thinking the rants were over but they just got worse and worse. By the time it got to "I'm going to punch that f*& bitch in the f&$%ing mouth" she had had enough.

    We got married several years later and remain so but that evening did me no favors (nor did our date to see Discipline, but that's another story).

    EDIT: Just noticed now that Lukather did not in fact write Rosanna... That false piece of information was probably the main reason she was willing to stay for the show.
    Last edited by arturs; 09-19-2018 at 02:04 PM.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Scott Bails View Post
    Lukather's biggest issue during their break-up was that David Paich had stopped touring with them, and they no longer had a Porcaro in the band. He didn't feel like it was Toto.

    A couple years later they reunited to do some shows to benefit Mike Porcaro when he developed ALS, and they've been touring and recording ever since - with Paich and Steve Porcaro in the band.
    Paich has not been touring with them this summer due to rumored health reasons.

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    I started the book yesterday and am really enjoying it. So far I am just up to his high school days. An amazing number of very talented musicians came out of his peer group during that time period.

  15. #15
    Quote Originally Posted by SteveSly View Post
    Paich has not been touring with them this summer due to rumored health reasons.
    Lukather said he was getting penis reduction surgery at the show I went too...

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    ^^^ Good to know he's still keepin' it classy after all these years...

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    Studmuffin Scott Bails's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by SteveSly View Post
    Paich has not been touring with them this summer due to rumored health reasons.
    Ugh. I wasn't aware of that. Hope it's nothing serious.

    Last time he missed a tour, Luke said it was for a sex change operation and a couple publications ran with it.
    Music isn't about chops, or even about talent - it's about sound and the way that sound communicates to people. Mike Keneally

  18. #18
    Quote Originally Posted by yamishogun View Post
    I didn't know who Lukather was until ...
    I knew who Steve Lukather was because Guitar Player did a big feature piece on him in 84. I remember it mentioned some of the sessions he played it. Noted, among other things, was that he played all the guitars, apart from the guitar solo, on Michael Jackson's Beat It, and also Randy Newman's I Love LA (he's in the Newman video too).

    Also, if you were inclined to actually listen to some of those Toto hits, like Rosanna, Stranger In Town, etc, they often times featured some red hot guitar playing. I also remembered that sort of hard rock/disco hybrid on I'll Supply The Love, which I always thought was a cool song. And I knew that was him singing on some of those records too (like on the first half of each verse of Rosanna). In other words, I very versatile musician.

    I don't actually remember hearing it at any during the 80's, but when VH-1 Classic rolled around just after the turn of the century, one of the videos they played regularly was Goodbye Elinore, which was another song that had some good hard rock energy, and some tricky instrumental bits.

  19. #19
    Moderator Sean's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Gruno View Post
    In the early 90s, I asked Luke to sign Peter Criss’ 1982 album, Let Me Rock You. Luke laughs and says he doesn’t think he’s ever signed one of those. [it is a rare LP] He takes the album cover, turns it over, and signs it on the tip of Peter’s nose... hands it to me and says, “I signed it there in remembrance of all the coke we did during those sessions!”

    I will definitely be getting this book.
    Will you get the coke too?

  20. #20
    Member frinspar's Avatar
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    This sounds like a good read.
    I really enjoyed the doc "Hired Gun" and Luke's spots were very informative and entertaining.

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    Early on, he mentions how Rolling Stone and Jann Wenner couldn't stand Toto. Lukather has very little time for RS and Wenner. Something that proggers and Lukather have in common.

  22. #22
    Studmuffin Scott Bails's Avatar
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    Luke has that "musician's esthetic" that many proggers have and that RS and Wenner seem to loathe.
    Music isn't about chops, or even about talent - it's about sound and the way that sound communicates to people. Mike Keneally

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    RS seemed to buy that whole "all I know is three chords and the truth" crap. If they sniff anything resembling complexity or striving to push boundaries (in terms of musical craft), they would cry "pretentious"... as if some twenty- or thirty-something musician claiming to be possession of The Truth isn't pretentious.

  24. #24
    Quote Originally Posted by Kevin Caffrey View Post
    With "The Other Side" co-written by Billy Sherwood. A very good song.

    Kevin
    It is a good song but my least favorite on Kingdom of Desire. I liked most ofIV but then only some songs from earlier albums like "99" which I just read was written by Lukather, and didn't listen to them apart from the radio until KoD, which is much more Lukather influenced. At some point, I looked at the liner notes after listening to the best song, "Kingdom of Desire" and my suspicion was correct: Toto is good but not that good...it was written outside of Toto.

    I also recently looked up Jon Anderson's In the City of Angels line notes and was shocked to see that one song was written by Anderson and Paich but the entire band of Toto also played on that one song.

  25. #25
    Quote Originally Posted by yamishogun View Post

    I also recently looked up Jon Anderson's In the City of Angels line notes and was shocked to see that one song was written by Anderson and Paich but the entire band of Toto also played on that one song.
    and Jon returned the favor by appearing on stop loving you. he's not that noticeable and actually the single version left his contribution off oddly enough, always seemed a odd thing but kinda cool.

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