Transcending over four decades of Rock-n-Roll music, Steve Lukather is one of the more prolific artists in the genre. Known as the longest continued member of Toto, Lukather’s fingerprints have been all over the band’s music from the start. From 1978’s “Georgy Porgy,” 1979’s “99,” onto 1982’s “Rosanna” and 1986’s “I’ll Be Over You,” Lukather’s songwriting and voice has been a signature part of Toto.
However, Lukather is known for much more than just Toto. To name a few things, he has done ample session work for everyone from Aretha Franklin to Richard Marx and played guitar on loads of albums; including Boz Scaggs’ 1980 Middle Man, as well as Michael Jackson’s 1982 classic Thriller. This is all not to mention that he has been a fixture in Ringo All-Starr Band for many years. In truth, to recap everything Lukather has done, would be a novel within itself. Truly an inspiring artist, let us not forget his solo work, and that would include his latest effort, Bridges.
Lukather’s 9th solo studio album, Bridges arrived on June 16, 2023 and acts as a follow up to his 2021 work, I Found The Sun Again. The latter, a really strong Rock album, with Bridges Lukather follows a similar trajectory. Stimulating even more interest, Lukather works primarily with his fellow Toto bandmates Joseph Williams and David Paich who sing, play, and co-wrote on many tracks. What does this mean for you? It means that in reality Bridges is the closest thing you may ever get again to a Toto album… so pay close attention.
Beyond the Toto crew, Lukather also taps into the talents of Bassist Leland Sklar (known for work with the likes of James Taylor and Carole King), accomplished Drummer Simon Phillips (who actually played with Toto for years), as well as his son Trev Lukather, among many others. Truly a cast of musicians that would make any fan’s mouth water, the biggest question is, what happens when you explore across Bridges?
Well, what you get is an energetic Rock album that is heavy at times (“Far From Over,” “Not My Kind Of People,” and “When I See You Again”), softer at others (“Someone” and “I’ll Never Know”), but always keeping your interest for 8 tracks. Putting it simply, this album has life of its own, with some of the best sections including the Hard Rock “Far From Over” that reminds you that the only path is the one forward. There is also the absolutely beautiful Soft Rock track “Someone,” the heartbreaking, yet lovely “All Forevers Must End,” and the upbeat Stadium Rock vibed “When I See You Again.”
Lasting for just over 35 minutes, Bridges is all killer and no filler. It seems as if Steve Lukather was determined to make a record like this, if anything to prove a point. You may ask, what does he really have left to prove after all the success with Toto, among others? It is to remind the mainstream radio Rock world that even though they do not spin new tunes from artists like himself, Toto, or any other, that these veterans still have plenty to offer.
In reality most stations, including SiriusXM, only play songs that are 30 to 40 years old from these artists. Rather unfortunate, many of the songs on an album like Bridges may appeal to a broader audience if only given the chance. The way of the world, let us hope that more people are aware that new music from artists like Steve Lukather is out there. An album that should not be overlooked, Cryptic Rock gives Bridges 4.5 out of 5 stars.
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