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Otis Blue: Otis Redding Sings Soul

Otis Redding - Otis Blue: Otis Redding Sings Soul Audio CD

A fair review of the Otis Redding "Otis Blue: Otis Redding Sings Soul" Audio CD. Please note that the below review is the views of the authors, and authors only. You can get a complete list of all Otis Redding reviews here, or go back to the Otis Redding tabs.

Band: Otis Redding
Title: Otis Blue: Otis Redding Sings Soul
Rating:

Release Date: 2008-04-22
Media: Audio CD

Tracks: 1: Ole Man Trouble [Mono Version] 2: Respect [Mono Version] 3: Change Gonna Come [Mono Version] 4: Down in the Valley [Mono Version] 5: I've Been Loving You Too Long [Mono Version] 6: Shake [Mono Version] 7: My Girl [Mono Version] 8: Wonderful World [Mono Version] 9: Rock Me Baby [Mono Version] 10: (I Can't Get No) Satisfaction [Mono Version] 11: You Don't Miss Your Water [Mono Version] 12: I've Been Loving You Too Long [Mono Mix of Stereo Album Version][#][*] 13: I'm Depending on You [B-Side][*] 14: Respect [Mono Mix of Stereo Album Version][#][*] 15: Ole Man Trouble [Mono Mix of Stereo Album Version][#][*] 16: Any Ole Way [B-Side][*] 17: Shake [Stereo Mix of Single Version][Live][*] 18: Ole Man Trouble [Live][*] 19: Respect [Live][*] 20: I've Been Loving You Too Long [Live][*] 21: (I Can't Get No) Satisfaction [Live][*] 22: I'm Depending on You [Live][*] 23: Any Ole Way [Live][*] 24: Ole Man Trouble [Stereo] 25: Respect [Stereo] 26: Change Gonna Come [Stereo] 27: Down in the Valley [Stereo] 28: I've Been Loving You Too Long [Stereo] 29: Shake [Stereo] 30: My Girl [Stereo] 31: Wonderful World [Stereo] 32: Rock Me Baby [Stereo] 33: (I Can't Get No) Satisfaction [Stereo] 34: You Don't Miss Your Water [Stereo] 35: Respect [1967 Version][*] 36: I've Been Loving You Too Long [Live][*] 37: My Girl [Live][*] 38: Shake [Live][*] 39: (I Can't Get No) Satisfaction [Live][*] 40: Respect [Live][*]

Do You Like Good Music - Redding Style..
Jones and the MG's. This forty track two disc collection OTIS BLUE,1965, is the soul masterpiece, Otis Redding studio album to start with,including, the stereo version,mono version,live tracks of - Whiskey a Go Go,Live In Europe,alternate demos,three unreleased tracks, with a genius at work and Booker T. Otis Blue was recorded in a short twenty four hour period that launched the man and his music into stardom to the peak of his legendary career,Otis Redding pays tribute to the death of Sam Cooke covering originals,"SHAKE","WONDERFUL WORLD",and "CHANGE GONNA COME",at the same time contributing a few of his own self-penned classics,"RESPECT","OLE MAN TROUBLE",and "I'VE BEEN LOVING YOU TOO LONG". "A breath of fresh air" are the best words to describe hearing Otis Redding in stereo, the vocals are much more "vital and defined",where as most of Redding's studio albums are recorded in mono,sometimes leaving the vocals drowning in the river of soul. Buy all Otis Redding studio recordings,OTIS BLUE is the number one essential,maybe Rhino /Volt will release "The Dictionary Of Soul" in stereo,this collectors edition is a 2008 release,booklet included featuring the making of,OTIS BLUE. A list of Otis Redding studio albums,discography - 1. pain in my heart 2. sings soul ballads 3. otis blue 4. soul album 5. dictionary of soul 6. king and queen (with Carla Thomas)7. live in europe 8. the dock of the bay 9. the immortal Otis Redding.

Wonderful soul album
This is the kind of CD you can just melt into - fantastic stuff and highly recommended. This is a fantastic record, very moving and Otis Redding's voice has never been better. .

Classic Album - made 100% better
If you already have it, the stereo mastering work they did on this makes it worth the purchase alone, but you will also find several live cuts, unreleased b-sides and other gems that make this worth a purchase. If you like Otis Redding, you should buy this newly remastered album.

It is hard to believe that Otis recorded this entire album in 24 hours, it is even harder to fathom that he was just 26 when he did so. So much soul in such a young man.

A classic expanded
That said, those rehashed tracks I mention are alternate takes, demos, live versions, often with a different feel from the final take you'll find on the official release, so it's often nice to see that the artist in question may not have done the same song twice the same way. Admittedly, quite a few of the Collector's Editions (from Rhino/Warners), Deluxe Editions (from Universal) and Legacy Editions (from Sony-BMG) we've seen released lately have added little to a classic album, as they've often just rehashed the same tracks. Such is definitely the case with the Collector's Edition of Otis Blue.

First of all, you have the original album offered in both mono and stereo versions, and that alone can point up subtle difference in each track--frequently, the stereo mixes will have instruments or elements you may have missed in the mono mixes, and much the same can be said of the mono mixed vs. the stereo. And this is certainly true with Otis Blue; for example, the mono LP version of "I've Been Loving You Too Long (to Stop Now)" sounds like a very different take from that of the stereo LP version.
Secondly, there are often non-LP single cuts included, and that is certainly the case here--"I'm Depending on You" fits that bill, a breezy bit of fun from Otis and his always-excellent backing band. Thirdly, the alternate takes--the faster version of "Respect," recorded in 1967 (even after Aretha Franklin's version had topped the charts), certainly gives the listener the idea that Otis felt the song was worth returning to, although no one's sure exactly when or why (evidently, the master tape boxes don't offer much in the way of details).

Overall, it's a great package; indeed, the Otis Redding fan who already has all of Otis' classic recordings will not need this, as it won't add much to his collection. But for someone like me, who doesn't have them all but wants to have some Otis Redding in his collection (and indeed, any serious music fan really ought to), this set makes a great addition.

Sweet Soul Music
The best example of that skill appears on this essential album. Otis Redding had the rare ability to take a well known song and make it sound all his own. He takes the Rolling Stones' "Satisfaction" and transforms it from a guitar-driven rocker to a southern-fried R&B number. By replacing the seminal guitar hook with horns, Mr. Redding turns the Stones' complaint of into a plea. As with many soul singers, Mr. Redding has gospel roots and he covers three songs from the original gospel turned soul singer, Sam Cooke. "A Change Is Gonna Come", "Wonderful World" and "Shake" show his versatilty as a singer. The first is a gospel driven tune, the second is pure pop music and the third is a frenzied, rave-up shouter. "Shake" would become a staple of his live shows and his performance of it at the Monteray Pop Festival and in the film of the concert would help him reach the mainstream white audience. Mr. Redding wasn't just an interpreter of other people's songs, but a solid songwriter is his own right. The album contains the original version of "Respect" and while it doesn't have the defiance of Aretha Franklin's version, it still moves. "I've Been Loving You Too Long" my well be the best song he recorded and it contains one of the most heartwrenching vocals ever put down on tape. Otis Redding's life was tradgically cut short, but he left us with this record as a reminder of his immense talent. Otis Blue is one of defining soul albums of the 60's and one of the era's best albums period. .

You can see a complete list of all Otis Redding discography, or go back to the Otis Redding tabs. There is also a good guide on how to read guitar tabs here.