Otis Blue/Otis Redding Sings Soul

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.

This 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.

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

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.

Nice! This bops!

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.

This album was exactly what I was hoping to find in this project: Excellent music I would never have considered thoroughly listening to otherwise. I spend the last day discovering the Soul genre and countless fantastic artists I had heard of, but never actually listened to. Is this particular album one of the greatest of all time? I have no idea, but it certainly is pretty great, and I'll give it five stars just for getting me interested in this huge part of music history that I had'nt been too invested in before.

One of the G. O. A. T albums, in my top 5. 10/10

Practically the definitive 60s soul album. Loaded with a few covers but every song is distinct and made his own. Long live Otis

classic rnb album. worth the listen

One of the most expressive performers of all time. Most of the songs are covers, but I'd argue - with few exceptions - these are the best versions of these songs.

I'm usually a bit underwhelmed by these kinds of albums, featuring a few classics embedded amongst a series of inessential cover versions. However, this one is a clear exception, many outstanding tracks of which a few are actually the originals (e.g., Respect!). "..Too Long" is the highlight with its all-time-great vocal, but it's all good. I will, of course, recommend the Greatest Hits but only because *all* of those hits are fabulous. Imagine if he'd lived?!

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.

Otis's entry, which I read as my usual preliminary, summoned a "not another" on the death-in-place-crash text, and a medium wander through the "Musicians killed in aviation accidents or incidents" page, a bitty memorial to the unhealthy relationship between tour-ravaged artists and often-blitzed WW2-era pilots and their budget air bangers, with some outliers - did you know John Denver was killed by his inability to switch fuel tanks in his weird canard, which was a kit plane designed by the guy who made SpaceShipOne, which started Richard Branson's dalliance with commercial space flight? As well as blunt force trauma. This is a fine album haunted by different, sometimes better versions of its songs: Respect, Wonderful World, and Satisfaction, probably some others. I read that it was recorded at a rattle, and it has the efficient air of a record blasted out to juice some cash, mostly covers with a trio of originals, including Respect. Listened to it maybe four times, appreciated his voice and the incredible band, but it didn't cohere for me.

Otis Blue/Otis Redding Sings Soul I have very strong memories of listening to this on my headphones in the library at Durham, maybe in the 2nd year. It was a bit of a favourite back then but I haven’t listened in a good while, so it’s nice to revisit now. He’s possibly my favourite singer of all time, and he’s matched brilliantly to Stax, Booker T and the Mgs and The Memphis Horns/Mar-keys, their country inflected southern soul grit complements his rasp and tenderness perfectly. As amazing as the Funk Brothers and Motown were, I don't think he would have sounded nearly as good with them as he does with the MGs. Steve Cropper is excellent here, as is Booker T and Donald Dunn, but Al Jackson in particular is superb, I just really love his drumming and how well he hits the snare on something like Respect. I love Ole Man Trouble, it's got such a sweet bluesyness and countryness to go with the yearning soul vocal and contemplative lyrics. Aretha may have made Respect hers, but I do love the energy of this version. Sam Cooke’s original is great of course, but I love Otis’s version of A Change is Gonna Come, the doggedness, frustration and perseverance in his voice is incredible. Again he makes Down in the Valley his own, the band are brilliant, giving it a gravelly, hypnotic groove. I’ve Been Loving You Too Long is the standout for me, Booker T’s piano is superbly emotive and it’s another fantastic, pleading, powerful vocal. Shake is a great soul stomper (with an abrupt fade out) and although My Girl is so ubiquitous now, it had been out for less than a year when he recorded it. Al Jackson is great on this and it’s a very nice version with another superb vocal. Similarly Wonderful World is another nice version of the original with excellent vocals. The interplay of Steve Cropper and Otis on Rock Me Baby is mesmerizingly fantastic, its a superb version. Love Satisfaction, bringing it back to its original Otis inspiration and giving it a frenzied and chaotic soul workout. Banger. And You Don’t Miss Your Water ends things brilliantly, another superb vocal and excellent horns. I don't think there are many 60s soul albums to match this, the ebb and flow between the ballads and foot stompers, the grit, rasp, tenderness and feeling in his voice and the superb playing. An easy 5. 🩵🩵🩵🩵🩵 Playlist submission: I’ve Been Loving You Too Long

I love this. My favorite type of music to come from the 60s and Redding is so good.

An absolute classic. So many good songs. Listened to this multiple times today.

Amazing horns. Amazing voice. Masterful album.

Otis is an automatic 5 star, no matter what

Soul! Great!

