In the 1960s, was held in awe by top UK guitarists for his producing and playing with and Stax house band Booker T & The MG’s. Six decades on, he continues forging forward after 2021’s Grammy-nominated . Using the same squad named after one of his most famous compositions, including co-producer Jon Tiven and singer/lyricist Roger C Reale, Cropper welcomes on stinging form and on -referencing single .
Cropper is a sublimely understated presence as his blues and soulrock blueprints get amplified and elevated by stellar accomplices, rising to Reale’s roughshod reboot of society-lambasting 60s soul on (‘ ’), and . His illustrious Stax 60s further bathe optimistic and gorgeous closing ballad . Inspirational.
Kris Needs is a British journalist and author, known for writings on music from the 1970s onwards. Previously secretary of the Mott The Hoople fan club, he became editor of ZigZag in 1977 and has written biographies of stars including Primal Scream, Joe Strummer and Keith Richards. He's also written for MOJO, Record Collector, Classic Rock, Prog, Electronic Sound, Vive Le Rock and Shindig! "The most comprehensive collection of Fanny material to date": The full Fanny and more celebrated on The Reprise Years 1970-1973 "The sound of a man pushing his own boundaries and having an absolute ball": Ian Anderson's solo years, now in a handy box "Arguably the greatest singer of his generation": Mark Lanegan rarely sounded as soulful as he did on Bubblegum.