Track listing
Show track credits
- A1 Give 'Em What They Want 4:20
-
guitar, percussion, songwriter
-
background vocals
-
background vocals
-
background vocals
-
Steve Robbbackground vocals
-
bass
-
drums
-
keyboards
-
tenor saxophone
-
trombone
-
baritone saxophone
-
alto saxophone
-
trumpet
-
songwriter
-
- A2 Let the Good Times Roll 3:57
-
guitar
-
piano
-
tenor saxophone
-
trombone
-
baritone saxophone
-
alto saxophone
-
trumpet
-
bass
-
drums
-
songwriter
-
- A3 Playin' My Thang 4:43
-
guitar, songwriter
-
drums
-
keyboards
-
tenor saxophone
-
trombone
-
baritone saxophone
-
alto saxophone
-
trumpet
-
bass
-
- A4 Fly 3:10
-
lead guitar, songwriter
-
background vocals
-
drums
-
tenor saxophone
-
bass
-
rhythm guitar
-
percussion
-
- B1 Sandy Beaches 3:35
-
guitar, percussion
-
bass
-
drums
-
flute
-
piano, songwriter
-
songwriter
-
- B2 With You 3:25
-
guitar, songwriter
-
bass
-
drums
-
keyboards, songwriter
-
synth strings
-
- B3 Feet 2:58
-
electric guitar, percussion
-
drums
-
tenor saxophone
-
trombone
-
baritone saxophone
-
tenor saxophone
-
trumpet
-
bass
-
acoustic guitar
-
organ
-
songwriter
-
- B4 Why Do You Say You Love Me 4:53
-
guitar, songwriter
-
baritone saxophone
-
bass
-
Willy Halldrums
-
electric piano
-
engineer
-
assistant engineer
-
- B5 Ya Da Ya Da 4:00
-
guitar, songwriter
-
organ
-
tenor saxophone
-
trombone
-
baritone saxophone
-
tenor saxophone
-
trumpet
-
bass, songwriter
-
percussion
-
Willy Halldrums
-
electric piano
-
engineer
-
assistant engineer
-
- Total length: 35:01
Rate/Catalog
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Set listening
Review
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3 Issues
- Release view [combined information for all issues]
-
Playin' My Thang [p] 33 rpm
-
Playin' My Thang 33 rpm
-
2018 CD
1 Review
1981's "Playin' My Thang" served as Steve Cropper's first solo album in twelve years. To be honest, the album's most interesting facet came in the form of Cropper's unexpected decision to showcase his singing voice. I'm guessing that like a lot of other folks, this was the first time I'd heard the man's singing voice. To be honest, Cropper wasn't any great shakes as a singer. He was certainly competent; his voice didn't have a lot of range, but within those boundaries he exhibiting an interesting gravely Southern twang. I've struggled to come up with an apt comparison - perhaps a flatter version of The Band's Leon Helm ... A less talented Delbert McClinton ... A Southern-tinged Christopher Cross ... Interestingly, the focus on Cropper's voice came at the expense of spotlighting his guitar chops. Sure, Cropper provided lead guitar on all nine tracks, but with the possible exception of 'What Do You Say You Love Me' his patented sound was largely absent. Cropper also largely avoided the Stax sound that made him a household name. In its place tracks like 'Give 'Em What They Want', 'Fly' and the ballad 'With You' he opted for a smoother, quasi-Yacht rock sound. The results were listenable, but hardly inspiring.
Interestingly, MCA released two promotional 45s off the album, but that was about it in terms of pushing the album.
Interestingly, MCA released two promotional 45s off the album, but that was about it in terms of pushing the album.
"Playin' My Thang" track listing:
(side 1)
1.) Give 'Em What They Want (Steve Cropper - Richard Wolf) - 4:20 *** stars
To be honest, I don't think I'd ever heard Cropper's singing voice prior to 'Give 'Em What They Want.' It wasn't a bad instrument, showcasing a pleasant country-twang, but clearly not in the same league as his guitar chops. The fact this was a smooth, easy-going, mid-tempo number that didn't pose any major challenges to Cropper's voice certainly didn't hurt. Even Cropper's guitar solo was low-keyed on this one. Pleasant and mildly catchy in an early-'80s fashion.
2.) Let the Good Times Roll (Leonard Lee) - 3:57 rating: * star
While I can understand wanting to include a couple of rock classics, one of the problems doing so was you were setting yourself up for comparisons and in this case there was simply no way Cropper was going to fair well against any of the earlier classic takes - Louis Jordan, Shirley and Lee, B,B. King ...
3.) Playin' My Thang (Steve Cropper) - 4:43 *** stars
Stax-meets-funk ... David Paich on keyboards; Donald Dunn on bass and The Memphis Horns all helped the medicine go down. Cropper's gravelly voice actually sounded pretty good on this one, though this time out his guitar solo was kind of perfunctory.
