Otis Blue: Otis Redding Sings Soul

1. Ole Man Trouble

2. Respect

3. Change Is Gonna Come

4. Down in the Valley

5. I've Been Loving You Too Long

6. Shake

7. My Girl

8. Wonderful World

9. Rock Me Baby

10. (I Can't Get No) Satisfaction

11. You Don't Miss Your Water

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com essential recording
Otis Blue has always been that rarest of beasts: a '60s soul album that could actually have been made as an album, rather than as a slapdash assortment of singles and fillers. The point being that there is no filler among these eleven classic Redding tracks that range from the crisp stomp of "Respect" and the Stones' "Satisfaction" to the touching pop of the Temps "My Girl" and Sam Cookes "Wonderful World"--not forgetting, of course, the heart-rending anguish of "Ole Man Trouble" and "I've Been Loving You Too Long." Otis Blue captures Redding at the very peak of his raw, unpolished powers, with the peerlessly punchy backing of Booker T. and the MGs. --Barney Hoskyns

Otis Blue: Otis Redding Sings Soul,Otis Redding,Atlantic / Wea,Deep Soul,Memphis Soul,Pop,R&B,Soul,Soul/Reggae/Rhythm & Blues,Southern Soul,United States of America,Vocals

Average customer rating:

A curiously overrated album (in my opinion, anyway) from a great musician
Otis!
****3/4. One of the all-time classic soul records
Oddly overrated classic soul LP
Best soul album ever.

Otis Blue: Otis Redding Sings Soul
Otis Redding
Manufacturer: Elektra / Wea
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | R&B | Styles | Music

General | Soul | R&B | Styles | Music

Southern Soul | Soul | R&B | Styles | Music

Memphis Soul | Soul | R&B | Styles | Music

General | Oldies | Pop | Styles | Music

4-for-3 Pop | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music

4-for-3 R&B | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music

4-for-3 All Music | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music

Icons | Warner Brothers Records | Stores | Music
Similar Items:

The Otis Redding Dictionary Of Soul : Complete & Unbelievable
The Dock of the Bay
I Never Loved a Man the Way I Love You/Including Respect
Lady Soul
In Person at the Whisky a Go Go

ASIN: B000002IHD
Release Date: 1991-06-11

Tracks:

Ole Man Trouble
Respect
A Change Is Gonna Come
Down In The Valley
I've Been Loving You Too Long
Shake
My Girl
Wonderful World
Rock Me Baby
Satisfaction
You Don't Miss Your Water

Amazon.com essential recording

Otis Blue has always been that rarest of beasts: a '60s soul album that could actually have been made as an album, rather than as a slapdash assortment of singles and fillers. The point being that there is no filler among these eleven classic Redding tracks that range from the crisp stomp of "Respect" and the Stones' "Satisfaction" to the touching pop of the Temps "My Girl" and Sam Cookes "Wonderful World"--not forgetting, of course, the heart-rending anguish of "Ole Man Trouble" and "I've Been Loving You Too Long." Otis Blue captures Redding at the very peak of his raw, unpolished powers, with the peerlessly punchy backing of Booker T. and the MGs. --Barney Hoskyns

Customer Reviews:

A curiously overrated album (in my opinion, anyway) from a great musician.......2007-07-26

There's no question about it: your soul colletion isn't complete without some Otis Redding in it. The man created more than his share of masterpieces, cranking out brilliant slabs of R&B by the pound. His voice was a (nearly) can't-fail mixture of grit and emotional resonance. He was also a charismatic performer and an excellent songwriter; his final single, "(Stittin' On) The Dock Of The Bay" is simply one of the most heart-breakingly beautiful songs of all time, a work of devestating genius that has, on multiple occasions, reduced me to tears.

Having said that, I simply can't reccomend this album as the soul masterpiece that other people seem to think it is. Granted, it has some fantastic moments- "Ole Man Trouble" is a superb midtempo ballad with some pleading vocals, slashing guitars, and a hypnotic rhythm. His version of "Rock Me Baby" drips with raw, salivating sexuality, and "Respect" (which would, of course, soon be covered by Aretha Frankin") is a rousing anthem with some pounding drums and a great horn line. Plus, Otis' voice is full of infectious passion. There's also a cover of the Rolling Stones' "Satisfaction" that transforms the song into a relentless, gritty R&B basher. Again, Redding delivers an incredibly exuberant vocal- just listen to those verses!

The problem with this album, however, is that there are far too many tracks here that are little more than filler. My biggest gripe is with Otis' version of Sam Cooke's "A Change Is Gonna Come." Now, the original was an absolute masterpiece, a soul-crushing heart-shredder that's every bit as powerful as "Dock Of The Bay." Otis' rendition isn't terrible, per se, but it robs the song of virtually all of its supernatural power. He remains faithful to its haunting, mournful melody, but sings without any of Cooke's emotional directness. He darts around the lyrics, adding little asides that ruin the focus of the song. He also tinkers with the lyrics, undermining Cooke's brilliant wording. The result is a castrated rendition of a masterpiece, one that strips the original of its cathartic power while contributing nothing new to it. Aside form that, there's an unexciting "Down In The Valley," and the overly sugary "I've Been Loving You Too Long" (sorry, I know it's supposed to be one of his best, but it just doesn't do anything for me). Also, his by-numbers take on "My Girl" isn't going to replace the Temptations' version.

The songs that I haven't already disussed are pretty good, but not exactly revelations: "Shake" has some inticing rhythms, but can't sustain its excitement all the way through, and "Wonderful World" similarly overstays its welcome. "You Don't Miss Your Water" fits the R&B archetype to a tee- which means that even though it's performed expertly, it feels like you've already heard the blasted thing a billion times before.

