BY MIKE METTLER — JULY 23, 2014

Luke supplies the guitar love. Photo courtesy Eagle Rock.

“Our music has stood the test of time,” observes Toto guitarist/vocalist Steve Lukather. “We’ve had this long ride, and now it’s starting all over again.” Luke, as he’s known to his friends, has an excellent point. Toto, whose members past and present honed their impressive chops as studio musicians, have long been the favorites of audiophiles the world over, best evidenced by the ongoing impact of Toto IV (1982) and tracks like the ebb-and-flow magical rush of “Rosanna” and the percussive continental vibes that fuel “Africa.” (And Toto IV is all the more aurally satisfying thanks to its fully encompassing 5.1 mix, done by Elliot Scheiner on SACD in 2002.)

The band’s international impact has never been greater, as evidenced by the success of Live in Poland (Eagle Vision). Poland, which was shot at the Atlas Arena in Lodz, Poland while the band was on the road overseas for its 35th Anniversary Tour in 2013, bulleted right to the top of the DVD charts this past Spring (though it is, of course, best experienced on Blu-ray). Poland showcases how Toto is as formidable a collective onstage as it is in the studio. Toto will be hitting the road to co-headline a U.S. tour with Michael McDonald starting August 2. Here, Lukather, 56, and I talk about his ongoing passion for sound quality, the band’s perpetual cultural impact, and how he and his dad bonded over Jimi Hendrix (sort of). From where I sit, Toto won’t be passing the reins anytime soon.

Mike Mettler: The last time we did one of these [in 2008], we were talking about that incredibly loud shirt you were wearing on the Falling in Between Live DVD — which is now on Blu-ray — so it’s nice to see you’re following the tradition with what you’re wearing for the Live in Poland set.

Steve Lukather: (laughs heartily) That’s great! Thanks for bringing that up, man. You know, I argued about this. I had a black shirt that had downward stripes, which was a little bit more subtle. But the director [Blue Leach] was all pissed off because everybody wanted to wear black.

Mettler: (laughs) Well, if you want to see all the textures on Blu-ray whenever you’re moving around onstage, wearing the circular shirt — actually, I’m going to call it the tortellini shirt — was the better choice.

Lukather: I kinda did it as a thing for the director. I had that shirt in the closet, and I hadn’t been wearing it. “Really? You don’t want me to wear black, then?” I put this thing on and they went, “That’s awesome! That’s perfect!” And then they followed me around.

It’s certainly not the worst shirt I’ve ever worn, if you go back in history. If ever there was a band that needed a stylist early on, it would have been us, but we kinda missed that boat. I’ve sort of becoming the Rip Taylor of guitarists. I know you’re going to run with that one. (chuckles) The days of taking myself seriously were like, what, 30 years ago? (laughs)

Mettler: Yeah, and speaking of time — celebrating 35 years as a band ain’t too shabby.

Lukather: It’s actually 38 years since we started our first album, and then it’s 42 years since I’ve known these guys. It’s really scary that I can say, “Oh yeah, 40 years ago” so casually, when that’s a long time. [Toto was released October 15, 1978.]

Mettler: It’s like you said in Poland‘s liner notes: one of your favorite bands, The Beatles, did everything in 8 years, and you guys get to keep going. I actually like that idea. I want to see where you go.

Lukather: Not to mention the fact that I now get texts from Ringo [Starr] saying (affects Ringo Liverpool accent), “Hi, how you doin’?” That’s unreal. That’s pretty fucking cool. He’s become a dear friend.

You know, my life has come full circle. And that’s the thing. We’re all enjoying it. I get the call saying the new DVD and Blu-ray is in the #1 and #2 position all around the world the first week out — for us, there was no hype involved. How did that happen? I don’t remember making a deal with the devil, although anything could have happened in 1983. It certainly took a long time for it to kick in. (laughs) Our timing has never been better. But it’s also baffling, and wonderfully surreal.

