32. Otis Blue/ Otis Redding Sings Soul- Otis Redding.

 This album is a perfect example of why this project is a worthwhile endeavour. From the first chunky guitar notes I found my interest was piqued. Then the horns came in. Wow! This is pure Stax magic. The background music is fantastic, yet Otis manages to capture center stage and keep the focus on the vocals. The album is mostly cover songs but he definitely makes them his own, and the result is outstanding.

 There are eleven songs on the album, first of which is "Ole Man Trouble". This is an excellent song, the guitar riff is captivating, and then the horns come in and round out the tune. Otis is strong throughout, and manages to stay in the forefront at the end of the song, pleading for trouble to stay away. There is a lot of power in his delivery, and his pleas seem heartfelt. I like this song quite a bit. 

 "Respect" is next. The horns blare out and then we hear the familiar lyrics. I have to say that I like the Aretha Franklin version a little bit better, but this one is a good song in it's own right. These two songs were Redding's own creations, showcasing his songwriting ability. From what I understand, the Stax recordings were far looser than the other studios', creating more of a jam feel and a creative flow of ideas, as opposed to playing strictly what was written down and given to the musicians upon arrival to the studio. With musicians of this caliber it was possible and some incredible music came out of it. 

 "Change Gonna Come", "Shake", and "Wonderful World" were written by Sam Cooke, who had been shot in Los Angeles the previous December, allegedly wearing only a sport jacket and shoes at the time. There is a story that bears further investigation. They are all good songs, indecent exposure notwithstanding, and Otis does not disappoint. 

 "My Girl" echoes the original, I found it unremarkable at first but found the clever arrangement of the horns and guitar won me over quickly. These songs all have that signature Stax sound, which is amazing. There isn't much on the album that is groundbreaking, it seems as though this excellent group of musicians decided to throw together an album of covers and sat down and recorded it. Notable musicians on the album are Steve Cropper and Donald "Duck" Dunn, who were also well known as part of the Blues Brothers Band, and were members of the Stax house band "Booker T and The MGs." Issac Hayes plays the piano on the album, who was well known for the album "Hot Buttered Soul" and more recently as Chef on South Park. Interestingly, the music comes across as "black", but Cropper and Dunn are white guys, who both had a large impact on this type of music. Considering this album was recorded at the same time that the Civil Rights Movement was in full swing, in a city with documented racial tensions, this check your racism at the door policy is a bit of a surprise. It makes you wonder what excellent music we missed out on because of archaic attitudes. 

 Further along, Otis gets into the blues, covering "Rock Me Baby" by BB King. Cropper gets to stretch out a little on this one and gives us a nice clean blues solo. The horn shots are mostly accents, but they add a lot to the tune. Perhaps the most intriguing track on the album is a cover of "Satisfaction" by the Rolling Stones. It is an interesting take on the well known tune, and they do a good job. The album wraps up with "You Don't Miss Your Water" a beautiful low key song that is a perfect touch to finish a fantastic album. 

 The entire album is very listenable, I don't recall any low points at all. I cannot get enough of the horn arrangements, and Cropper's guitar work is sensational. He seems to hit all the right notes at the perfect times. Otis Redding sings powerfully, yet he is not overpowering. The fact that these songs are so tight when the record only took two days to make, is amazing to me. It is a testament to the talents working on the album. Rolling Stone placed this album at number 74 on the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time.

 

Buy it here.