Sex stjörnu plata hjá mér. Sturlaður hljóðfæraleikur og fullkomin soul rödd hjá Otis. Ekkert slappt lag og þótt lánslögin séu nokkur finnst mér hann gera þau sín og original lögin eru bara það góð líka. Shake betra en hjá Cooke.

powerful

One of the few Cassettes in my first car (Renault 5!) brings back memories of the summer of 88, fun album and very happy to have heard it again

Part of the sound track to our lazy Saturdays . Great album I listened to it twice today.

Excellent day for it.

a throwback for me, felt possessed by joy as I sang the lyrics and rediscovered this record

Already love otis, so a nice listen

This was fantastic

I was about to rate this 3 stars, just felt it was nothing special, but at the live versions, this album finally came alive. The recorded versions just don't have the passion that makes Otis Redding what he is. At first, I would've said Sam Cooke sang it better, but Sam Cooke is similar for me in that his singing is much better live than recorded. Comparing Redding's live versions of Cooke's music, I think they are equally good, with each having their signature styles. I've always appreciated Redding's passion that he brings into his music. He has a distinctive style, and it's fun to hear his unique spin on these covers.

8, the lyrics are superb although idk what he's singing about lmao,

What a voice on this guy. Although Aretha does Respect better.

This album cooked from start to finish. Reading about Otis Redding after was.....brutal. Did not realize his best song was posthumous. But this album had a BUNCH of hits, and now I have to figure out whether he wrote them or he didn't. Either way, stellar

Mjög góð plata.

Classic covers here

solid

A great soul album from one of the legends of the genre. Aretha Franklin's version of "Respect" blows the original out of the water though.

Hell, I don't think most of us need to listen to this to know it's a classic. He's a master and a unique gem.

Great blues. Classic.

A lot of really good, classic songs by Otis, like Respect, My Girl, Wonderful World and (I Can't Get No) Satisfaction. Overall a very good album.

Delightful music, love his voice.

Loved it … great songs performed by one of the greatest soul singers of all time. What more do you want?

Classic songs. Classic voice.

Another bright star lost too early. This was good and he was clearly talented.

Good stuff.

The Watch the Throne Otis sample is not on this album but a few parts did sound like it. Pretty good, not bad for doing work. 30 minutes, 11 songs, can't complain.

Verg good. There is a reason rappers still make songs about Otis. 4/5

Good Album Standout songs: Change Gonna Come Shake Rock me Baby

So soulful! Didn’t love Respect but just because I’m used to Aretha.

Loved the beginning, but then fell of and didn't really seem like a cohesive record. I dont know when the album finished and suggested song sbegan to play. Really liked "A Change is Gonna Come" and "Down in the Valley."

Enjoyed. Interesting takes on a couple of songs I knew - and I was surprised to find that "Respect" is one I knew.

Wonderful! Otis' voice has such emotion in it, weaving from buttery to gritty within the same track. I did not know browsing Wikipedia while listening to this album that Otis died two years after making this album, in a plane crash at age 26. What a tragedy; he was truly a master of the craft.

not really a fan, music is chill but not my type

A Change Is Gonna Come is a soul classic. Some solid covers but its so foundational that it comes off as sort of bland?

Didn't know them good.

Ooh I'm enjoying chilling out to a bit of Otis this morning will probably add this to my library and give it another listen

Classiconi soul

Some nice songs, are they covers or his songs? Also the respect song is a bit weird tbh

wow, that many classics. he seems to be where the threads come together

3.5

This was OK, but most of the best songs weren't by Otis - except "Respect" which I enjoyed - almost as much as the Aretha Franklin version.

Not really my thing but I aknowledge it's good.

Great voice but rules are rules and you can't just do covers.

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!!

This is pretty cool, just that oldies-style blues stuff. But like heaps of music with this writing/production etc, it's also that bit too dated for me to honestly rate it in 2021. 3/5?

A change is coming

Just a really good soul album. Steve Cropper’s guitar work is brilliant. Otis is an incredible singer. “Respect” is better than Aretha Franklin’s version. His cover of “Satisfaction” is so good that one journalist thought that the Stones covered him. There is not a single subpar song on here. An entire album of highlights. Otis was the man.

I'm lathering respect on the name Otis Redding like butter.

