STEVE LUKATHER: Everchanging Times

Produced by Steve Lukather and Steve MacMillan

Released: 2008

Steve Lukather has probably played on more albums by more people than any other musician in recorded history. If that's a bit hard to believe, there's a discography page on his website that takes about half an hour to read. So it's pretty surprising that the man has ever been able to find time to record an album of his own. Everchanging Times is his fourth solo release, and now that he's called time on Toto, there may well be more. If this is any indication of what he still has in store, his fans should be far from disappointed that his main vehicle has been garaged for good.

At various points Everchanging Times evokes Falling in Between and even some bits of early Toto albums, but this is also very much Luke being Luke. The title track opens the album with a cool, slick rock vibe, just the sort of stylish playing you would expect from the man. It's pretty apparent right away that the music here is likely to go in just about any direction, and Lukather is certainly one guy who can pull this off. From rockier numbers like "New World" he can then give a polite nod to Steely Dan with the jazz-fusion of "Stab in the Back", then churn out a dirty groove for a funky run through John Sloman's "Jammin' With Jesus" complete with a snapping bass line from Leland Sklar and a big church organ sound.

Elsewhere, "Icebound" could indeed have slotted comfortably onto any Toto record and on the gloriously smouldering "Tell Me What You Want From Me" Lukather lets his oldest son Trevor chop out the riffs as he sprinkles tasty guitar runs over everything. There's no need to talk about the production. You know it's going to be one of the slickest, cleanest sounding things you've ever heard, and the guitar-playing is just peerless.

Everchanging Times did take a couple of spins to really appreciate, but it was well worth taking the time to let the hooks set. It might not get the critics talking, but Luke's devoted fanbase will love this.

1. Everchanging Times
2. The Letting Go
3. New World
4. Tell Me What You Want From Me
5. I Am
6. Jammin' With Jesus
7. Stab in the Back
8. Never Ending Nights
9. Icebound
10. How Many Zeros
11. The Truth

Rating: 85%