Toto’s guitarist Steve Lukather in Bressanone soon! The interview

Influenced by blues-rock legends such as Jimi Hendrix and Jeff Beck, Lukather is known for a melodic and intense playing style. As one of the world’s top session men, he played on over a hundred recordings by a wide variety of artists, from Michael Jackson to Paul McCartney, from Barbra Streisand to Joe Satriani. “What is it like to be the greatest guitarist on earth? Go ask Steve Lukather”, Eddie Van Halen said. With “Transition” (2013), Lukather, best known as guitarist for early MTV-era hitmakers Toto, began a new life: “I wrote about coming out of the darkness into the light”. Lukather will play at Forum Bressanone on Friday 5 April, here the interview.

“Transition” is a very personal album. It reveals a new existential direction, it communicates freedom and serenity. How do you feel now?

I feel so much better than I did 5 years ago! Everything in my life is better, clean mind-body and soul. It took a lot to get here but I am happy and healthy and playing music with all my heart and soul man. I wrote about coming out of the darkness into the light. A Transition.

Musically, “Transition” is an adult rock album, elegant, melodic, direct, simple. What role does experimentation have in your musical approach nowadays? 

You know I don’t think that hard on it. It just comes out the way it comes out. My co producer and writing partner and I just came in the studio everyday and it came out in the order you hear it on the record. Same sequence and everything. It was almost weird. I spent time on the words and all but the music and melodies came rather fast. It seemed very natural to me.

“Transition”, the title track, is like a rock-fusion journey that reminds of ’70s prog. Do you feel this influence in your song-writing?

You should see my iTunes list… hahaha! Almost all old 70′s prog. I love all that stuff. Yes all the musical influences I have are in there. How could they not be.

Michael Jackson, Paul McCartney, Eric Clapton, Boz Scaggs, Jeff Beck, Barbra Streisand, Cher, Alice Cooper, Elton John, Rod Stewart, Eddie Van Halen, Cheap Trick, Lionel Richie, Joni Mitchell, Joe Satriani… What collaboration do you remember with the most pleasure?

Man, when you out it like that I don’t know where to start. Every one of these people have touched me very deeply and it was a great honour to work with them all and learn from them. Every person has their own way of making records. These people are all legends for real. People throw that word around, that and “genius”… but in the case of all these people you mentioned they are legends. And some of them are friends too. In many cases very good friends. What can I say? It is amazing to look at this and realize I worked with all these amazing cool people. Honoured really.

You’re a big guitarist, some say “the greatest guitarist on earth”. Whom do you consider as your master in playing the guitar?

No such thing, impossible. Who is the best anything? Not sure there is such a thing. I love so many great guitar players.

In 2012 you played with Joe Satriani and Steve Vai for the “G3 Tour” in Australia and New Zealand. Tell us something about that experience.

A great honour to be asked by Joe and I had the time of my life. It was very humbling to play on stage with Joe and Steve Vai. We are very close friends and I love and respect them so much. Got to do it with another friend and giant John Petrucci as well. I was scared to death!  I was nervous for sure. I am so different. I am lucky it worked or it would have been really scary hahaha!  But then it all went well so I am happy. An extreme honour to be part of the G3 legacy. I do love these guys a lot!

What do you think about nowadays guitarists? For example, what do you think about Jack White?

Well technique is insane hahaha… scary good. How do I compete in this? I can’t hahaha… I just do my thing and at 55 I am not running in a race anymore. I love the young guys tearing it up. It is crazy good and humbling. I still love my Gilmour/Beck/Hendrix/Carlton etc… The stuff I learned from but man.., some unreal new cats. Jack White does Jack White great. I think that the key is to have your own sound. That separates the real guys from the copycats. But it must have soul to keep me interested long term. Hard to determine what that is, cause it means something different to us all.

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