So, it's a pretty good album. I feel somewhat odd, seeing as how I appear to be the only person who doesn't absolutely adore it, but... eh, what're you gonna do?

Otis!.......2007-02-23

Tired of what passes for soul these days? Had enough of Destiny's Child, John Legend, etc.? Then let me tell you about Otis Redding. This is the man who penned Respect - yeah, so Aretha's version is definitive, but his ain't too shabby either. This also contains Otis' first big hit, the oft-covered I've Been Loving You Too Long, which has survived being butchered by the Rolling Stones - out of its many covers, it's best heard here. And speaking of the Stones, Otis' version of (I Can't Get No) Satisfaction is a surprisingly good reading of the just rock classic, especially considering it's a fine example of record company prostitution - the Rolling Stones had hit big with it a few months prior to this album's release. Otis' is funky, soulful, etc. And how about the bluesy Ole Man Trouble? Man, that song's a killer. "Don't want you, Ole Man Trouble, don't need you, Ole Man Trouble..." damn! Is that soul, or what? Two cool Sam Cooke covers (Shake and Wonderful World) round this classic album out. I enjoy every song (with the possible exception of a rather limp My Girl), and this is one of my favorite Soul LP's.

****3/4. One of the all-time classic soul records.......2006-07-28

I don't know if "Otis Blue" is the greatest 60s soul record ever released, as some have suggested, but I'm convinced it must be in the top-10.
"Otis Blue: Otis Redding Sings Soul" is a bit brief by today's standarts, and I do prefer the Stones' own version of "Satisfaction" to this one, but virtually every thing else is terrific. The arrangements are lean and uncluttered but suitably muscular, and Otis Redding was not the least of the many fine vocalists of soul's "golden age".

Redding is equally convincing on slow, gospel-like tunes like "A Change Is Gonna Come" and up-tempo soul stompers like "Respect", and he receives excellent backing by guitarist Steve Cropper and a tight four-man horn ensemble (two trumpets, two saxes).
Highlights include almost every song. A gritty, grinding "Down In The Valley", a rarely-compiled cover of Sam Cooke's "Wonderful World", the aching ballad "I've Been Loving You Too Long", and "Shake", a driving dance-friendly party tune. Whether or not the blues classic "Rock Me Baby" benefits from this arrangement depends on how you feel about blues to begin with, I guess, but Steve Cropper's playing is certainly very good.

Some of Otis Redding's best self-penned songs are here, like "Ole Man Trouble" and the aforementioned "Respect" and "I've Been Loving You Too Long", and while a good case can be made for the "Dock Of The Bay" being Redding's best original album, I think this one deserves a tie at least.
"Otis Blue" should not be missing from any self-respecting soul collection. Music collection, really.
It's got a beat and you can dance to it. Ot just sit there alternately swaying and bopping your head like a deranged pigeon.

Oddly overrated classic soul LP.......2006-05-23

This is probably Redding's most famous and acclaimed single LP; it's one of only two that Rhino keeps in print domestically at mid-price. (The other is the ubiquitous semi-compilation, DOCK OF THE BAY). Redding's incredible force of personality carries all of his LPs, and they're all quality entertainment, but most of them are erratic. OTIS BLUE is as uneven as any of them but contains a handful of seminal performances.

Side A is much stronger than side B, and contains all of the original material Redding brought to this session. As expected, the three originals are all outstanding. "I've Been Loving You Too Long" is a justly famous, dynamic torch ballad; "Ole Man Trouble" (repeated, perhaps to more poignant effect, on DOCK OF THE BAY) receives a cavernous arrangement, anchored to a dissonant Steve Cropper riff, with lyrics of overwhelming despair. And the version here of "Respect" is sleeker and punchier than Aretha's, although necessarily it lacks much feminist interest. I prefer it anyway.

There are also three Sam Cooke songs, which suggests that Redding might have had a fuller tribute in mind to the then-recently deceased legend. Otis improves on both "Shake" and "A Change is Gonna Come" - the latter is skeletal and gut-wrenching, the former gloriously raunchy. (Despite the album's title, Redding's concerns throughout the album are pretty earthy - a lusty blues showcases Cropper on both sides of the LP, although the performances aren't among Redding's most memorable.)

Side B features a take on "Wonderful World" that is more radical, but not nearly apt or successful as the late-Cooke pieces on Side A. There's also a perfunctory version of "My Girl" that, like the two blues, slows the album's momentum and leads me to wonder why this is usually classed as Redding's masterpiece when discs like THE IMMORTAL OTIS REDDING are just sitting there unnoticed. After an odd (but basically reverent) version of "Satisfaction", complete with fuzz guitar, Redding takes William Bell by the collar and shakes "You Don't Miss Your Water" free, cutting to the quick just as he did with "A Change Is Gonna Come". His rendering of the immortal soul ballad is as eccentric and indispensible as The Byrds'.

Either three-and-a-half or four stars. DOCK OF THE BAY, which is just as cheap and is, to a certain extent, cobbled together (side B extracts tunes from three previous Redding LPs and one Stax compilation) is probably a better starter.

Best soul album ever........2005-09-05

This is for me the best soul album ever.
All songs are beautiful, contains true soul arrangements without
frequent and disruptive background vocals.
Redding is in top form. His songs like Respect or I've Been Loving You Too Long are great and his covers like Satisfaction or Down in the walley too.
This is essential music for every soul fans.
Note: I have this album on mono.