Otis Redding – The Best: See + Hear (CD/DVD)

Any Otis Redding fan – big or small – already has most if not all of the songs collected on this best of album. Regardless, it’s a decent glimpse into Redding’s brief but brilliant career, highlighting songs like “Respect,” “I’ve Been Loving You Too Long” and “I’ve Got Dreams to Remember,” along with a great cover of the Stones’ “Satisfaction”.

The real treasure in this new release from Shout! Factory is the DVD that accompanies the dozen audio tracks. The 12 live performances on the DVD, directed by D.A. Pennebaker, are taken from the 1967 Stax/Volt Tour in Oslo, Norway and in Monterey, CA. The performances are remarkable, hinting at how just how strong of a performer Redding was. There are also clips of performances by Sam & Dave and Booker T & The MG’s. No disrespect to Marvin Gaye and James Brown, but Redding was by far the greatest soul singer that ever put his voice on record.

Rating: 9 out of 10

Top tracks: Just about every single one… but specifically “Try a Little Tenderness,” “Mr. Pitiful” and “I’ve Got Dream to Remember”

Otis Redding – The Best: See + Hear / 1 CD and 1 DVD / 12 Tracks on CD, 12 Tracks on DVD/2009/Shout! Factory