Customer Reviews
Not the definitive Dock of the Bay mix... - By: AlanMusicMan, 17 Aug 2008 
I don't have a lot to add to the other reviews of this excellent CD. However; Buyers & listeners should be aware that the mix of "Dock of the Bay" which appears on this collection is - as on so many other compilations - the rather gutless stereo mix that was createdin the 1970s & which unfortunately gets most airplay. I have a 1968 mono single & although the "Dock..." track on this CD is undoubtedly the same performance, it's definitely not the same mix - it's an inferior one!
The original mix, which is far more powerful musically is available still on CD, & if you buy (from Amazon of course!) an album called "The Definitive Sound of Atlantic Soul" you will get the original mix, which has a heavier beat & makes much more of Steve Croppers great guitar backing. You'll also get a great many other excellent Atlantic cuts.
I just wish that the copyright owner would stop peddling the gutless mix & get back to the original.
The rest of this album is definitely classic & original stuff though - so do buy this one too.
Very good - By: Ms. Harriet L. Fisher, 12 Jul 2008 
I bought this album recently, having only heard "sitting on the dock of a bay", & i must say he has many better songs. This is a great collection. I especially love "ciggaretes & coffee" "thats how strong my love is" & "a change has got to come", these songs make you want to get it on!!!!
fab cd ! - By: looby, 09 Mar 2008 this is a fantastic cd. Fantastic voice, from a great soulful gorgeous man ! can listen to this all day ! His voice is second to none, you must buy it !!! He sings with feeling & experience - it showsin his voice.
Soul Legend - By: Andy Edwards, 26 Dec 2007 Ironically, the tune for which Otis is best known is untypical of his work. He had made his reputation as the No 1 Soul man with gritty Southern Soul, & had begun to appeal to Rock audiences after his appearance at Monterey. That meant that he was looking to vary his style to make it more acceptable to white audiences, hence "Sittin' on...", a much more mellow tune than he had ever before recorded.
Unfortunately he never saw it's release, he diedin the plane accident thta killed him, his manager & all but one of his band The Markeys. Otis would have been a huge star, he died just as the Soul bandwagon was becoming unstoppable. His deathin 1968 robbed the world of a finding out just what he could have become. What a shame it is that his work has become best known because of a film where people make pale (literally) versions of his classics.
This collection covers most of his best known songs, although notin chronological order, showing the vast vocal talent that Otis possessed. His ability to take a song & make it his own is clear on both the uptempo ("Respect") & ballads ("Try A Little Tenderness"). It is likely that you will have most of thesein your collection if you are a Soul fan, but for the more casual listener, this is a very good place to start - & it includes the sublime "That's How Strong...", on it's own worth the price. Recommended.
The music `sails` on - By: Mr. A. Craddock, 17 Feb 2007 Otis Redding was one of the front men of 1960`s soul music. His untimely death only added creedence to his legacy. His songs were inspiring & influential & like Jackie Wilson we can only wonder if he could have aspired to greater heights. Included on this compilation is Shake, Mr Pitiful, Respect , Hard to handle,his cover of the Stones classic Satisfaction , My girl whichin turn was covered by The Temptations & his biggest hit [sitting on] The dock of the bay which possibly released either a little earlier or later would have given him a number one. He came up against both The Beatles & Louis Armstrong backin 1968. This is a comprehensive look at one of the true Soul legends. You will not be disappointed.
