Otis Redding "The Best Of" (1984)

The Best of Otis Redding (compilation)
release date: 1984
format: vinyl
[album rate: 4 / 5]
producer: various
label: Atlantic Records - nationality: USA

Best of compilation album by Otis Redding with 12 of his great songs, and containing only one record, this seems rather inadequate, but the songs included are great as they are.

Best of 1966:Otis Redding "Complete & Unbelievable: The Otis Redding Dictionary of Soul" (1966)

Complete & Unbelievable: The Otis Redding Dictionary of Soul
release date: Oct. 15, 1966
format: cd
[album rate: 5 / 5]

Tracklist: 1. "Fa-Fa-Fa-Fa-Fa (Sad Song)" (5 / 5) - 2. "I'm Sick Y'All" - 3. "Tennessee Waltz" - 4. "Sweet Lorene" - 5. "Try a Little Tenderness" (5 / 5) - 6. "Day Tripper" - 7. "My Lover's Prayer" - 8. "She Put the Hurt on Me" - 9. "Ton of Joy" - 10. "You're Still My Baby" - 11. "Hawg for You" - 12. "Love Have Mercy"

5th studio album by Otis Redding. This was to be his last studio album release before his untimely death (Dec. 10, 1967) at the age of 26, and the second studio album in '66. This is his studio album with the highest percentage of his own songs (tracks #1, #2, #4, #7, #8, #9, #11), and the album is like his '65 album, enlisted on several 'All times best albums'.
[ allmusic.com 5 / 5 stars ]

1966 Favourite releases: 1. Otis Redding Complete & Unbelievable: The Otis Redding Dictionary of Soul - 2. Dexter Gordon Gettin' Around' - 3. Astrud Gilberto Look to the Rainbow

Otis Redding "The Soul Album" (1966)

The Soul Album
release date: Apr. 1, 1966
format: cd
[album rate: 4 / 5]

Tracklist: 1. "Just One More Day" - 2. "It's Growing" - 3. "Cigarettes & Coffee" (4 / 5) - 4. "Chain Gang" - 5. "Nobody Knows You (When Your Down & Out)" - 6. "Good to Me" (4 / 5) - 7. "Scratch My Back" - 8. "Treat Her Right" - 9. "Everybody Makes a Mistake" - 10. "Any Ole Way" (4 / 5) (tv performance) - "634-5789"

4th studio album by Otis Redding is almost as great as his 1965 album. The style is the same and Redding interprets soul and r&b tracks including three of his own songs (tracks #1, #6, and #10). Only six months later he would do even better.
[ allmusic.com 4 / 5 stars ]

Best of 1965:Otis Redding "Otis Blue: Otis Redding Sings Soul" (1965)

Otis Blue: Otis Redding Sings Soul
release date: Sep. 15, 1965
format: cd
[album rate: 5 / 5]

Tracklist: 1. "Ole Man Trouble" - 2. "Respect" (5 / 5) - 3. "A Change Is Gonna Come" - 4. "Down in the Valley" - 5. "I've Been Loving You Too Long" (5 / 5) - 6. "Shake" (5 / 5) - 7. "My Girl" (5 / 5) - 8. "Wonderful World" (5 / 5) - 9. "Rock Me Baby" - 10. "Satisfaction" (5 / 5) - 11. "You Don't Miss Your Water"

3rd studio album by Otis Redding. Most of the songs here are cover-versions of famous r&b songs but here personalized into soul. Redding wrote three songs for the album himself (tracks #1, #2, and #5) and it soon became his best selling album reaching number #6 on the UK album charts. The album "is included in a number of best album lists, including Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums of All Time, Time magazine's list of the "All-Time 100 Greatest Albums", and Robert Dimery's "1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die". (from wikipedia). Another great soul singer, Sam Cooke, wrote three of the songs (tracks #3, #6, and #8), but as it is with all tracks on this album, Redding has a different approach, giving each song an emotional depth and feel that the original songs didn't have. Otis Redding is my all-time favourite soul artist and this album is one of his best.
[ allmusic.com, Rolling Stone, Record Collector, Virgin Encyclopedia 5 / 5 stars ]

1965 Favourite releases: 1. Otis Redding Otis Blue: Otis Redding Sings Soul - 2. The Beatles Help! - 3. Frank Sinatra September of My Years