Otis Blue / Otis Redding Sings Soul

Otis is so great. I don't listen to his stuff enough.

Pretty damn good tunes all around, with a wonderful voice to accompany it.

Cool collection of songs but it loses a star for being mostly covers.

Another one that’s I’ve owned on vinyl for a while that I’m so glad to see pop up. Absolutely adore this record. The song selection is a good mix of covers and originals. He just has a fantastic voice and energy.

Very enjoyable. Had never heard the germ for Respect before. 3.5/5

(4) well well well if it isn’t otis redding singing a bunch of bops for 32 mins (didn’t listen to extended cut)

Otis Redding has an impressive voice. After an impressive start to the album, I came to the conclusion on further listening that the album didn't excite me. But then it was the hits and the surprising soul version of "I can't get no ..." that made me change my interim judgment. 4/5

amazing album

Otis Redding's voice goes in and out like a radio broadcast, but somehow never loses its power, its consequence, its relatability. For a little more than thirty minutes, the great soul innovator has the right-of-way, taking you to every locale the genre can go. But what makes this particular record so intensely vital is that four of the eleven covers have come to be associated w/ other artists, and yet not for one second are you doubtful of Redding's ability to transcend the canonization of those tracks. 'Respect' is Aretha's, 'A Change Is Gonna Come' is Sam Cooke's, 'My Girl' is The Temptations's, and 'Satisfaction' is The Stones's, but Otis's versions aren't just up to par, they're standards of their own, epitomizing that tragically truncated career.

I am glad I could hear it on this lazy morning.

The majority of the tracks on Otis Blue are cover versions so this album will never be a 5 for me. It seems to be his strongest album, I haven't listened to the others fully but the track lists seem to have 1-2 standout songs. This album is a solid 30 mins of soul. 3.5/5. Raising to 4.

Better than coldplay

Otis is wonderful - love the sound, some great highlights here (Ole Man Trouble, A Change is Gonna Come). Some of the tracks have versions which are more iconic (Respect, My Girl, Wonder World, Satisfaction). I do like Otis' version of these but it keeps the record feeling a bit less essential. This is a strong 3 for me.

Classic Soul

Who knew Otis Redding looked like that?

This album is mostly covers, which is good for me because it means I actually know the songs. Well, covers and songs that will later be covered, like 'Respect'. (By the by, there seems to be a lot of misinformation about where "cover" in the music sense came from; it came from "coverage", as in market coverage!)

Double by the by, what's the deal with naming albums by colors? There's the Beatles' White album, which I always assumed inspired things like Weezer's Green album, Metallica's Black album, etc. But this album is older than the White Album! Of course I don't know if anyone called it Otis's Blue album, but surely it could have played some role in this tradition? It's a hard thing to research because colored vinyl records were also a thing, which may or not have had some influence (c.f. Bobby Vinton's 1963 "Blue on Blue", which was on blue vinyl).

Highlights: 'My Girl', 'Wonderful World' (I also don't know what a good slide rule is for), 'Satisfaction' (only because it reminds me of Britney Spears, ha)

That was a bit of a flash in the pan album, only lasted for 33 minutes. I don't know, certainly not as good as a full temptations album.

Bloody BRILLIANT album, I really loved this one. Another new discovery I had never heard of before and will be definitely listening to a lot more of.

Top Track - My Girl

This was a pleasure to listen to

What's with the album cover? Is it "this album will help you get white ladies like this"?
It made me second-guess my prior knowledge of who Otis Redding was prior to listening.
Anyway, great R&B album, awesome delivery, 5*. When I encounter "deluxe" versions of albums that are 2x as long as the original, I stop at the original length, but not with this one.

Otis Redding really does sing soul.

This album is a joy to listen to—I've had it on repeat 3 or 4 times today. It's just so effortlessly enjoyable and easy to get lost in.

It has everything: it can be light-hearted and funny one moment, then full of sorrow the next. His darker, more emotional take on Respect is brilliant. Some of the covers even outshine the originals—My Girl and Wonderful World are both standout versions.

Favourite songs: Hard to choose! My Girl and Wonderful World are classics for a reason, but I found myself really drawn to Respect and Satisfaction as well.
Least favourite: Honestly, there isn’t a single bad track on this album.
Album artwork: A really cool cover—simple but striking.