An album of mostly covers*, this was recorded (mostly) in a 24 hour period. That fact is crucial to understanding the energy of this album, complete with Booker T. and The M.G.'s tight, punchy backing and sprightly horns, everything sounds immediate and alive.
The real star is, of course, Redding himself, who tears into each song with reckless aplomb, plowing into the original's intentions, overwhelming those not strong enough to survive. His cackling shouting compelling reaction, Otis pulls no punches: an approach that works better on the fast songs than the ballads.
Individually, the songs don't always better their sources, and the insistence of the vocals precludes any kind of atmospheric listening experience, but the whipcrack immediacy of the recording makes it all worthwhile 3.5/5
* and one of the few originals, Respect, was largely outshined by its Aretha Franklin cover anyway
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