The Gospel According to Luke

By: Steve Lukather

Narrated by: Steve Lukather

Length: 10 hrs and 10 mins

Publisher's summary

The outrageous and often hilarious autobiography of legendary session musician and lead guitarist and singer of Toto.

No one explodes one of the longest held misconceptions of music history better than Steve Lukather and his band Toto. The dominant sound of the late ‘70s and ‘80s was not punk, but a slick, polished amalgam of rock and R&B first staked out on Boz Scaggs’ Silk Degrees. That album was shaped in large part by the founding members of Toto, who were emerging as the most in-demand elite session crew in LA, and further developed on the band’s self-titled multiplatinum debut. A string of massive hits followed for Toto while Lukather and bandmates David Paich, Jeff Porcaro, and Steve Porcaro also served as creative linchpins on some of the most successful and influential records of the era, including Michael Jackson’s Thriller.

In this incisive memoir, Lukather tells the complete Toto story. He also lifts the lid on what went on behind the closed studio doors, shedding light on the unique creative processes of some of the most legendary names in music: from Quincy Jones, Michael Jackson, Paul McCartney, Stevie Nicks, and Elton John to Miles Davis, Joni Mitchell, Bruce Springsteen, Don Henley, Roger Waters, and Aretha Franklin. Lukather’s extraordinary tale also encompasses the dark side of stardom and the American dream. Frank, engaging, and often hilarious, The Gospel According to Luke is no ordinary rock memoir. It is the real thing.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.

©2018 Steve Lukather (P)2018 Audible Studios

Felt for the guy and the band...

Tough breaks for sure, but persistence reigns. Thought I’d end up feeling sorry for him, but am encouraged by his new ending and renewed enthusiasm. Thanks for the music and sacrifices Luke!

Excellent - not your typical Rock and Roll Memoir

I really, really enjoyed listening to this on my drive to/from work. It isn't your standard rock and roll memoir, filled with gory and salacious details of drug-induced orgies, but little else. Instead, it is a thoughtful recounting of Luke's incredible career, which included working with pretty much every successful musician in America over about a 10 year period, and being the de facto front man of a band that has sold more than 40 million albums over the last 40 years.

It is laugh-out-loud funny in places, and Luke is a natural raconteur, but what really blew me away was hearing him talk about the relationship with his bandmates, particularly the Porcaro brothers and David Paich, as well as his friendship with the late Miguel Ferrer. This is a great book on many levels, and I am grateful to Luke for writing it.

Unbelievable trip through 4 decades of music

Steve Lukather's autobiographical stories range from hilarious to harrowing, all unbelievable and worth being heard. Regardless of your relationship to Toto and their music, Lukather and his cohorts are a key part of so many artists' albums through the years, you will appreciate knowing these fun back stories about how they came to be.

Steve Lukather himself narrates the story in a purposefully casual, conversational tone. I will admit that, probably because of this informality, there are times when his words are a little difficult to ascertain. But for the most part it successfully comes across as delightfully gritty and raw, as though Steve is sitting there talking to you. I also noticed that as the story went on, this became less of an issue (either because Steve got better with his annunciation, I became adjusted to his speaking style, or both).

There are times when you get the sense that Steve wrote this, at least in part, to set the record straight about some things and people in his life. But it is respectful and duly solemn where appropriate, and hey, after all - the title is "The Gospel According to Luke". The book nicely steers clear of mud-slinging, and I really admired the classy way he addresses past issues with others.

I plan to listen through at least once more, in order to more fully absorb the amazing volume of trivia. Whether Lukather's stories are true or not, it was exciting, and I can't "put it down" - even now that I've finished it!

All musicians need to read this book!

Even if you haven't achieved his level of success, and most of us haven't, there are valuable lessons from his experiences. Not to mention some hilarious stories! This is also a valuable book for the non-musician as Luke paints a vivid picture is what the life is like. I especially enjoyed hearing the book from the source!

LUKE

great to have the man himself read it. felt like i was hanging out with him.
well produced.

Spend a Day with Luke!

I love musician memoirs. This is one of the best. Luke telling his story is engaging, funny as hell, and genuinely inspiring. Great performance, and did I mention FUNNY. Luke’s sense of humor is legendary, but unexperienced by most fans. Here is the musician and the man in full swing. Excellent! 5 stars. Go beyond Africa to the story of one of the greatest rock guitarists in history.

Fascinating

I'd like to thank Steve Lukather for letting me share in his remarkable life story. Really loved the straight up no nonsense style. Everyone should give it a listen. He left me wishing him green grass and high tides from now on.

An open book

Steve provides a curtain-pulled-back dive into his life and career. He certainly doesn’t say all that can be said, and he alludes to this throughout. He even states a few times how complete new books would be needed to chronicle some of the stories he touches on. Enjoy the man, warts and all.

Hilarious, moving, self-told life story from a guitar icon

You don’t have to be a fan of Toto or Steve Lukather, like I am, to appreciate this hilariously self-narrated autobiography, but I’m sure it helps make it more fun. I, like the author, have never understood the endless criticism of this truly great rock band. They were the finest LA studio musicians of the late 70s and 80s who brought it all together in a great pop-rock band that blended great original song writing with absolutely stellar musicianship and performance. In many ways, I think they were the axle at the center of a wheel that spoked out into so many different sounds and artists that we’ve all loved. To listen to the hilarious Lukather take us on a quick tour of it all through his life perspective is massively entertaining and touching at the same time. Highly recommended for lovers of the genre, of LA pop of the period, of the journey to music mastery. And all the more poignant since the rich record production world Lukather describes has passed on into history. Be prepared for his road warrior language and humor, but for initiated, it is a laugh a minute. I absolutely loved this book and am grateful to the author for sharing it with us, and especially for his reading of it.

Truly Inspiring!

Loved it! True Luke. It's about growth and learning to appreciate the gift you've been given and what really matters in life. A man with a heart of gold, a warrior, a survivor, full of life, heartbreak and mischief! Narration is great, like a conversation. His personality shines through. Cool to hear stories about all of his Hollywood connections as well as music royalty. Love you Luke! You are a gem! Wishing you great health and happiness!