From his earliest days in Memphis, Steve Cropper’s virtuosity stemmed from his powerful mastery of rhythm and flawless sense of economy. Those assets stood him in good stead through the glory days as Stax Records, with Booker T. & The MG’s, playing on Memphis’ most-epochal soul records. That reputation has endured for six decades, from the Blues Brothers to his solo albums.

Unlike the previous album, Fire Up! (which was a remote/pandemic project), Friendlytown was live in the studio with the core band (The Midnight Hour) and guests Billy Gibbons, Brian May, and Tim Montana. Gibbons plays on 11 of the 13 tracks and occasionally solos. Montana solos on “You Can’t Refuse,” while May splits lead vocal with Roger Reale and injects guitar fills between lines in his verse, then plas a solo after one by Gibbons.

What of Cropper? He’s not just in the background this time; his tight, focused lead and rhythm work are everywhere.

On “I’ll Take Tomorrow,” he plays all the guitars behind Reale’s vocals. Cropper and Gibbons switch roles, Gibbons playing rhythm on “Talkin’ ‘Bout Politics.” Cropper handles only rhythm on “You Can’t Refuse,” but his rhythm and lead guitar dominate “Rain on My Parade” and “Reality Check,” though Gibbons solos on both.

The album is a real statement – one that affirms the enduring value of Cropper’s revered, less-is-more approach.

This article originally appeared in VG’s October 2024 issue. All copyrights are by the author and Vintage Guitar magazine. Unauthorized replication or use is strictly prohibited.