Customer Reviews

I've Been Loving You Too Long and Other Hits

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"I've Been Loving You Too Long," (1997) is a posthumous, skimpy, best-hits of the late, great Otis Redding, released by Rhino Records. The Georgia-born Redding, who left us, tragically, way too young at 26, in a crash of his private plane, was an influential singer/songwriter. He was a practitioner of gospel-derived, deepest fried southern soul, and an exponent of the best music Memphis-based Stax/Volt could produce, with its wailing horns, and strong, pounding house band backing, by Steve Cropper's Booker T and the MGs. Redding's instrument, his voice, was an exemplar of soul: hoarse, passionate and gritty, yet he could produce aching ballads, and party tunes that still carried emotional content.

He wrote the album's title tune with Jerry Butler; too, he wrote "Respect," a big hit for Aretha Franklin; his intense version of the song is on this album. He also co-wrote many songs with Steve Cropper. His biggest, mainstream hit while alive was "Tramp," a duet with Carla Thomas. He also wrote his biggest, immortal, posthumous hit, "(Sittin' on) the Dock of the Bay;" he recorded it three days before his death. (The version released includes his famous whistled verse; he hadn't written the words yet, but intended to soon.) Neither of these signature songs is included here. But you do get several wonderful songs: a driving "Mr. Pitiful," and a yearning "These Arms of Mine," his earliest R & B hits. His famous, pounding, mispronounced take on the Rolling Stones' "Satisfaction." A prayerful "Pain in My Heart," and an exultant, churchy "Glory of Love."

This album, you can see, does not have all his greatest hits: there are others on the market that do, if you want them all in one place. But the album coheres better than some greatest hits compilations do, feels all of a piece, and we sure get to hear plenty of "Dock of the Bay" elsewhere. Your call.

This is Otis Redding at his best. Classic song list with Otis' special soulful emotion...an absolute "must" for every music library...these songs and his style are in a catagory all their own. Highly recommend.

Listening to this music brings back some wonderful and deeply moving emotions. This is definitely the very best of Otis Redding.