Steve Lukather & Friends
SantaMental
Favored Nations
Entertainment - 2540
visit Steve's website
also available on amazon
The cover of the disc package and the title say it all. This is Steve Lukather & his friends at their manic best, and that is a good thing. Having reached this age where I have seen and heard the music of many a Christmas, heard the songs repeated till they wore themselves out, Christmas music wasn’t exciting until this fresh and slightly demented take on it. Some of the songs on here are the worst offenders, change that, the songs aren’t the offenders, it was the constant repetition of them that drove us all to that horrible queasy feeling. On here are songs such as; “Joy To the World,” Jingle Bells,” the dreaded sappy “Winter Wonderland,” and the one we prayed to come true, “Silent Night.” But lo and behold the demented Lukather and his merry band of friends pull off a disc of this overplayed music that is enjoyable.
It is a rather distinguished guest list he has put together too: the big names of Eddie Van Halen, Slash, Steve Vai, and the legend on sax, Edgar Winter, are fully supported by an in the spirit backing group of musicians led by Jeff Babko who did some of the arranging and writing as well as playing many keyboards. It is a fun album that is filled with more of the happy joyful spirit of Christmas than any other disc that comes to mind. The musicians truly sound as if they are having the time of their lives.