Pain in My Heart

Otis Redding | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (November 5, 1991)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Elektra / Wea
• ASIN: B000002IH3
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #26,869 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #48 in Music > R&B > Soul > Southern Soul

Track Listings

1. Pain In My Heart

2. The Dog

3. Stand By Me

4. Hey Hey Baby

5. You Send Me

6. I Need Your Lovin'

7. These Arms Of Mine

8. Louie Louie

9. Something Is Worrying Me

10. Security

11. That's What My Heart Needs

12. Lucille

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Like most R&B albums of the early 1960s, Otis Redding's 1964 debut was a haphazard mixture of the artist's contemporary hits ("These Arms of Mine," "Pain in My Heart"), B-sides ("Something Is Worrying Me," "Hey Hey Baby"), and covers of popular hits of the day ("You Send Me," "Stand by Me"). Stylistically, Redding was still trying to find his feet; though he obviously had the voice and ability to pull off tender ballads like the title track, he hadn't yet given up on trying to scream like Little Richard ("Lucille"). Uneven as they may be, the tracks on Pain in My Heart get over on the sheer soulfulness of Redding's singing. Worth the price of admission alone is the underrated "Security," which was the first in a string of great uptempo Redding originals. --Dan Epstein

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars First rays of a new rising sun, May 4, 2000

By 

Michael Sean (Seattle, WA - US) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Pain in My Heart (Audio CD)

As with many early Stax full-lengths, this album was built around the success of a couple hits. In this case, it was a pair of soulful ballads. What had originally been a recording session for Johnny Jenkins & The Pinetoppers (for whom Otis was the vocalist) in 1962 resulted in Otis introducing "These Arms of Mine." It was released at the end of the year and went on to become a Top 20 R&B hit, followed by "Pain In My Heart" in 1963. Another session in January 1964 produced the rest of the tracks, most of them covers. There are songs by two of Otis' heroes, Sam Cooke's "You Send Me" and Little Richard's "Lucille," as well as renditions of "Stand By Me," "I Need Your Lovin'," "Louie Louie," and Rufus Thomas' "The Dog." While some of it is unremarkable filler material, Redding's "Something Is Worrying Me" and the excellent "Security" make this disc worth a listen. The backing band is Stax's legendary rhythm section, Booker T. & the MG's, with horns provided by the Mar-Keys. Jenkins plays guitar on "These Arms of Mine" and its B-side "Hey Hey Baby." At the time, Otis hadn't completely found his groove yet, so the album is fairly inconsistent. However, it's interesting to hear the seeds of what he would become, and his wonderful singing on the slow numbers was already in fine form. It stands as a promising debut record that's enjoyable but not essential. The strongest tracks off this CD can also be found on Rhino's 2-Disc Otis Redding anthology, "Dreams To Remember" (which also features "Shout Bamalama," the Pinetoppers song that brought them to Memphis in the first place).

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A fine debut, January 6, 2008

By 

Docendo Discimus (Vita scholae) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Pain in My Heart (Audio CD)

"Pain in my Heart" was Otis Redding's first LP, recorded at various sessions between 1962 and 1964, an issued by Stax Records in January, 1964.
And it's a great one, a must-have, really, for fans of classic deep soul music.

Otis Redding, at about 22 years of age, sounds a bit more restrained than on subsequent albums, and he relies rather heavily on covers, but this is far from a sugary pop record. Stax was a soul label, and nobody tried to make Redding into a mainstream pop singer.
He may not let loose quite as much as he would a couple of years later, but there is no mistaking the hoarse, gritty, powerful voice, and the arrangements are pure tough soul.

The Rolling Stones were heavily inspired by deep Southern soul like this, and by this album in particular, actually, and while it doesn't quite measure up to "Otis Blue", "Pain in my Heart" is nevertheless a terrific debut. Get it!

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars excellent, December 22, 2007

By 

Michael K. Hensley - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Pain in My Heart (Audio CD)

This is pure r&b that doesnt get any better. I can remember my parents enjoying this album. For such a very early work of Mr.Redding I think it deserves nothing less than 5 stars. The version of "the dog" is nothing less than happy and uplifting (at least to me).