To have seen Otis Redding live must have been quite the experience. From the
films I have I have seen, the books and articles I have read, and now, hearing
Live In London and Paris, a 17-song CD, I can understand why
the man is a legend. Taken from two separate concerts on the 1967 Stax/Volt
Revue tour, these shows were played for enthusiastic European crowds just a
few months before Redding was tragically killed in a plane crash on December
9, 1967.
Backing Redding is none other than Booker T. and the MG’s, with Booker
T. Jones on organ, Steve Cropper on guitar (he contributed to liner notes in
the CD booklet), Donald “Duck” Dunn on bass and Al Jackson, Jr.
on drums. Also on hand were the fabulous Mar-Keys horns with Wayne Jackson on
trumpet, Andrew Love on tenor saxophone and Joe Arnold on tenor sax. Needless
to say, these guys lend so much to Redding’s performances that they don’t
seem so much like backing musicians as they do a necessary ingredient to the
music.
Each show begins with a rousing intro — though the one that actually
begins the CD, from London’s historic Finsbury Park Astoria, is the wilder
of the two. Suddenly, we are thrust into a pumping version of “Respect”
with the Mar-Keys and Redding running neck and neck all along the way. Next
is “My Girl,” and if you thought the horns were with Redding before,
man are they ever on it now! “Shake” has some sweet audience participation,
“Day Tripper,” a Beatles cover and hit in the UK for Redding, gets
a good airing, though I’m not exactly thrilled with this arrangement.
“Fa-Fa-Fa-Fa-Fa (Sad Song)” is a highlight with Redding egging
the crowd on to sing along, running the highs and lows with his masterful voice
and presence. “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction” is much better
than “Day Tripper,” as evidenced when the crowd sings with Redding
on the Stones classic. The set ends with “Try A Little Tenderness,”
a tour de force to be sure. This is pure Redding and his band, firing on all
pistons. At times it gets so hairy you fear “Tenderness” might break
apart in its sheer sweat. It might be a short set, but could we really sit through
a second more of this mania?
The Paris show is similar, with a few exceptions. There is a faster version
of “Respect” and because there was no curfew at this show, Redding
was able to include more songs in the set. “I Can’t Turn You Loose”
and “These Arms of Mine” are a couple of extras, both blistering,
but for my money the former is a show-stopper of the first order.
No matter how you look at it, Live In London and Paris is
a piece of history. All too infrequently do we come across a talent as big as
Otis Redding, with a presence so commanding and a voice that can transcend genres
and boundaries with a cracker-Jack bunch of musicians to give it wings. This
CD is a true gem for anyone looking for the best pop music has to offer from
one of its greatest purveyors.
~ Ralph Greco, Jr.
