Doing a 180: Otis Redding, The Dock of the Bay

Wow, we’re getting the strangest sense of déjà vu all of a sudden…

Yes, that’s right: yesterday our Mono Mondays release was Otis Redding’s The Dock of the Day, and today we’re issuing the very same album on 180-gram vinyl. As such, what can we tell you – besides, of course, that it’s going to sound staggeringly good when you give it a spin – that we didn’t cover in our previous piece on this classic effort?

Well, first of all, although we tackled the fact that Redding co-wrote the title track with Steve Cropper, we didn’t really get into the fact that Redding helped composed several other songs on the record, including “Let Me Come On Home,” a co-write with Booker T. Jones and Al Jacobson, Jr., and three solo compositions: “Open the Door,” “I’m Coming Home,” and “Ole Man Trouble.” In addition, there are versions of “I Love You More Than Words Can Say,” written by Jones and Eddie “Knock on Wood” Floyd, and “Don’t Mess with Cupid,” by Cropper, Floyd, and Deanie Parker, along with covers of Billy Hill’s “The Glory of Love,” Jimmy Cox’s “Nobody Knows You (When You’re Down and Out),” “Tramp,” written by Lowell Fulson and Jimmy McCracklin, and Redding’s take on “The Huckle-Buck.”

How’s that? And just for kicks, we’ll also throw in a mention that the album was listed at #161 on Rolling Stone’s 2003 list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. If that’s enough enough to sell you on picking up this particular vinyl reissue, we can only presume that you don’t own a record player…although if that’s the case, we can assure you that it also makes a nice conversation piece.

Look, here’s the thing: Otis Redding’s The Dock of the Bay is a must-own, so if you don’t own it yet, you can’t say it’s our fault, because this is the second time and second format in two days that we’ve offered you.