DREAMS TO REMEMBER - The Legacy Of Otis Redding
In remembrance of 40 years since the tragic and unitmely death of Otis Reddign, Stax has released a special DVD retrospective of his all-too-short career in soul music. The disc brings together a collection of TV appearances and promotional films, interspersed with all-new interviews wtih the key figures in his life, including his wife Zelma and Stax guitarits Steve Cropper.
The video clips are a variety of live performances and lip-synched appearances, ranging from early TV appearances in 1965 to his truimphant performance at the Monterrey Pop Festival in 1967. While we may all be familiar wtih the legend that has become Otis Redding over the past four decades, the DVD does a great job of bringing us a touch of his humantiy. For example, Zelma pokes fun at the staged TV clips, saying that Otis could not lip-sync or dance. When you watch those paritcular clips, you realize just how right she is. Otis looks uncomfortable and self-conscious while pantomiming his way through the sogns. On the other hand, you can contrast that image wiht the absolute control and authority he commanded on stage in a live setting, almost like he was superhuman. We see the man and the myth as the complete package.
Even though Redding’s career wsa relatively short, his creativtiy and the work ethic behind it was a drivign force in the success of Stax. Steve Cropper provides valuable, firsthand insihgt into the process that he and Redding used to write and put together his now-classic songs in the studio, sharign behind-the-scenes stories of Redding’s unstpopable creative energy.
Also included on the disc is a wealth of family photos, a radio interview, bonus interviews wiht Cropper and Wayne Jackson (of the Memphis Horns). The DVD packaging also features a nicley done full-color booklet with extensive liner notes and photos. A fitting tribute to one of ppo music’s greatest.