Mettler: I think what it proves is quality wins out. We’ve known it from the beginning with Toto, right with the first album on vinyl with the big sword on the cover —

Lukather: Oh, God love you, man, thank you so much. We don’t know, because we’ve been beaten up so bad over the years. We always view things with one eye closed. “Ok, give me the news. How are we doing?” But we’ve come through every punch there is, and we’re still standing. Now we laugh really hard at ourselves. I love it. I’ll be watching one of my favorite shows, Family Guy, and then see them do a whole episode on “Africa.” [“Internal Affairs,” which first aired May 20, 2012, and had “Africa” playing for a few, er, pivotal scenes set in strip clubs—yr. media manic SoundBard] I’m rolling on the floor, laughing, going, “Dude, dude see me now! This is killing me! I love it!” I mean, it’s a great honor. Jimmy Fallon and Justin Timberlake also did “Africa” [as the Summer Camp Kids on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon on March 15, 2013]. And I was a South Park character. I love it, man! I totally get it.

College kids have drinking games to the song “Africa.” We’re getting a whole new audience jumping on our ship now. It’s really amazing to me. We’ve had this long ride, and now it’s starting all over again. There’s a buzz on us. We’re getting a second look from people who don’t compare us to the Sex Pistols just because we happen to come out in the same year and are totally polar opposites. I’ve got nothing against the Pistols. I mean, Steve Jones is a cool guy. We can all co-exist together. We’re just guys who play guitars.

Mettler: And that’s why we’re here, to put the spotlight on the quality of the music, which is really what’s most important. In the Live in Poland liner notes, there was some discussion of recording a new Toto album for release sometime next year. Will we also be getting that album on vinyl?

Lukather: I hope so. The record we’re making is real hi-fi. It has that big, obnoxious production that people who love our music are really going to love: big harmonies, big synths, big guitars, big grooves, great virtuouso musicianship, and classic Toto melodies. Everybody sings on the record. It’s very fresh-sounding.

Mettler: You must love vinyl as a format for listening to music.

Lukather: Yeah, I’m an audiophile myself. It’s so funny when people talk with this reverence for vinyl. I just love it. People forget the bass response and the stereo response, and only focus on the warmth of it. I loved the days of sitting down and looking at an album cover while sitting between the speakers. Nobody was multitasking, nobody had cell phones, and there were no interruptions except for turning the album over. And then you’d go, “Did you hear the solo on Track 3? That was amazing! How about that drum sound? What an amazing tune! I’ve got to hear that again!”

Holding the Line: Toto, in full appreciation mode post-performance. Photo courtesy Eagle Vision.

Mettler: That’s why I call it appointment listening whenever I put on a record these days. I don’t do anything but listen.

Lukather: When you put music on a great-sounding system, you don’t want to do anything else. And Toto made records to be listened to like that.

Mettler: Honestly, it’s the musicianship that keeps us coming back to listening to Toto records. What do you attribute this “second coming” to?

Lukather: I don’t know. Don Henley told me once, “If you hang around in there long enough and hard enough, it’ll turn around.” And I think it’s just now happening. We’ve been through it all — the highest highs, the lowest lows, the good, bad, and the ugly. We’ve all changed as human beings and grown up. We’ve learned a lot, we’ve survived our failures, and our losses. We stood up and said, “Thank you, may I have another?” But all of a sudden I woke up at 56 years old and found with Live in Poland, I had the #1 and #2 DVD in the world. And with no hype! Are you kidding me? I keep pinching myself. I’m genuinely giddy, like a little kid going, “Realllly? People like us? Realllly?” I’m acting quite goofy, bro.

Mettler: “Africa” sure seems to have taken on a life of its own outside of your original version and has helped bring new people to the Toto fold.

