Otis Redding

This set features two discs: a superlative, yet all too brief, 12-track best of and a DVD of the long out-of-print Remembering Otis. The CD contains the studio versions of classics like "Respect," "I've Got Dreams To Remember," "I've Been Loving You Too Long (To Stop Now)" and the late Redding's biggest hit: "(Sittin' On) The Dock Of The Bay." There might be no better examples of deep Southern soul and the half-hour disc is an adequate introduction for neophytes. But with such an esteemed, albeit tragically short, legacy as Redding's, even a newcomer is going to want, and deserve, more. Luckily, that issue is solved by the DVD, which showcases now mythic concerts in Oslo, Norway on the Stax/Volt Tour and the entirety of his crossover performance at the Monterey Pop Festival in 1967, whom he calls "the love crowd." The Monterey performance is arguably one of the most transcendental ever filmed and backed by Booker T & the M.G.'s, Otis simply rocks. The killer here is still "I've Been Loving You Too Long (To Stop Now)," a masterful display of showmanship, tension and downright pure soul heartbreak that still sends chills up the spine after repeated viewings. Unfortunately, this is somewhat of a melancholy viewing experience, since in six months, Otis Redding would be killed at 26 in a plane crash.