Steve Lukather ~ Ever Changing Times (Ride Records)
by Guy-Michael Grande

IN AN ERA OF "GUITAR HERO" riffmeister wannabes, Steve Lukather remains a genuinely dynamic, ever-evolving guitarist and hero to several generations of music fans. Now more than three decades since his arrival as an A-list session man and founding member of Grammy-winning band Toto, Luke's fluidly molten playing, warm-edged vocals and expansive songwriting make Ever Changing Times an essential record for lovers of soulfully rendered shredding and songsmithing alike.

Featuring alternately heavy yet completely innovative guitar-driven rockers and impossibly lush ballads, these Ever Changing tracks are wrought by Luke and a handful of the world's finest sessioniers, ranging from legendary bassmen Lee Sklar and John Pierce to drummer Abe Laboriel, Jr. and ascendant stringslinger Trevor Lukather (Luke's son) on several tracks he cowrote. While former Toto lead singer Joseph Williams adds his distinctive backing vocals to the apocalyptic-yet-optimistic title track and "New World," Sons of Champlin and Chicago vocalist Bill Champlin tears into the biting chorus lyrics of "How Many Zeros" with grit and gravitas all his own.

Given the glories he's earned as a guitarist -- perhaps the only six-stringer of our era who can legitimately stand shoulder-to-shoulder with Country Music Hall of Famer Reggie Young for his sheer versatility and ability to serve each hit song he's graced with style, taste and groove -- the only downside would be Luke's underrated status as a singer. Put simply, no one sings or plays like him; two cuts in, "The Letting Go" is all the evidence you'll need, a breathtaking sail punctuated with waves of melodic riffs and swells.

Balancing beyond insane crunch with smoothalicious funkified grooves, "Tell Me" is an eminently listenable cocktail whose intense change-ups and harmony-laden middle eight would make McCartney himself proud. Though Steely Dan remains one of the only major bands with whom Luke's never recorded -- an almost unbelievable bit of history that makes both of us laugh over the sheer irony during our recent conversation -- "Stab In The Back" is an homage truly as cool as any song the Dan have ever laid on tape. Sounding simultaneously evocative of SD yet absolutely present and fresh, this behind-the-music-esque tale is a sweet coup for Luke and listeners alike.

And therein lies one of the secrets to Lukather's magic: regardless of his repertoire or reputation, he's still very much a student at heart when it comes to his passion for guitar. In an election year rife with worldwide crises, Luke may be an unexpected source of inspiration as far as mainstream media mongers go, but on Ever Changing Times, he covers a range both personal and political with undeniable musicality and a heart as expansive as any true adventurer ever had. www.stevelukather.net

Originally published July 2008.

Guy-Michael Grande's "EAR CANDY" (c) 2008 by Guy-Michael Grande / Rio Grande Media.

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