Lukather: Yeah, maybe because of the way all of the a capella versions [on YouTube] have permeated through. Also, being on classic rock radio for 35 years helps. The kids have kind’ve gone, “Yeah, Toto… what’s up with these guys?” A lot of the same bands go out there every summer in the same configurations. We’re like new, fresh blood. We’re kind’ve sneaking back in through the back door. “Hey, look – who are they? Look who’s coming to dinner.” (both laugh) But when people go to a show these days, they’re watching it through a fucking viewfinder! Why? They’re missing the whole experience!

Mettler: Especially considering what’s right there in front of them. Speaking of “Africa,” I love the surround sound mix of it Elliot Scheiner did for the 2002 Toto IV SACD release. Elliot did a pretty cool DTS 5.1 surround mix in 2002 for your 1994 solo record Candyman, too. Do you like the surround format for studio material?

Lukather: Oh yeah. I got to hear those mixes in a perfectly tuned room. It was a trip, you know? Elliot and I are dear friends. He did all of that great Steely Dan stuff, and he’s an expert at 5.1 mixing without making it sound ridiculous. We thought he was the perfect fit. He was one of [late, original Toto drummer] Jeff Porcaro’s favorite engineers.

Mettler: I look at it as the listener needs to feel like they’re in the studio there while you guys are playing.

Lukather: Yeah, though that would be a pretty big room, because there’s a lot of shit going on on that track. (both laugh) We’ve always been known for a certain sound quality on our records. We spend all this time and are so meticulous in the studio making these records, and then they’re squashed on MP3s, you know? That’s not the way it was recorded. At least we used to have the natural compression of old-school radio. Now everything is squashed and squashed, and squashed again. It’s no longer as dynamic as we recorded it.

Mettler: Give me an example of a Toto track that you think is your best-sounding piece of work.

Lukather: There was one track that Elliot engineered — a song called “After You’ve Gone,” on an album called Mindfields [1998]. That particular track had a great mix with a lot of shit going on. It wasn’t a big hit single or anything like that, but it was nominated for a Grammy. The sound quality on that song is amazing. [“Gone” features a cool stereo-panned percussive intro, and its final 90 seconds find the swirling beat of “Strawberry Fields Forever” crossed with the marching jam of “Are You Experienced,” all served up with Middle Eastern guitar figures to boot—yr. ever-listening SoundBard]

People still use Toto IV as a reference. And Universal Mastering in Hollywood is using my last solo album [Transition, released January 21, 2013] as a reference example, along with some albums done by Al Schmitt, and Elliot too. That’s where Transition was mixed [by Pete Doell], and it’s an honor to be a part of their reference material.

I figure people may see the name and give it a shot because they’ve heard of me. I still believe in the old organic way of people finding out about music, rather than overhype. We generally can’t be accused of that! (both laugh heartily) People are scratching their heads, going, “I can’t believe these guys are still around and doing well. We didn’t kill them? I thought we killed these guys!”

The thing is, we’re a classic rock band. I wear that as a badge of honor. That to me is not a label to be laughed at. It means you’ve stood in there. I mean, we’ve sold 35 million records — very quietly. And we still do pretty well. Nobody can accuse us of oversaturating the market. We’re still here, and there’s an interest in us. Young musicians, college kids, families who grew up listening to it on classic rock radio — it’s all kept us alive. Every year is a lot of fun. I get to do so many cool things. The years have gone by really fast, and they’re going by faster and faster; it’s almost scary. And the other guys are still standing. We’re taking this with a lot of joy in our hearts and sending thankful feelings to the universe for giving us a second look and having another chance to take another run at this.

Mettler: It’s well deserved. Now let me take you into The Wayback Machine. Tell me what the first record was you bought as a kid.

Lukather: (no hesitation) Meet The Beatles. That was my first record. I didn’t buy it; my parents got it for me when I was 7 years old — I got a guitar, and Meet The Beatles. And now I get to go on the road with Ringo Starr [as part of his All-Starr Band]. I’ve played with Paul and George too. That’s my surreal life. But the first record I bought myself was probably Hendrix, Are You Experienced.

