51. The Dictionary of Soul - Otis Redding
Hi there! I just pressed play and was greeted by the Memphis Horns putting out that sweet Stax Records sound. Unsurprisingly, Otis is backed by Booker T and the MGs, which is a recipe for a fine album (in my humble opinion). Remember how much we enjoyed "Otis Blue"? Of course you do, how could nineteen other fantastic albums erase that one from our memory? This album followed up on the success of "Otis Blue" and a crossover concert at the Whiskey a Go Go which brought the Soul sound to the west coast and opened the ears of a predominantly white audience. Sadly, this was to be his last solo offering prior to his death. Redding was killed in a plane crash just after recording his famous song "(Sittin' on) The Dock of the Bay". It's a sad and all too familiar story. But he released this album, and we are going to listen to it, so lets get down to business. "Fa-Fa-Fa-Fa-Fa (Sad Song)" leads off the album with the aforementioned horns. Th...