The rest is “typical” Memphis soul, and by “typical” I mean exceptionally great (because Redding always was an exceptional artist.) It’s ostensibly new Redding material, in that most of it hadn’t been released. So like I said, none of the other material on the album sounds anything like that. Mellow, 60's hippy influenced soul without a doubt, but a startlingly effective synthesis that both musicians and music listeners quickly jumped on. It sounds distinctively like California, and Redding makes no attempt to hide that, crooning, “I left my home in Georgia / Heading for the ‘Frisco Bay.” It’s all a short commentary on his own circumstance at the time, having just coming in to the Golden state to play the Monterey Pop Festival.
We literally hear what Redding sings as the mid tempo beat rolls in and away with the tide. “(Sittin’ On) The Dock of the Bay,” co-written by Steve Cropper, prominently features the MGs guitarists’ leads. First off, nothing sounds remotely like “(Sittin’ On) The Dock of the Bay,” which is not surprising since Redding died only weeks after writing it. The Dock of the Bay is worth checking out (and important) for two reasons:ġ) The aforementioned “(Sittin’ On) The Dock of the Bay” and,Ģ) The fact that it issued several quality single hits and b-sides that had yet to grace a Redding collection. You know how TNT says they know drama? Fu ck them. His voice? His voice is the sound of butter melting, the sound of a running river, a voice dedicated to human emotion. Redding practically defined the rough-hued, country grit sound of Southern soul, a dynamo style birthed from hard-hitting beats, funky horns and raw, authoritative gospel vocals. Redding deserves all the praise in the world, not just for his own music but for his contributions to the whole pop music lexicon. Now, I’m not the type to rush out and sh it on an artist like Otis Redding. If there were no alternate means of acquiring that song, that understated piece of sublime pie, then the simple mention of The Dock of the Bay on any list of greatest albums would be more than warranted.
“(Sitting On) The Dock of the Bay” is arguably Otis Redding’s finest cut, certainly one of his most popular and thus, his defining moment in pop music history.
#161 on Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums of All Time
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