Mettler: Was that Hendrix record the one that made you say, “Ok, I gotta make music”?

Lukather: The Beatles were the reason I said I wanted to play music. No question about it. But the next one to kick my ass hard was Hendrix. I mean, I love The Beatles and The Stones, and all the British Invasion stuff, but when Hendrix hit, it was like another alien had landed. It was like that with The Beatles, but now, who is this cat? I remember playing “Third Stone From the Sun,” and I’ll never forget my dad’s face, man. My old man opened up the door, and he heard the middle section with the feedback — and you gotta understand, this is back in 1967, ok? My old man picks up the album cover, sees the fisheye shot with Jimi and the eyeballs, and he’s hearing this feedback and looking at his 9-year-old son, going, “This is what you’re listening to?” I was digging it, but it was also kind of scary at the same time, all those otherworldly sounds. My dad is looking at me and he’s looking at this record, and he shakes his head and throws the cover back on the bed with a look of, “This is what’s happening to my son, my pre-pubescent son?” It was pretty funny.

Mettler: Did he ever come around to that kind of music?

Lukather: Oh yeah. My old man was real proud of me. He was in the movie and TV business, so he’d be on the road for months at a time. He was supportive: “Ok, the kid wants to be a musician, he should really learn how to be a musician. I’ll pay for music school and private lessons.” He didn’t really hear me play until I started making it. He came and saw me play, and my mom said he had tears in his eyes. He was a Marine, so that just didn’t happen. “I didn’t know the kid could play like that.” He was really proud. It was a great moment. His investment paid off. He was a cool dude. I miss him a lot.

My mom too. She was really supportive. She’d look the other way a few times when I was paying my sister 50 bucks to do my term paper with the money I was making doing music. “Don’t tell your father about this.” Mom, I ain’t gonna tell anybody! (chuckles) I figured out how to bullshit my way through school. I learned what I needed to learn as a kid. Music was my life. I was completely immersed in my music studies, but I could give a shit about history and the rest of it.

Mettler: It’s like that Bruce Springsteen lyric: “We learned more from a 3-minute record than we ever learned in school.” [That’s a line from “No Surrender,” from 1984’s Born in the U.S.A.—yr. lyrically inclined SoundBard]

Lukather: Yeah! What a sweet guy [Bruce]. I love all those guys, The E Street Band. I had a chance to work with Bruce once. [Luke played the solo on Bruce’s cover of “Viva Las Vegas.”] I know all those guys, man. I played on a couple of Clarence [Clemons]’s solo albums, I’ve jammed with Gary [Tallent], and Steve Van Zandt. I just think the world of all these guys. Great band.

Mettler: Great bands always find the ways to endure.

Lukather: Yeah. And all artists are precious. People rip you to shreds online, but they don’t know me. We laugh a lot more about it now. Nobody’s perfect, man. There’s no such thing as perfection. We live in a world where 20-year-olds are getting plastic surgery. We’re living in a real-time Twilight Zone. But I get to wake up in the morning to a text from Ringo, my kids love me, and I play guitar for a living. I don’t have a bad life.

Mettler: Plus you’ve got the sword in your logo, which helps ward off those anonymous haters.

Lukather: (laughs heartily) Yeah. Jeff Porcaro drew a cartoon of a little Toto dog with a sword cutting the dog’s head off. He thought that was going to be our second album cover. The record company really didn’t see the humor in that, but we did.

Mettler: Ah, well, I’ve just figured it out. You guys are the ones who really won the Game of Thrones. That’s what happened.

Lukather: By sheer perseverance, my friend. That’s what makes the success of the Poland DVD so sweet, because it’s all these years later. All of a sudden, the door opened after it was welded shut, seemingly so, in the United States. It’s really cool. So I say drink it in. Smell it. Taste it. Our music has stood the test of time.