Toto guitarist Steve Lukather has revealed exciting details about his collaboration with Van Halen drummer Alex Van Halen on a forthcoming archival album. The album features unreleased material recorded by Eddie Van Halen before his death in 2020. Lukather is serving as co-producer and technical advisor on the project, helping Alex bring these long-lost recordings to fruition.
Lukather explained his specific role in the endeavor. “I was asked to be his kemosabe man, to be his right hand, you know, co-producer friend help out. I’m not playing on it. I’m not writing. I’m not singing. There’s no Toto fingerprints,” he stated. His involvement is strictly behind the scenes. He also addressed speculation about his musical contributions. “Anybody to think that I was going to walk in and be Eddie Van Halen must have been high or something like that. I mean, I could think of five guys that are more qualified, including his own son, Wolf. But that’s not needed.”
The archival material represents a significant discovery for Van Halen fans. The unreleased tracks showcase Eddie’s exceptional musicianship and creative vision. “The point of putting this out is that it’s got some incredible Ed solo playing live on the floor. This is live, him and Alex playing and Ed would overdub the bass and the idea was to finish it,” Lukather explained. Many of these songs possess a more experimental character than typical Van Halen fare. “But these songs were a little bit more complex. Maybe. I hate to use this word ‘progressive’ in the sense of, you know, out-Rushing Rush a little bit. I have heard some amazing things that need to be finished.”
The project has been shrouded in mystery for months, with fans speculating about the nature of the collaboration between Alex Van Halen and Lukather. This is not a collection of rough demos or unfinished fragments. Rather, it consists of fully realized recordings where Eddie played both guitar and bass. The material represents a substantial archive, with estimates suggesting enough content exists for potentially up to four albums worth of material. This discovery underscores Eddie’s prolific output during his lifetime and his constant evolution as a musician and composer.
The quality and completeness of these recordings have already impressed industry observers. Lukather has emphasized that this is serious, professional work worthy of release. The material represents Eddie’s legacy at its finest. Respected figures in the music industry have praised the unreleased material’s quality, further validating the significance of these archival recordings. The project also attracted interest from established vocalists, with Paul Rodgers being approached to handle vocal duties on some of the tracks. This demonstrates the caliber of the material and the ambitions behind bringing it to the public.
The archival Van Halen album marks a unique opportunity for fans to experience Eddie’s creative process and musical evolution during the later stages of his career. Rather than presenting fragmented studio scraps or incomplete ideas, the project showcases finished compositions that reveal a more adventurous and progressive side of Eddie’s artistry. With Alex Van Halen overseeing the project and Lukather providing crucial production guidance, the forthcoming release promises to be a fitting tribute to one of rock music’s greatest innovators and a valuable addition to the Van Halen legacy.
