More than words can say
osapientia | Carson, CA | 07/25/2005
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I stayed away from this CD for years simply because 'Dock of the Bay' was so overexposed. Recently, I gave this one a chance and it exceeded my expectations. I still think 'Immortal Otis' is the essential Otis Redding album. However, this one will blow you away too. He just has a way of owning a song and making it completely his. Otis has covered a few songs and they all take on new meaning, like 'Respect.'- just totally Otis. People have tried to take on Otis, as cover material, but his style is simply too unique, too much soul for any mere mortal."
****1/2
Docendo Discimus | Vita scholae | 01/06/2008
(4 out of 5 stars)
""The Dock of the Bay" sadly became Otis Redding's last album, and it's a bit of a haphazard collection as well, gathering various singles and B-sides and including tracks recorded as far back as 1965.
Perhaps surprisingly, it's also one of his best albums. The famous title track from 1968 sticks out stylistically; there is really nothing here quite like it.
The rest of the album is more traditional soul, spanning emotional ballads like "I Love You More Than Words Can Say" and the gospel-like "The Glory Of Love", swaggering soul stompers like "I'm Coming Home To See About You" and "Let Me Come On Home", and dance-friendly R&B like "The Huckle-Buck" and "Tramp", the classic duet with Carla Thomas.
Even the lesser-known songs are good, or even great. The arrangements are excellent, relatively sparse but fittingly muscular, utilizing the small horn section to great effect. This is one classic soul record, and one of the ver ybest places to experience the great Otis Redding. It's sad that it came out under such circumstances."