"Sittin' On the Dock of the Bay" is what folks tend to think of when they hear the name Otis Redding, but this guy was well on his way to becoming the next James Brown when his plane crashed into Madison's Lake Monona. Recorded in March of 1967 at Paris' Olympia Theatre, this cover heavy set sees Redding backed by Stax house band Booker T. & the MG's. His only live album to be released during his lifetime, it was issued five months to the day before his death.
Some other thoughts:
#478, LL Cool J's Radio: Ah, the innocent days of hip hop. No gangsta gibberish, little use of samples... Just pure good old fashioned b-boy rap. This was Def Jam's first full length release.
#477, The Fugees' The Score: Who couldn't love politically conscious hip hop from two Haitians and a Jersey girl back in the mid 90s? "Killing Me Softly" got all the attention, but the standout for me is their rendition of "No Woman No Cry," a nod to Wyclef Jean and Pras Michel's refugee status. Jean later made a candidacy bid for the 2010 Haitian presidential election, but didn't meet the residency requirement.
#476, The Paul Butterfield Blues Band: This is a name I've been hearing over and over in references to and remembrances of the music of the 1960s, but this may be the first time I've actually heard these guys. Sturdy Chicago blues, 'nuff said. Interesting fact: Three members of this band backed up Bob Dylan on his controversial electric set at the 1965 Newport Folk Festival.
#475, Bruce Springsteen's Tunnel of Love: An interesting follow-up to Born in the USA. A good deal more personal, with a somewhat spare, and much less radio-friendly, sound. Not my favorite Springsteen record, but worth a listen.
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