Having just read Eddie Floyd’s autobiography My Life in Soul, it seems like no two pages went by, certainly in the Stax-oriented chapters, without seeing Steve Cropper’s name. Someone has probably kept track, but this writer’s guess is that one could count the living songwriters on one hand who approach Cropper’s songwriting output over seven decades. Just pause and think about this. We would not have soul music if were not for Steve Cropper, the guitarist for Booker T. and MGs and songwriting partner not only to that group and Floyd, but to Otis Redding, Sam & Dave, Wilson Pickett, and countless others. Producer role aside, Cropper’s more enduring reputation is as a guitarist and Fire It Up is the first album with his name alone on it since 1969”s With a Little Help from My Friends.
This is not to say Cropper hasn’t continued to make albums. His 2011recording Dedicated is a wonderful collection of 5 Royales songs and he made two terrific albums (2008’s Nudge It Up a Notch and 2010’s Midnight Flyer) with Felix Cavaliere from the Rascals from which some of this material is drawn. Cropper claims to hear himself on this record in a way he hasn’t since the ‘60s. So, yes most of it stems from sessions with Cavaliere, basic tracks that didn’t make it to the two albums.
Album producer and fellow Nashville neighbor Jon Tiven and Cropper reworked the tracks, generating some song ideas. Cropper claims to be a title guy; in other words, one can glean the meaning of the song without delving into the lyrics. Also, throughout his storied career, he has long been the musical half of the co-writing team. The core unit here is Cropper, Reale, Tiven (who plays multiple instruments), and drummer Nioshi Jackson. Additional musicians include Cavaliere on keyboards on “One Good Turn” and “Out of Love,” likely outtakes from those sessions. Beth Hooker adds harmony vocals on “Far Away” and seven guest drummers contribute.
Due to his classic work with Booker T., Cropper is as well known for instrumentals as he is for songs with vocals. The album’s lone instrumental reprised at the close, is “Bush Hog,” which hearkens back to those MGs days. The title track introduces vocalist Roger C. Reale, who Cropper puts in the same conversation as Floyd, Redding, and Rufus Thomas as one who “sings like it’s the last song he’ll ever get to sing.” This one has the classic Cropper style we associate with Stax down to the classic riff in his solo that opened Sam and Dave’s “Soul Man.” Cropper describes that as ‘hammer licks” while Tiven calls them “hammer tones.” Whichever way, it’s Cropper’s style.
“One Good Turn” is a medium-tempo ballad that Cropper puts in the same camp as “Dock of the Bay.” While it’s a solid song, few compare with the former. In any case, Cropper was consciously reaching back to a ‘60s vibe, with a keening, restrained guitar solo in the “less is more” vein. “I’m Not Having It” brings the hand-clapping funk we associate with so many danceable Stax hits. “Out of Love” carries a classic riff too as does “Far Away.” Cropper squeezes in a couple of brief (the only kind he plays) solos, explaining that he feels pressure when soloing and is generally done at eight bars – “get in, make a statement, get out.”
He’s much happier sitting in a groove and sustaining it while listening to the singer and the band. “Say You Don’t Know Me” and “She’s So Fine” with rhythm and pounding piano are vintage rock n’ roll. “Two Wrongs” downshifts a bit while “Heartbreak Street’ features some of the heaviest chords on the disc. The “Go Getter Is Gone” highlights the collaborative nature of the project with Cropper and Tiven on the music and Reale on most of the lyrics. This collaborative spirit has always been Cropper’s MO and explains perhaps why he has made so few solo albums.
Relative to the efforts with Cavaliere and 5 Royales, this one has more of vintage rock ‘n roll feel but those indelible soul riffs long associated with Cropper remain. They’re not only in his head. They are in his blood.
