The Album: Otis Redding The Very Best of Otis Redding (1992)

Xiu Xiu's Jamie Stewart is the son of a record producer and session player who blessed him with the gift of The Very Best of Otis Redding, the 1992 compilation of sixteen of the best songs from the late Otis Redding's catalogue. His father gave him instructions for listening - the charge to learn all about feel.

We talked about the nuances of jabs and riffs and Otis Redding's pathos, his restraint, Otis' use of "uncool words" his penchant for the word "lovely", and his wonderfully nuanced cover of the Rolling Stones "Satisfaction".

We discussed the sound Memphis music - Stax/Volt, the musicianship, the organic country friend soul sound of the label, and how that sound benefitted Otis Redding.

What Jamie Stewart learned most from Otis Redding was awareness, how beats affect emotion, awareness of feel and how rhythm and emotion impact singing.

It was a great conversation about a career and a life interrupted.

Xiu Xiu's newest album Girl with Basket of Fruit, releases 02/08/2019 via Polyvinyl.

Check out the music video for their newest single Scisssssssors.

Editor's note: Xiu Xiu was formed in San Jose, but the band is now LA-based.

More on Jamie Stewart

• Xiu Xiu Announces New Album (Pitchfork)
• Wondering, Maybe: An Interview with Jamie Stewart of Xiu Xiu (Pop Matters)
• Xiu Xiu's Jamie Stewart talks about his 14 year love of birdwatching (SCPR)
• Twitter | Bandcamp

Show Tracklisting (all songs from The Very Best of Otis Redding unless indicated otherwise):

• I've Got Dreams to Remember
• Shake
• Pain in My Heart
• Otis Redding: Ole Man Trouble
• Try a Little Tenderness
• Frank Sinatra: Try a Little Tenderness
• The Happy Song (Dum-Dum-De-De-De-Dum-Dum)
• Satisfaction
• Respect
• I've Been Loving You Too Long
• Jay-Z and Kanye West: Otis
• I've Got Dreams to Remember
• These Arms of Mine
• Otis Redding: Free Me
• Otis Redding: Hard to Handle
• Otis Redding: Change Gonna Come
• Otis Redding: Try a Little Tenderness (Live on Upbeat)

Here is the Spotify playlist of as many songs as we can find on there.

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