Otis Blue: Otis Redding Sings Soul
Otis Redding
1965
Album Summary
Otis Blue/Otis Redding Sings Soul (often referred to simply as Otis Blue) is the third studio album by American soul singer and songwriter Otis Redding. It was first released on September 15, 1965, as an LP record through the Stax Records subsidiary label Volt. Otis Blue is composed mainly of cover versions of contemporary R&B hits, covering themes from the blues and love ballads, among others. Three of the LP's eleven songs were written by Redding, and three others were written by fellow soul singer Sam Cooke, who had died several months before the album was made. Except for one track, Otis Blue was recorded in the span of 24 hours from July 9 to 10, 1965, at the Stax recording studio in Memphis, Tennessee. As with Redding's previous records, he was backed by the Stax house band Booker T. & the M.G.'s, a horn section featuring members of The Mar-Keys and The Memphis Horns, and pianist Isaac Hayes, providing a rhythmic Southern soul accompaniment for the singer's exuberant and forceful performances. Otis Blue was a crossover success for Redding and proved one of his best-selling LPs with more than 250,000 copies sold. It was his first to top the US R&B LPs chart and also reached number 6 on the UK Albums Chart, while three of its singles became top 40 hits: the Redding original "I've Been Loving You Too Long", the Rolling Stones cover "Satisfaction", and "Respect" (later repopularized by Aretha Franklin). Released at the beginning of the album era, Otis Blue is considered by critics to be Redding's first fully realized LP and the definitive soul album of its period. It ranks frequently and highly on professional listings of the best albums, including Rolling Stone magazine's "500 Greatest Albums of All Time" (at number 78) and Time magazine's "All-Time 100 Greatest Albums" (at number 92). A two-disc collector's edition of Otis Blue was released in 2008 by Rhino Records.
WikipediaThis was a fun one. At times, it's light-hearted, at times it's full of pain and sorrow... it runs the gamut in a way that most records from this era refuse to and it comes out the other end stronger for it. While Respect is weird (and a little dark) when sung by a man, it's balanced with wonderful covers of the perennial classics, My Girl, (I Can't Get No) Satisfaction and Wonderful World. So much great music and misicianship on display. Easy five.
Certainly some solid hits, but the album plays out as one long thought without much variation. It's pretty mono-thematic and is very much "music I put on when I want to fuck", and there's nothing wrong with that. I also can't divorce the album from its association with sentimental white people dancing at weddings.
The pace, the horns, the voice: They're all so close to perfect! It's a slow but steady and energetic blues walk through songs both familiar and not. I suppose the ones I didn't know had better become known: This deserves its classic status with every cut.
One of the all-time best soul albums of all time - Otis Redding has an amazing voice and is backed up by an incredible instrumentation
Listening to this album feels like participating in music history. Great covers. Great originals that would go on to be covered (Respect). Funky, soulful, uplifting. What else can be said? Best track: Down in the Valley
Enjoyable compilation of very good songs covered very well by Otis Redding, what more could one want on a rainy day?
I should love this. But I don't. I still feel the same as I did when I heard it as a teenager - it's somehow not what I want it to be.
Again me saying more things about a Soul artifact like this seems silly. Some of these iconic songs honestly seem like they descended from a higher realm.
Otis Blue/Otis Redding Sings Soul (1965) Themes: My interpretation is that Otis opens the album with a plea to be spared from pain. The inflections in his voice seem to come from a place that knows his actions are at least partially to blame for the trouble he constantly finds himself in. It’s followed by a demand for respect from his loved one as he feels under appreciated for his sacrifices in the working world. It seems that as a result, he seems to unknowingly distance his loved one as a result of his outburst. The album continues as the distance grows yet his heart grows fonder as well. He reaches a point where he feels the love become a balance between a sunk cost fallacy and him truly loving this girl and feeling that way earnestly. It seems the love is rekindled and it’s followed by a few tracks of celebration of enjoying love and life. Otis finally comes to terms that he is his own worst enemy and can’t be satisfied despite the love finally returning to him. Again, as a flawed man plagued by his actions, he is left, this time for good. He sings this very painfully and is very remorseful, but also with a tone of acceptance that has finally come to terms with his shortcomings as the other half to someone else. Notes: I knew about Respect being his original work and becoming iconic through Aretha Franklin, but I had no idea about Otis covering The Rolling Stones on this record, he does an amazing job and gives it his own spin. Score and Review: This album is an undeniable classic. Otis is a king at displaying emotion with his raw vocals and soulful crooning, the instrumentals blow you away with the trumpets being a highlight throughout the record. I’m giving it a 9/10, it’s damn near perfect, deducting a little bit as there are a few covers on here, although they work great. He also has quite a few fadeouts on here which I am not a fan of as a trend in music, few times do they work as a purposeful ending to a song in my opinion, and this record is so amazing that I think a truly definitive ending to these tracks could make them even more impactful.
