STEVE CROPPER: Friendlytown (ROCK): review / opinion to read on Music Waves

Guitar legend Steve Cropper returns with a new album at the age of 82. After making soul history with Booker T & The MG's and influencing generations of musicians, Cropper continues to surprise. Far from resting on his laurels, he launches a new project, Steve Cropper & The Midnight Hour, surrounded by a prestigious team including Billy F. Gibbons (ZZ Top) on vocals and lead guitar, Brian May (Queen) to name but a few.

“Friendlytown” is a vibrant tribute to decades of musical friendships. The title track, driven by Steve Cropper's catchy riff, bears witness to the band's undeniable savoir-faire: a tasty blend of soul, rock and blues, rooted in a classic heritage but sounding resolutely contemporary. It's a bit like the spirit of camaraderie that reigned at concerts with Mark Knopfler, Eric Clapton, Sting and Phil Collins, but here in a studio version. Tracks like 'Too Much Stress', where Cropper and May exchange electrifying guitar solos filled with Crosby, Still, Nash & Young-style vocal harmonies, and 'Hurry Up Sundown', with Felix Cavaliere's soulful vocals, demonstrate a technical mastery and sensitivity that hits the mark every time, without embellishment or demonstration.

Without seeking to revolutionize genres, “Friendlytown” offers an authentic plunge into the America of the 60s and 70s, while benefiting from modern production that preserves the original spirit. The compositions, both direct and nuanced, reveal a band that knows how to capture the essence of roots music while bringing a contemporary freshness to it. The songs are full of feeling and a touch bordering on grace, without trying to do too much. The sax and Hammond organ complete the instrumental spectrum, which is not essentially guitar-based, adding even more depth to the whole, with the occasional country touch, opening the imagination to the great American outdoors. The listener will also be touched by the feeling of a sometimes nostalgic atmosphere, particularly with the final track, 'I Leave You in Peace', which closes the album on a melancholy note, a poignant farewell to a relationship or perhaps even an entire era.

“Friendlytown” is the proof that Steve Cropper, even after so many years, remains a key figure on the musical landscape, retaining all his influence, able to gather around him first-rate talent to create an album that is both nostalgic and refreshing, a real tour de force for an artist of his caliber. - Official website

STEVE CROPPER

FRIENDLYTOWN

MASCOT LABEL GROUP

ROCK