Steve Cropper & The Midnight Hour – Watching The Tide: A Final Masterclass From A True American Original

By Glen Parkes – Jace Media Music

Some albums arrive with expectation. Others arrive carrying history. Watching The Tide, the posthumous release from Steve Cropper & The Midnight Hour, somehow manages to carry both. Released on 28 August via Provogue/Artone Label Group, this twelve-track collection is not simply a farewell from one of American music’s most influential figures; it is a reminder that, right until the end, Steve Cropper was still creating music with purpose, soul and an unmistakable swagger.

Cropper’s passing in December 2025 marked the loss of a giant. As guitarist, songwriter, producer and engineer, his fingerprints were everywhere, from the legendary Stax sound and Booker T. & The M.G.’s to his defining work alongside Otis Redding, Sam & Dave and Albert King. Yet Watching The Tide never feels like an exercise in nostalgia. Instead, it sounds alive.

Opening with Tandoori Chicken, Cropper immediately establishes the album’s groove. Funky, infectious and packed with character, it feels like a knowing nod to Green Onions while remaining its own beast. From there, Ticket First brings Eric Clapton into the frame, with the pair trading guitar fire in a track that proves great musicians never need to shout to make an impact.

My Angels Are Calling is perhaps the album’s emotional centre. Featuring Brian May and Billy Gibbons, it carries a reflective weight, while May’s contribution feels poignant as he appears to sing from Cropper’s perspective, looking back over a remarkable life and career. Then comes Until Now, where Ronnie Wood adds his unmistakable slide guitar touch, giving a track an extra layer of Southern grit.

But this album is far more than a collection of celebrity cameos. Blood From A Stone and Here & Gone keep the momentum moving, while Ana Grosh brings a strong vocal presence to several tracks. It’s Gonna Get Worse delivers a slice of funk, Down & Out settles into a golden, late-night groove, and Tipoff To The Ripoff adds a sharper lyrical edge.

House Of Cards is another standout, proving that Cropper could still make a message song feel uplifting, while the closing Tandoori Chicken Part 2 brings the journey full circle.

What makes Watching The Tide so special is the knowledge that Cropper heard the mixes before his passing. That gives the record an emotional significance, but the music never asks for sympathy. It stands proudly on its own.

There is wisdom here, experience, humour and an extraordinary understanding of rhythm. Cropper never needed flashy guitar heroics; his genius was knowing exactly what a song required and delivering it with economy and feel.

Watching The Tide is therefore not a goodbye. It is another chapter in the extraordinary story of a man whose music helped shape generations. Steve Cropper may have left the stage, but his guitar, his songs and his groove are still talking. And judging by this remarkable collection, they have plenty left to say.