Hangin' Out In 100b

Otis Redding’s raw voice seems to come from the tips of his toes, the depths of his soul. He may not have the polished, velvety voice of other soul greats like Sam Cooke or Marvin Gaye, but whatever feeling a song conjures up in the pit up of his stomach is felt by everyone within listening-distance. He is THE Soul Man, and his voice will never stop influencing generations to come.

aDawgg:

Otis Redding was known for a masterful ability to capture the depth of emotion simply with his voice. The full spectrum is captured in his catalogue and, with such superbitude to choose from, defining only one as quintessential is on the edge of impossible. However, thankfully, “Mr. Pitiful” perfectly illustrates the ability Redding had to communicate the soulful despair a man suffers in love and loss while riding the rails of an upbeat brass-punctuated tempo. In “Mr. Pitiful”, Redding, voice trembling with emotion, wants to us, his congregation, to feel him. And, oh, yes, feel him we definitely do.

Bean:

The Tamboosh might stop being my friend after this, but I couldn’t quite get into Otis Redding. Not as much as I’d expected, anyway – I found him a little too smooth. Except on “Shout Bamalama”, a tiny explosion of a song that sounds like it busted right through the studio walls. From the opening shouts, to the crazy lyrics that sound like Redding was making them up right then – even that it just fades away, as if he could’ve kept singing as long as someone would listen – “Shout Bamalama” packs a serious punch in just under two little minutes.

Tamboosh:

Otis Redding has been my favorite singer since I was about ten. It’s no coincidence my favorite living vocalist, Dan Auerbach, is often compared to him. I’m drawn to powerful voices with grit and full of soul. Otis is at his best when his guttural cries convey the anguish that comes with loving as deeply as he did. This song is still one of the most romantic songs I’ve ever heard. He doesn’t need roses and candlelight; he builds such a passionate and intimate world with the simple act of drinking coffee and smoking a cigarette with his love.