Review: Steve Cropper & The Midnight Hour – Watching The Tide

Provogue Records August 28^th, 2026

Reviewer – Chris O’Connor

Whether you know his name or not, Steve Cropper is quite simply one of the greatest guitar players of the past seventy-plus years. I first learned of him when I was a fresh-faced teen and watched the timeless film “The Blues Brothers”. Steve ‘The Colonel’ Cropper was one of the two guitarists in ‘The Fabulous Blues Brothers Show Band and Revue’ alongside Matt ‘Guitar’ Murphy. The band, of course, starred Dan Aykroyd and John Belushi, both of whom were huge authentic Blues fans.

After seeing that film, I did everything I could to learn about Steve – we didn’t have Google or the internet, kids! – and discovered his immaculate credentials. He had been the in-house guitarist at Stax Records and, of course, a member of Booker T. & The M.G.’s, alongside his inimitable bass-playing partner Donald ‘Duck’ Dunn. Cropper played with and backed some of the greatest names in music, including Otis Redding, Wilson Pickett and Sam & Dave, while later working with countless others – and, of course, he played on that little ‘Green Onions’ thing.

You want more? Rolling Stone ranked him among the 100 greatest guitarists, he received seven Grammy nominations and won two, and he was inducted into the Songwriters Hall Of Fame.

In summation – the guy was a living legend.

And now he’s gone, and the world is a lesser place without him.

So, to business.

‘Watching The Tide‘ is the sophomore release from Steve’s band, The Midnight Hour – the name taken from the song that Steve co-wrote (yes, that one). Where 2024’s ‘Friendlytown‘ heavily featured the Godly Billy F Gibbons, alongside a certain Brian May, ‘Watching The Tide‘ was completed after Cropper’s passing. Steve is here, of course, but so too are Billy and Brian once again, alongside Eric Clapton and The Rolling Stones’ Ronnie Wood.

Joining Steve as core members are bassist and co-producer Jon Tiven, vocalist Roger C. Reale and drummer Nioshi Jackson.

What fascinates me is how Cropper reins in any thoughts of over-playing, instead concentrating on those live-in-the-studio grooves that characterised so much of his finest work. And boy-oh-boy – is this music ever groovy! Twelve tracks showcase a band simply moving together with authentic, sinuous ease. Nobody appears interested in proving how clever they are; everybody serves the song, and the result positively breathes.

‘Tandoori Chicken’ opens proceedings, a cool and funky instrumental before giving way to ‘Ticket First’, featuring the legendary Eric Clapton. It possesses a wonderfully insistent groove and is a fine offering, but what follows is something else entirely.

‘My Angels Are Calling’ is absolutely brilliant. Featuring Brian May and the Very Rev. Billy F Gibbons, it’s a beautifully crafted song that reminds me somewhat of The Grateful Dead circa ‘Touch Of Grey‘. May and Gibbons trade licks with seemingly infinite ease, neither trying to outdo the other, and the result is stellar.

‘Until Now’ finds Ronnie Wood strutting his funky stuff and is gloriously tight-but-loose, but as good as that is, ‘Blood From A Stone’ is next-level brilliant. This is inspired, old-school Stax brilliance and an absolute joy to experience, featuring some fabulous guitar work and cool-as-hell brass. It could have emerged from another era entirely – timeless stuff.

‘Here And Gone’ is another seriously groovy thing and features twenty-one-year-old Ana Grosh on vocals. Her wonderfully sweet voice, paired with the soulful tones of Roger C. Reale, works beautifully and surely marks her out as a future star.

‘It’s Gonna Get Worse’ is joyfully funky. I could easily imagine this as some long-lost Blues Brothers track, with Jon Tiven’s naggingly insistent piano underpinning everything and allowing the guitars to strut their stuff. Brass stabs add yet more flavour to proceedings, giving the whole thing that deliciously organic feel.

‘Down & Out’ slows things slightly with a classic Rock ‘n’ Roll riff that immediately brings ‘Memphis’ to mind – no bad thing, by the way! I particularly love Reale’s vocal here, while Steve’s solo is wonderfully understated. And perhaps that encapsulates Cropper more than anything: he never needed twenty notes when three perfectly chosen ones would do the job better.

‘Stand Right Here’ is another joyfully Blues Brothers-esque romp. Reale and Grosh once again share vocals, while Cropper is paired with Billy Gibbons. These two heroes make a wonderful job of simply letting their guitars sing, demonstrating that feel will beat pointless fretboard gymnastics every single bloody time.

‘Tipoff To The Ripoff’ is a laconic shuffle that grooves beautifully, an absolute earworm with that classic Stax sound and feel running through its veins.Following this comes ‘House Of Cards’, a fabulous Blues/Rock ‘n’ Roll boogie number and a purely feel-good track. There’s almost a bump ‘n’ grind “thang” goin’ on here, and it’s virtually impossible to listen without some part of your anatomy beginning to move.

Finally, ‘Tandoori Chicken Part Two’ provides a short continuation of the opening instrumental, neatly bringing proceedings full circle. There is, however, an unavoidable poignancy hanging over ‘Watching The Tide‘. Steve never got to hear the totally completed album, although while terminally ill in hospital he did hear ten of its eleven full songs. He played the music proudly to those around him and believed it was the best album he had ever recorded.

And you know what? That makes this album feel less like an epitaph and more like a celebration.

‘Watching The Tide‘ encapsulates everything that made Steve Cropper such a remarkable musician. There is no ego, no unnecessary flash and no desperate attempt to remind the listener of his legendary status. Instead, there are fabulous songs, glorious grooves and some of the finest musicians on the planet simply enjoying playing together. It’s Blues, Soul, Funk and Rock ‘n’ Roll played with heart, feel and an effortless authenticity that simply cannot be manufactured. If this was Steve Cropper‘s final musical statement, then what a magnificent way to bow out: still creating, still collaborating, still grooving and, most importantly, still loving music. Thankfully this won’t be the last release with Steve‘s name on.

Hail and farewell, Steve.

Thank you eternally for your brilliance, for the memories and for all that wonderful music.

The Colonel has left the building – but bloody hell, what a legacy he leaves behind.

Track List:

1. Tandoori Chicken
2. Ticket First (Feat. Eric Clapton)
3. My Angels Are Calling (Feat. Brian May & Billy F. Gibbons)
4. Until Now (Feat. Ron Wood)
5. Blood From A Stone
6. Here & Gone (Feat. Ana Grosh)
7. It’s Gonna Get Worse
8. Down & Out
9. Stand Right Here (Feat. Billy F. Gibbons & Ana Grosh)
10. Tipoff To The Ripoff
11. House Of Cards
12. Tandoori Chicken Part 2

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