Otis Redding, Remember Me
Fresh, soulful spins on undeniable classics.
No male vocalist — not Ray Charles, Sam Cooke, James Brown or Rev. Al Green — ever sang raw, unreconstructed soul more effectively or memorably than Otis Redding. His voice had an earthy, out-of-the-dirt sound that turned ballads into smoldering heartache triumphs and uptempo tunes into magnetic stompers. Sadly, his tragic death in a 1967 plane crash robbed us of a wonderful artist just coming into his own artistically. This collection of material cut between 1963 and 1967 at first glance might seem like a less desirable package, since it offers alternate versions of such Redding anthems as "Sittin 'on the Dock of the Bay," "Respect," "Try a Little Tenderness" and "Come To Me." But it's a tribute to his prowess that the adjustments, variations and twists he brings to these songs make them nearly as enjoyable to hear as the classic versions most soul fans have already worn out. But other, fresher material includes the demonstrative "Don't Be Afraid of Love" and "I'm Coming Home," as well the title track, the entertaining if dated "The Boston Monkey" and "She's All Right." While certainly not a classic work such as Otis Blue or Dictionary of Soul, Remember Me emerges as much more than a throwaway item.
