Otis Redding - The Soul Album (Rhino Reserve)

The Soul Album catches Otis Redding in 1966 at full power, and this Rhino Reserve edition puts one of his most underrated records back on the turntable.

Arriving between Otis Blue and Dictionary of Soul, it is easy to overlook, yet it finds him at his most relaxed and commanding. The backing comes from the Stax house crew, with Steve Cropper, Booker T. Jones, Duck Dunn, Al Jackson Jr. and Isaac Hayes joined by a punchy Memphis horn section that knew exactly how to leave room for that voice.

"Cigarettes and Coffee" is the slow-burning heart of the record, a late-night plea so tender it barely needs the band. He turns Sam Cooke's "Chain Gang" into a gritty, rolling work song, digs deep into the blues standard "Nobody Knows You When You're Down and Out", and rides the bouncing groove of "634-5789" with a grin you can almost hear.

Cropper's guitar is a quiet star throughout, all clipped chords and perfectly placed fills, and the arrangements stay lean so the emotion lands with full force. It climbed high on the R&B albums chart, and it is easy to hear why.

For anyone who knows only the big hits, this is the next record to reach for, a deep soul set that still sounds gloriously alive.