Brought a tear to my eye

This is one of those kind of albums that I feel underqualifed to rate. I mean really! OTIS REDDING! One of the massive icons of soul and jazz!? What am I supposed to say? This isn't somehow great jazz or soul or both? It is frickin' iconic, it is canon. I don't like Metallica. BUT the album I reviewed on this site is absolutely iconic canon metal. My opinion gets lost in the reality that this is untouchable. Otis Redding is a co-owner OF jazz! There is nothing for me to "rate" here, it is part and parcel to jazz history.

an absolute classic, wonderful

Classic after classic

This spoke to my soul ❤️

So many hits in this album. I know most of the song but I 1. never knew they were from the same artist, and 2. were all in the same album! I was inclined to give this a 4 initially, but it's really a 5 :)

I tend to despise cover albums being on this list, but Otis Redding really brings out a unique feel to the songs on this album, and a lot of times I would say his version is just as good as the original, if not even better. It takes a lot to surpass the originals of some of these classic songs, but he does it with ease.

amazing, makes me want to listen to more soul and R&B from this period

Otis Redding is the embodiment of soul. This is a fantastic record… but then again, that’s characteristic of ALL his reocrdings. Easy 5 stars.

A classic, from start to finish!

What's with the album cover? Is it "this album will help you get white ladies like this"? It made me second-guess my prior knowledge of who Otis Redding was prior to listening. Anyway, great R&B album, awesome delivery, 5*. When I encounter "deluxe" versions of albums that are 2x as long as the original, I stop at the original length, but not with this one.

BANGER!!!!

Great stuff. Loved the covers. Satisfaction was great. My Girl was so groovy and the disjointed, off-timing of the vocal delivery is unique and makes it relistenable.

Amazing!!!

Otis, my man!! Listening to this album feels like participating in music history. Great covers and amazing originals that would go on to be covered (Respect). Funky, soulful, bluesy (in the best way). 5⭐️

A bop and a jam

Otis Redding really does sing soul. This album is a joy to listen to—I've had it on repeat 3 or 4 times today. It's just so effortlessly enjoyable and easy to get lost in. It has everything: it can be light-hearted and funny one moment, then full of sorrow the next. His darker, more emotional take on Respect is brilliant. Some of the covers even outshine the originals—My Girl and Wonderful World are both standout versions. Favourite songs: Hard to choose! My Girl and Wonderful World are classics for a reason, but I found myself really drawn to Respect and Satisfaction as well. Least favourite: Honestly, there isn’t a single bad track on this album. Album artwork: A really cool cover—simple but striking.

I am not much of a soul guy, but my father was. Listening to this one reminded me a lot of listening to his old Motown records. Redding is clearly a pioneer. Definitely the kind of guy comedians base their parodies on when they want to use soul tropes and that is a huge compliment. Not a huge fan of the slower tracks, but Redding crooning is wonderful and makes every song feel important. Passionate singer for sure.

Loved it

A great singer and a great collection of songs. 5 stars or A.

Distinctive Otis. Raw sound. Liked a lot.

Great.

This is an objectively excellent album. Incredible voice, great arrangement and execution. While it may not be everyone’s cup of tea (their loss), anyone who would claim this is not at least a good album has no business saying they love music.

Otis Redding and the whole Stax roster at this time were so so good.

As others have said, easily a five-star opus. Everything just works and Redding's voice is amazing.

Love Otis. Just brilliant.

I'm kinda getting my sea-legs under me with this discrete 1-5 rating scale, and maybe I should have rated 'Here, my Dear' a 4, rounded down from like a 4.4 or so. Compared to the albums I've heard up to this point though, that album really shined imo. Not compared to this bona fide 5, though. There are so many songs I recognized as sort of cheesy, overly-commercialized songs ('Respect', 'My Girl', etc.), but man... Otis Redding's raw, powerful voice and lyrical styling make these songs sound so powerful. His singing reminds me a lot of Art Tatum; they never go quite where you expect, but once they do it just makes sense. And then finding out he was 24 years old (!!!) when this album was recorded... incredible. MAYBE you could make the argument that the instrumentals on this album haven't aged that well; a lot of the brass is kinda repetitive and hollow. But seriously, his voice is just timeless. I imagine he could sing a grocery list on a karaoke box and I would rate it a 5.

At first, I was like, Oh no, another album of mostly covers (I was not a fan of Cash's album of mostly covers), but Otis Redding really brought something fresh and so dynamic to this music, ironically helped usher in our new understanding of soul music with older songs. I love the emotionally regulating trumpets and instrumentals that complement his voice.

Even if I didn't know what soul was, I would still listen to this and think "wow this guy has a lot of soul", so I think it's well classified. The instrumentation supports his soulful vocals so well, I loved the happy trumpet breaking through in Wonderful World. Ironically, I think Wonderful World has basically become a mantra in the US - I don't need to know much as long as I'm happy. The song plays better sung by a world-class musician who dropped out of high school due to economic disparities driven by racism tho. 5/5

Had to listen to this several times because it's so good. Why isn't he on the cover though?