Santamental

In June 2002 Lukather started the recordings for a solo album with jazz-rock style covers of classic and brand new Xmas songs, (re)arranged by Luke himself and Jeff Babko. The album (almost entirely instrumental) also will contain two new songs as a surprise gift. One of the special guests on the album, entitled Santamental is Eddie Van Halen. Lukather in July, "Ed and I have been friends for 24 years or so. I got him out of seclusion to come rip on one of the Xmas tunes." Van Halen joins Lukather on a rendition of the standard "Joy To The World" that Lukather tells will sound a bit different than what most people are used to, "I did a version of "Joy To The World" that sounds like it's "Hot For Teacher" or "Space Boogie". It's that tempo, that groove, and we re-arranged the voicings around the melody. Me and him go back and forth on some solos. Santamental sounds like a Big Band based on Weather Report, Frank Zappa and Van Halen." Destined to become a classic, the album is specially packaged in an 4-panel Digipak.