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Former Toto Guitarist Bashes Rolling Stone, MTV

In many circles, turning down the cover of Rolling Stone is blasphemous. Not to Toto guitarist Steve Lukather. "We were the only band in history to turn down being on the cover of Rolling Stone," he tells Nightwatcher's House of Rock. "We told Jann Wenner to stick it up his ass."

Lukather asserts that he's not a fan of the current incarnation of the magazine, taking aim at RS' list of the 100 Greatest Guitarists. "They leave out anybody who has any chops," he says. "Somebody even wrote a letter to them, 'How come Joe Satriani, Steve Vai, Lukather etc. aren't on there, and Kurt Cobain is?' Gimme a break."

But his gripes don't end with Rolling Stone. Lukather criticizes MTV for not being interested in Toto's history, specifically in producing a 'Behind the Music' about the band. "We have more stories than all of the bands they featured combined," he says. "It's just ironic because we were the 4th video ever played on MTV when they first started. We were there from the beginning. And they just s--- on us."

Lukather might want to check how ripe his grapes aren't.

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jon macvean

will columbia records ever release toto career spanning box set sopposedly they have about 70 unreleased studio album leftover songs in the recortd vaults never released b sides demos live tracks thanks jon macvean

September 01 2009 at 5:35 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Christopher

I totally agree with Lukather.

Lot's of magazines are a big joke. Now we get an honest opinion by a real 120% Musician! Not just some guy who thinks he knows alot about music. What those people of rolling stone maybe know very well is how to hype, and what the trends are a stuff. But real music and all it's musical aspects? Come on...90 percent of them don't know a single thing about what makes an artist really good.

It just makes me mad. Human Nature was originally a Toto song and Toto recorded it even with Michael Jackson. Nobody knows, at least so it seems. Lukather did Lionel Richie, Elton John, Cher, all those kind of stuff. They get like zero credit for it. Although in the music scene people respect them for all that ofcourse.

They should do a special about the band Toto. They have so many interesting stories to tell. I have read about them very often. But as a fan, you know alot. But other people should know about that too. MTV is garbage.

August 10 2009 at 7:02 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
The Dude

I just read the article in rolling stone. It is called "The 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time." With a pretentious title like that, you think they would have tried harder, it is a joke. Half the people on the list shouldn't be on there. They also have some great guitarists near the end of the list who should be higher (i.e. Pete Townshend and Eddie Van Halen). I agree with Mr. Lukather.

Chuck Berry and Keith Richards are in the top ten... that's frigging hilarious! Maybe the list is a joke?

Just off the top of my head, I can come up with a few people they left off the list. Django Reinhardt, Chet Atkins, and Ottmar Liebert.

Rolling Stone is so past it's prime

January 11 2009 at 3:26 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
topwop2

Bitterness and Balls, overall accurate comments. Rolling Stone has sucked for years! Best singers, Best guitarists, the only thing Rolling Stone is best at selling out! They Suck! Hunter S, and Lester Bangs are rolling over in their graves!

January 11 2009 at 3:23 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
guitgrrl

Steve Lukather is and always has been one of my fave guitarists, ever since I heard the solo from "Rosanna." What's the criteria for voting for players on this list anyway????? How many records sold???!!!!

January 11 2009 at 3:21 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
klor50

Many music magazines, record companies, radio stations and the like think that society is nothing but a mess of dumb ass babies and will be happily spoonfed the crap they serve us. Guess what? Many of us have never bought into that type of frenzy. I totally agree with Steve and will tell you toto has been one of my favorites for many many years now. When are we going to wake up as a society and not accept everything we see/or hear? Thanks for sticking up for true talent Steve...you hit it on the right note.

January 11 2009 at 3:09 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
joe

WHY IS OBAMA A LOW-LIFE PIECE OF GARBAGE? Obama and the Democrats intentionally caused the recession to make the Bush Administration look bad in order to win the presidential election. That's right. Obama and the Democrats caused the collapse of the stock market, manipulated the unemployment figures, and forced banks to give out risky loans just to cause a recession in order to win an election. Obama used those who voted for him by playing them for fools and in effect stole from the American public through deception. He used and manipulated American voters as if they were garbage. Its all explained here in simple to understand terms: http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,453086,00.html

January 11 2009 at 3:08 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
2 replies to joe's comment
jg

Dude. You are SO lost in denial.

January 11 2009 at 4:24 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
FascistsSuck

Look fascist. Nobody believes the lies anymore. That is why the fascists were voted OUT of office. Bush. Cheney. Rummy. Wolfie. Sccoter. Tom "The Hammer" Delay. The whole fascist Hee Haw gang packed their bags and headed for the cornfields.
Don't like America? Don't like the democratic process? Feel ripped off that your dream of a totalitarian fundamentalist fascist state has failed? Or, is it that you just hate black people?
It doesn't much matter WHY. The fascists are not in power anymore. With luck, they will never return to harm America in the future.
Now. Go screw yourself. In doing so, you serve higher purposes. 1)You can't reproduce solo. 2)You won't have to worry about abortions, or cheer clinic bombings and doctor assassinations 3)It will keep your hands busy, so you will have no time to post your bile.

August 13 2009 at 7:16 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
dmyers4244

I still subscribe to Rolling Stone, but Luke's got more credibility.

January 11 2009 at 3:07 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Michael

Luke is correct about the absurdity of Cobain's inclusion in the top 100 guitarist list. Since Cobain was intelligent, I'm fairly certain he wouldn't have put him self "up there.," even if RS in ignorance did. Cobain came up with some well conceived, simple motifs, but he didn't emphasize guitar virtuosity like a Hendrix or a Satriani did. Since Cobain was essentially a very talented singer/song writer who borrowed heavily from the Beatles, and since he wasn't attempting to be a guitarist per se, it's down right silly to include him on a list of great guitarists.

As another guitarist, I should know.

January 11 2009 at 3:02 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
petitefeet51

last comment by "journalist"
don't confuse reality with sour grapes
there's nothing bitter about luke's comments
he's just laying it out there

January 11 2009 at 2:57 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply