Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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78 of 78 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
"Dreams To Remember" Is The Best Buy, September 17, 2003
In addition to "Dreams To Remember", there are two other Otis Redding collections, that merit consideration, each for entirely different reasons. The first is for the casual fan, "The Very Best of Otis Redding" which are two seperate releases and each CD contains 16 studio cuts, for a total of 32 songs. The second is the exhaustive "Definitive Otis Redding" with 162 cuts on 4 CDs; far more material than a casual fan may ever want to own. "Dreams To Remember", the most recent collection on Rhino, occupies a space somewhere between casual and serious.
The lightweight "Very Best" is good, but there are too many "covers" included. Everyone wants to hear the Otis version of "Satisfaction", but the inclusion of cover versions of "My Girl", "Day Tripper", "Amen" and "Papa's Got A Brand New Bag" make the second volume of "Very Best" almost unendurable upon repeated listenings. The clever buyer will realize that "Dreams To Remember" has a price eligible for free shipping on Amazon, while buying the two seperate volumes of "Very Best" does not qualify for free shipping, so the ultimate price of the "Very Best" adds to about the same price as "Dreams To Remember" when you factor shipping costs. So do the math...for the same price as "Very Best" which contains 32 cuts, you can purchase "Dreams To Remember" which contains 55 cuts and none of the insipid pop covers, but does contain more of his signature deep soul sound, plus a few "live cuts" from his groundbreaking performance at Monterey Pop. "Dreams To Remember" trumps the two volume "Very Best", hands down.
Finally there is the all encompassing "Definitive" 4 CD collection. Anytime you shell out a premium retail price for an exhaustive anthology, it begs the question of how much is too much of a particular artist. There are definite throwaways on "Definitive" that become a painful exercise in listening, unless you beleive Otis could "do no wrong." It's no suprise that the venerable Rhino, which started as a collector's boutique label, is responsible for compiling and releasing all of three of these fine collections. An important final word of caution is in order: Rhino has yet to release any digitally remastered collections of Otis Redding. Indeed, no one stateside has released any remastered Redding material. The price heavy 4 CD "Definitive" Otis Redding of today, may be tomorrow's "Obsolete" Otis Redding. Until the remastered Otis is available, a nice compromise is this satisfying "Dreams To Remember" collection.
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12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
You got ta got ta..., June 15, 2002
If you're like me, you recognize 7 or 8 songs -- the big hits --on this set and you're wondering if Redding has enough great songs to fill two CD's. I took the plunge because I loved those 7 or 8 songs. Try a Little Tenderness, Change is Gonna Come, Mr. Pitiful, and others. Otis just tears you up, wrecks you, brings you to your freaking knees, song after song after song. Now, I'm thinking maybe I should have bought the 4 CD set. You've got to have Otis Redding in your collection and you don't want to just have the 7 or 8 big, big hits. Trust me, you want to put Otis on and leave him on. This is a great set.
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11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Soul in a box, May 7, 2000
This is a very slick two-disc set. Great care has been taken to put together an accurate timeline which touches on all of the major highlights of Redding's career. Reading the booklet while grooving to the music is a moving experience - one that Rhino Records should be proud of. Readers are led from Otis Redding's discovery to the tragic plane crash that ended his life. Otis died at the age of 26 - which makes it all the more amazing that his music has endured like it has. These two discs contain a total of 50 tracks, many of them from live shows. If you love soul music, this is one collection that you honestly should not be without. For a personal selection, try song #13 on disc 1, "Change Gonna Come."
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DVD ~ Otis Redding
~ Otis Redding
~ Wilson Pickett
~ Various Artists
~ Al Green
See all 26 tracks on this disc
by Otis Redding 
