In the vintage vinyl game—especially when it comes to rhythm ’n’ blues, jazz, and soul—finding well-preserved originals is like chasing a unicorn. These records were party staples, played hard and fast on anything but audiophile gear. Rhino Records’ Reserve series aims to fix that with a fresh reissue of the late Otis Redding’s classic, giving fans a chance to hear the legend in better shape than most originals can offer.
Otis Redding’s 1965 classic Otis Blue/Otis Redding Sings Soul gets a fresh lease on life with Rhino Records’ Reserve series reissue. If you want a sense of just how pricey original copies are, take a peek at Discogs—where near-mint editions currently fetch hundreds of dollars each.
Don’t get me wrong: pristine originals are a treasure for serious collectors with deep pockets. But for the rest of us—whether strapped for cash or simply wanting a faithful, quality version without the sticker shock—Rhino’s reissue is a solid and welcome alternative.
From Rhino’s own website we learn that “… this album has been cut from the original tapes by Chris Bellman at Bernie Grundman Mastering and is pressed locally on 180 gram premium-quality vinyl at Fidelity Record Pressing’s brand new plant in Oxnard, California as part of Rhino’s new Rhino Reserve line.”
One of the great things about this reissue is that it in fact features the preferred original Mono mix which sounds better than my original Stereo pressing. These vintage recordings were primarily mixed in Mono because radio was broadcast that way at the time so every release had to sound punchy and alive coming out of one speaker. Stereo was still a relatively new thing at the time so those mixes could vary in quality as it was frequently an afterthought.
Otis Blue/Otis Redding Sings Soul features the original version of “Respect,” which would soon become a worldwide smash hit for Aretha Franklin, along with the timeless “I’ve Been Loving You Too Long.” The album also includes three tracks originally performed by the legendary Sam Cooke, who had passed away just months earlier. Otis’s take on Cooke’s “Change Is Gonna Come” stands out as a powerful tribute. He even tackles Solomon Burke’s classic “Down In The Valley,” delivering a funkier version that some might say even eclipses the original.
The vinyl pressing on this reissue of Otis Blue/Otis Redding Sings Soul is excellent and the sound quality is great as far as 1965 soul records go. The only real difference for the obsessive collector (like myself) is that they don’t re-create the original label design of the Stax Records subsidiary this was released on, Volt Records. But for most people that is a minor issue. For the price, the Rhino Reserve edition of Otis Blue/Otis Redding Sings Soul is a great deal on a fantastic collection which often makes those lists of best albums of all time.
Where to buy: $31.98 at Amazon
Mark Smotroff is a deep music enthusiast / collector who has also worked in entertainment oriented marketing communications for decades supporting the likes of DTS, Sega and many others. He reviews vinyl for Analog Planet and has written for Audiophile Review, Sound+Vision, Mix, EQ, etc. You can learn more about him at LinkedIn.
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