With a career in Toto and six solo albums to his name, not to mention the string of famous musicians and albums he’s been involved with (it is claimed he’s been on over 1000 releases, most notably Michael Jackson’s ‘Thriller’), Steve Lukather deserves the title of legend and he sets to work cementing that reputation with ‘All’s well that ends well’, a nine track album that allows Lukather to demonstrate his considerable talent against the backdrop of his experiences on the road over the two years prior to recording.
Opening well with the guitar-solo-laden soft-rock styling of ‘Darkness in the world’, what stands out is Lukather’s soulful voice and exquisite lead runs, and if it’s a less visceral attack than, say, Satriani might muster, it’s an honest and powerful opening to an album filled with astonishing guitar playing and skilful song-writing. ‘On my way home’ is a more adventurous track which is half way towards funk through the eyes of a King Crimson fan with the guitar stabs echoing ‘Elephant talk’ from the Crimson’s ‘Discipline’ album, while Lukather himself veers towards Chris Rea. It’s one of those tracks that twists and turns and it’s not easy to get a handle on exactly what genre you’re listening but for all that it still, somehow, sounds coherent. ‘Can’t look back’, more than anything else, recalls mid-nineties Genesis with a melodic pop-rock vibe interlaced with some expert guitar playing and shameless hooks. It’s a great, rocking track and the guitar solo is simply perfect. Sticking with the vaguely progressive theme, ‘don’t say it’s over’ sits somewhere between ‘momentary lapse of reason’-era Floyd and Eric Clapton and is none the worse for either. It’s a bluesy number but with a hint of the work Clapton did with Michael Kamen on the soundtrack to Lethal Weapon 3 and the chorus is suitably epic, guaranteeing it a place in the fans’ hearts when Lukather hits the stage in November.
Upping the tempo is the funky strut of ‘flash in the pan’ which has a bluesy, ballsy swagger all of its own and which, following some rather slower tracks, sounds even more hectic. It’s a fine track that allows Lukather to add a little more grit to his voice and the multi-tracked vocals, heavy drums and astonishing guitar all work well to get the body moving. ‘Watching the world’, meanwhile, is a perfect pop-rock moment which just goes to show that you don’t need to sell your soul to the devil to write catchy, memorable music and the guitar flourishes are priceless. As if things have got a touch to straightforward, ‘you’ll remember’ mixes Lukather’s typically smooth vocal with jazzy flourishes and a snarling rock chorus with multiple vocals and an odd time signature. ‘Brody’s’, on the other hand, is a blues inflected number with a great guitar sound which sounds disarmingly like Def Leppard slowed down. It’s a gently rocking song that is one of my favourite tracks on the album thanks to the gritty vocal and excellent guitar. That leaves just the suggestive ‘tumescent’ to round out this fine album, and it does so in fine, instrumental style.
In all honesty, the tracks here are not a million miles from Toto, the band Lukather departed in 2008 (only to return to for a reunion in aid of Mike Porcaro), but this is no bad thing. Although the more metal orientated readers will struggle, anyone who likes classic rock, or who just digs amazing guitar playing, will find a lot to admire here; the production is crystal clear ad expansive, Lukather’s voice is smooth and the playing is uniformly exquisite. Elements of jazz, progressive, soft rock and pop all filter through the arrangements and there is a striking intelligence about the arrangements that never lets them become dull. For a real chance to see Lukather shine, check him out on tour in the UK this month, but failing that, this CD is an excellent resume of his talents.