- 1981's 'Playin' My Thang' b/w 'Playin' My Thang' (MCA catalog number MCA-51078)
4.) Fly (Steve Cropper) - 3:10 rating: ** stars
Complete with glossy production and a mandatory sax solo, 'Fly' sounded like an '80s yacht-rock ballad - think along the lines of a Southern version of Christopher Cross. Nothing wrong with that genre, but it was a waste of Cropper's talents.
(side 2)
1.) Sandy Beaches (John Jarvis - Delbert McClinton) - 3:35 *** stars
First off, Delbert McClinton's version is the classic take ... That said, Cropper's cover stay very close to the original arrangement; his vocals actually sounded a bit like McClinton with a bad head cold. Extra star for the good taste in outside material. The album's second promotional single:
- 1981's 'Sandy Beaches' b/w 'Sandy Beaches' (MCA catalog number MCA-51115)
2.) With You (Steve Cropper - John Jarvis) - 3:25 rating: ** stars
Competent, but largely anonymous ballad ...
3.) Feet (Danny Kortchmar) - 2:58 rating: ** stars
Danny Kortchmar wrote it, but 'Feet' sounded like a bad Little Feat boogie tune. Cropper's vocals sounded particularly flat on this one.
4.) What Do You Say You Love Me (Steve Cropper) - 4:53 **** stars
Well, at least 'What Do You Say You Love Me' opened up with some of Cropper's patented guitar and then found a semi-funky groove that Cropper rode in relative safety. Extra star for the guitar work.
5.) Ya Da Ya Da (Steve Cropper - Duck Dunn) - 4:00 *** stars
Co-written with former M.G.s bassist Donald Duck Dunn, 'Ya Da Ya Da' was the album's funkiest number. That's not saying it was particularly good ... Okay, another extra star for the guitar solo.
(side 1)
1.) Give 'Em What They Want (Steve Cropper - Richard Wolf) - 4:20 *** stars
To be honest, I don't think I'd ever heard Cropper's singing voice prior to 'Give 'Em What They Want.' It wasn't a bad instrument, showcasing a pleasant country-twang, but clearly not in the same league as his guitar chops. The fact this was a smooth, easy-going, mid-tempo number that didn't pose any major challenges to Cropper's voice certainly didn't hurt. Even Cropper's guitar solo was low-keyed on this one. Pleasant and mildly catchy in an early-'80s fashion.
2.) Let the Good Times Roll (Leonard Lee) - 3:57 rating: * star
While I can understand wanting to include a couple of rock classics, one of the problems doing so was you were setting yourself up for comparisons and in this case there was simply no way Cropper was going to fair well against any of the earlier classic takes - Louis Jordan, Shirley and Lee, B,B. King ...
3.) Playin' My Thang (Steve Cropper) - 4:43 *** stars
Stax-meets-funk ... David Paich on keyboards; Donald Dunn on bass and The Memphis Horns all helped the medicine go down. Cropper's gravelly voice actually sounded pretty good on this one, though this time out his guitar solo was kind of perfunctory.
- 1981's 'Playin' My Thang' b/w 'Playin' My Thang' (MCA catalog number MCA-51078)
4.) Fly (Steve Cropper) - 3:10 rating: ** stars
Complete with glossy production and a mandatory sax solo, 'Fly' sounded like an '80s yacht-rock ballad - think along the lines of a Southern version of Christopher Cross. Nothing wrong with that genre, but it was a waste of Cropper's talents.
(side 2)
1.) Sandy Beaches (John Jarvis - Delbert McClinton) - 3:35 *** stars
First off, Delbert McClinton's version is the classic take ... That said, Cropper's cover stay very close to the original arrangement; his vocals actually sounded a bit like McClinton with a bad head cold. Extra star for the good taste in outside material. The album's second promotional single:
- 1981's 'Sandy Beaches' b/w 'Sandy Beaches' (MCA catalog number MCA-51115)
2.) With You (Steve Cropper - John Jarvis) - 3:25 rating: ** stars
Competent, but largely anonymous ballad ...
3.) Feet (Danny Kortchmar) - 2:58 rating: ** stars
Danny Kortchmar wrote it, but 'Feet' sounded like a bad Little Feat boogie tune. Cropper's vocals sounded particularly flat on this one.
4.) What Do You Say You Love Me (Steve Cropper) - 4:53 **** stars
Well, at least 'What Do You Say You Love Me' opened up with some of Cropper's patented guitar and then found a semi-funky groove that Cropper rode in relative safety. Extra star for the guitar work.
5.) Ya Da Ya Da (Steve Cropper - Duck Dunn) - 4:00 *** stars
Co-written with former M.G.s bassist Donald Duck Dunn, 'Ya Da Ya Da' was the album's funkiest number. That's not saying it was particularly good ... Okay, another extra star for the guitar solo.
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