I was pleasantly surprised by this album. It is, of course, a truism to remark that Otis Redding had one of THE great voices of the 60's. Attempting to describe that voice without resort cliche is...well, if not impossible, then certainly close to it. However, I have to confess that I didn't expect to be blown away by this album; I have heard most of the songs before, so I thought I had a good idea of what to expect. But, I must admit that I was surprised. There was something immensely (and surprisingly) enjoyable about just kicking back with some headphones and allowing Otis to transport me to a different time and place for about 50 minutes. I didn't think, I just listened. And, if a work of art is capable of shutting out the noise, of quieting the chaos, even for a little while, well I think there is no higher praise available. A highlight of the record was the cover of 'Satisfaction.' Being a huge Stones Guy I wasn't expecting to enjoy this cover as much as I did. I thought I would have to 'endure it' or, perhaps, to 'suffer through it' (there are some questionable 'Satisfaction' covers out there). Now, is it as good as the original? I wouldn't like to comment on that...but I will say, it is GOOD. Great even. All told, I thoroughly enjoyed this album and plan on revisiting it again and again. Perhaps on rainy nights, when I feel a type of longing I can't quite identify. On nights like that, perhaps Otis can show me the way.

There was a time when I considered myself a connoisseur of rap, especially 90s rap. How wrong I was. Sure, "The Low End Theory" has been on my radar for a long time (an embarrassingly long time), but I've never actually put the time aside to listen. This was a mistake. The rhymes (e.g. "Bust a nut inside your eye/to show you where I come from"), the beats, the humour, the wordplay, the attitude. Everything a rap album should be.

This is what the 60s sounded like. No one can convince me otherwise. I've listened to this album a few times and yet I found myself surprised by how funky it is. I listened to this on my commute home from work, and it made the traffic all the more bearable.

Once a year I sit down and try to "understand" Bowie, on a sonic and (perhaps) intellectual level. Each year, I am defeated. This year, maybe I got a step closer. Maybe.

I listened to this album on the return journey from Costco with a trunk full of meats and the backseats were occupied with 7 20L bags of cat litter. What does this have to do with Iggy Pop and "Lust For Life"? Not much, probably. A fantastic album though.