Love the vamping and jamming at the end of the songs. Is this the best covers album ever? Would it be better if he wasn’t doing covers and just camping and jamming. Backing band deserves credit for the jams. I found this album to be punctuated by the fade outs, songs always ended just when he was beginning to have fun—probably a radio play thing, but it’s cutting off the best part of the band and his performance each time. I think these songs would each be 7 minutes in a modern album. Love track 1, intro is on point, love that guitar sound, saved for later. Less of a fan of track 2, generic swing R&B. Voice really shines in track 3, better than the Sam Cooke original. Track 4 really swings, head bopper, would be fun to dance to, loved the skat at the end. Track 5 is another song showcasing the voice, nice waltz, hood breakdown at the end. Track 6 is swinging but kind of cookie cutter, though it includes the line, “shake it like a bowl of soup” haha. Track 7, hard to beat the vocal harmonies of the temptations on the chorus, the vibrato on “girl” is beautiful. Track 8, another cover, meh, does include the line, “I don’t know what a slide rule is for” lol, anti-intellectualism. Track 9, Nice driving blues, guitar solo in the middle was just okay, he does ask the girl to fuck him until “my back ain’t got no bones.” Track 10, don’t like this version of satisfaction, worst song on album, original is more nuanced. Track 11, nice ballad, chill, FADE OUTS!!
Practically the definitive 60s soul album. Loaded with a few covers but every song is distinct and made his own. Long live Otis
The definitive Soul album. About half the album is covers (Satisfaction is the standout IMO). Aretha Franklin covered Respect from this album.
Never listened to this actual LP, though pretty much all of the songs were familiar. Absolutely fantastic.
I consider this a near perfect album. Redding's voice has such authority. He is missed.
made me feel something. very soulful. they don’t make it like this anymore
A lot of songs that are fundamental in the Lexicon of soul, rock, and pop. Very cool and jam-packed with hits.
Great album. Some classic hits that are great to sing along to. Otis has such a distinctive voice and the tunes are fantastic. Also great to hear some slower numbers that are less well known.
stone cold classic. The voice :adore: the arrangments :adore: 9.3/10. Minor points off for (probably) overfamiliarity and me not being fussy about a few of the original songs. A minor quibble.
Wonderful. The musicianship from the band is incredible and what a voice. Nearly lost a point for the Stones cover which I'm not sure works but that'd be churlish. 5/5
Great voice. Filled with classic tracks. Wish I could write a slightly less asinine review :D
Obvious 5, probably listened to it more than any other album all the way through
Classic, wonderful album. Beautiful singing and excellent musicianship, particularly love the bass work.
Otis Redding could sing K-Pop, Rap or Country, doesn’t matter to me, he’s the MAN.
Amazing album! Perfect for a cozy rainy morning or a dimly lit evening in. Vocals and brass that show why Otis is so well known.
Had no idea that Otis was the first one to write and perform 'Respect' - massive tune. Feels like a 4, feels so classy and original. Damn, every track is a classic, Respect, My Girl and Satisfaction. Gotta be a 5/5, its an album full of classics
I can listen to this album on repeat all day. Such a great voice and artist. Gone too soon.
Absolutely beautiful album. Otis did a wonderful cover of "Change Gonna Come" and "Wonderful World".
So good that it looks like a greatest hits: Respect, A Change is Gonna Come, My Girl and a cover of I Can't Get No (Satisfaction)
This is already getting 5 stars before I even listen. Otis Redding is one of my favorites.
Stand out tracks were "I've Been Loving You Too Long" and "You Don't Miss Your Water".
Phenomenal album. Might have been how my day was going but this one hit me just right. Every song has a great groove. Love the Satisfaction cover. New find for me will be listening to this one many more times.
More soul than SHACK's size 18 shoes. Soul/sole - see what I did there?
I once grew the nail on my big toe so long that when I eventually clipped it, instead of using a key like everyone else, I would use the toe nail as a cocaine shovel. Yes, endless nights were spent shovelling charlie up my schnozz and listening to Otis Redding. Everyone in London knew me. I was a somebody, the toe nail king of the West End. I've left all that behind me now though and can't even look at a bare foot without wincing.
Otis Redding had such an expressive voice. It was versatile, acrobatic, yet had a persistent grit to it. However, on songs like 'I've Been Loving You Too Long,' his voice smooths out revealing its delicacy. His songs are buoyant with a lilting beat and a robust horn section. He simply inhabits the music in a way that only the best soul/R&B artists do.
A stone cold classic album - Otis with one of the best backing bands ever.
The title is self-explanatory: Otis Redding gives his soul spin on classic tunes.
When it comes to soul music, this is as good as it gets. For some reason My Girl sounded particularly good, and it was interesting to hear Redding's version of Wonderful World, a song obviously made famous by the great Sam Cooke. A superb album that made my day.
The Immortal Otis Redding. I grew up listening to this, and I got the album with Jimi Hendrix and Otis on each side from the Monterrey Pop festival. His voice is amazingly textured.
um clássico efêmero. parece, ao mesmo tempo, muito mais novo e antigo do que é.
A great album of covers - Otis Redding just has such a phenomenal voice. Incredible
Sorry I can't write any notes because I am still recovering from this sexual experience