Review: Steve Cropper – Fire It Up

Whilst Steve Cropper may not be somebody you’ve heard of, you will undoubtedly have heard his guitar playing. Eddie Floyd’s “Knock on Wood”, Sam & Dave’s “Soul Man”, Otis Redding’s massive hit “Dock of the Bay” and Booker T and the MG’s “Green Onions” were all co-written by Cropper and he played guitar on them and countless many more soul songs as well as appearing in the Blues Brothers movies as himself. In this reviewer’s humble opinion he practically wrote the book on soul and R&B guitar.

Whilst primarily a side-man Steve had released a couple of solo albums but he calls “Fire it Up” his first official solo record since 1969! Joined by Nioshi Jackson, Jon Tiven, and vocalist Roger C. Reale this album is chock full of classic-sounding soul. Album opener “Bush Hog Pt.1” is a tight, funky instrumental reminiscent of The Meters, it also serves as the album’s closer under the guise of “Bush Hog Pt.2” neatly framing the record. Title track “Fire it Up” sounds like it could have been a hit for Wilson Pickett, Steve’s choppy rhythm guitar bounces along under Reale’s deep Tom Jones-esque vocals.

The horns on the album add to the sound but like Cropper’s guitar, they never seem to dominate the overall sound. The key to great soul is leaving enough space for all the players. The drums are nice and greasy, and the bass is right in the pocket. Just like King Curtis’ song “Memphis Soul Stew” Cropper has got the ingredients just right. Despite being a solo record Cropper states that the writing was a collaborative process with Reale coming up with most of the vocals and Steve handling the music and production (yet another feather in his cap), they don’t call him the “Colonel” for nothing.

This album is a masterclass in soul guitar playing and proves why he is such an in-demand session musician, serving the song above all else. Steve never overplays, allowing the songs to breathe and yet still manages to impress. Even the solos are short and sweet, getting you back to the vocals nice and sharp. This album has certainly reignited my love of soul. Steve himself would say he’s no lead guitar player and whilst he is no slouch in the solos department his skill really lies in his rhythm playing, after all, groove is king! The final track before the reprise of “Bush Hog” “The Go-Getter is Gone” ramps up the funkiness and the attitude. The horns are more pronounced and everything grooves a bit harder and “Bush Hog Pt2” has some nice almost subdued Hendrixy leads on it to see us out.

Will this album be remembered in 50 years like his classic works with Redding, Floyd, Pickett, and Sam & Dave? Probably not, but this music is kind of a rarity these days with only a handful of artists (namely anyone on the Daptone label) creating it and that makes it important. If you’ve been spending the lockdown on your sofa, stick this on and get your feet moving and the blood pumping.

‘Fire It Up’ is available 23rd April via Provogue, pre-order here.

Review – Colin Plumb

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