Otis! The Definitive Otis Redding, Vol. 1

Artist: Otis Redding

Date Released: November 9, 1993

Label: Rhino

Produced By:

Tracklisting:
 * 1) She's All Right - The Shooters feat. Otis Redding
 * 2) Gettin' Hip
 * 3) Shout Bamalama - Otis Redding & The Pinetoppers
 * 4) Hey Hey Baby
 * 5) These Arms of Mine
 * 6) That's What My Heart Needs
 * 7) Mary's Little Lamb
 * 8) Pain in My Heart
 * 9) Security
 * 10) Come to Me
 * 11) Don't Leave Me This Way
 * 12) Little Ol' Me
 * 13) Don't Be Afraid of Love
 * 14) Your One and Only Man
 * 15) Chained and Bound
 * 16) That's How Strong My Love Is
 * 17) Mr. Pitiful
 * 18) For Your Precious Love
 * 19) I've Been Loving You Too Long (To Stop Now)
 * 20) I'm Depending on You
 * 21) Ole Man Trouble
 * 22) Change is Gonna Come
 * 23) Down in the Valley
 * 24) Shake

Review: Otis Redding ranks up there with the likes of Buddy Holly and Jimi Hendrix as far as ‘what if’s’ are concerned in the history of popular music. At the time of his death, a very young 26, the Georgia native was just beginning to tap into his near endless potential, recording (Sittin’ On) The Dock of the Bay just days before the tragic plane crash that claimed his life as well as four members of his backing band, The Bar-Kays. Redding’s popularity at the time was so great that he was crossing racial and genre boundaries culminating with his breakout performance at the Monterey International Pop Festival in the spring of 1967 (the same year of his death). He single-handedly built Stax Records from the ground up with his record sales in the 60s, epitomizing deep soul in the process. This is volume one of a four disc series and features the first third of Redding’s career. It begins even before his days with Stax/Atlantic, She's All Right features an 19-year-old Otis singing with The Shooters, Gettin' Hip was recorded for Alshire in 1960 and Shout Bamalama was a collaboration with The Pinetoppers. The rest of the tracks follow chronologically and contrast Redding’s ability to use his emotive and raspy voice for either excitable party tracks like Hey Hey Baby, I'm Depending on You, and Shake or aching ballads like his biggest early hit, These Arms of Mine, as well as Chained and Bound and I've Been Loving You Too Long (To Stop Now). This volume rounds out in 1966 with half of Otis Blue: Otis Redding Sings Soul, but stops short of the heavy output that lead right up until his death. It is a wonderful introduction to Otis Redding, compiling all the different styles he emulated and then perfected during his brief but productive career, and just adding more fuel to the ‘what if’ fire in the process. Mpardaiolo