Dreams To Remember: The Otis Redding Anthology

This release, by Rhino, is by far the finest product you can buy and in many ways is the final word on Otis Redding, in the age of the compact disc.



All of the the charting (and many that bubbled under) hits are here and most are in their original mono format. Sounding punchier than ever; contrary to another review here, these tracks are indeed remastered (probably just a simple boost in the levels to top it out).



Also, included are many songs that weren't necessarily 'hits' but were marvelous album tracks showcasing Otis' growth as a singer and the super sweet Stax house band.



Lastly I wanted to mention the packaging which is beyond stellar. Cover art is designed with a gritty 'urban' look with the drawing emphasizing Otis in front of Stax on E. McLemore Ave. The booklet is informed and has a nice breakdown of Otis the singer and artist as well as track info.



All in all, DREAMS TO REMEMBER is both the broadest and most succinct collection of his recordings; perfect for the novice or the obsessive.



(NOTE: I've also owned OTIS! - The Definited Collection Box Set and the Very Best of)

Few singers (if any) managed to have so much talent and soul

I can not comprehend how modern soul and R&B is classified as the same genre that includes greats such as Aretha Franklin, James Brown, and the one, the only, the greatest Otis Redding. You know his song "Sitting On the Docks of the Bay", so now you should buy this great compilation of Otis. A truly great tribute to one of the greatest vocalists ever. They say that whenever you bought an Otis single, you are buying a little bit of Otis himself. Mucho reccomended, as words fail me to describe the greatness of Otis.

Simply amazing.

Otis is probably my favorite male vocalist of all time. Not as precise as Frank Sinatra, not as high as Marvin Gaye and not as deep as Barry White. Otis Redding simply sang from his heart. No matter what he sang, he made it his own and brought it ALL on home. The man could sing "Old McDonald Had A Farm" and make you get chills, for God's sake.



His legacy is indelible. And the highlights are all here.



The studio cuts are great. Each and every one of them. No need for that skip button here, folks. Just lay back and groove to the epitome of 60's soul music. However, the best is saved for last. To explain...



Jimi Hendrix is my favorite artist of all time. When he first came out on the scene, he was well-known in Britain, but had yet to mark his territory in the U.S. His chance came at the Monterey Pop festival in 1967 (Summer of Love). He took the stage, scared some girls, humped the amps and played the HELL out of his guitar. When it was all over, he burned it. It was a truly phenomenal performance. He would have been the obvious #1 highlight were it not for Otis Redding.



Otis had the same thing to prove as Jimi. He was relatively unknown to that particular audience, so he came out with barrels blazing. His stint at the festival was truly one of those memorable go-for-broke experiences. He exuded more energy and charisma than a normal person would be able to handle. He hopped around onstage and worked the crowd to a fever pitch. After a mere five songs, he said, "I got to go, y'all, I don't wanna go!", gave the audience a smile and walked offstage. With that, he was forever cemented into the minds of all who attended. Six months later, he would die in that horrible plane crash.



That performance is captured here at the end of disc two. My personal favorite is "Try A Little Tenderness," but the entire set is absolutely PERFECT. You must hear it to believe it. If you don't like it, you don't like great music.



HIGHLY recommended.