Good to Me - Recorded Live At the Whisky A Go Go, Vol. 2

Album Review

No Otis Redding fan — not even a casual admirer — could possibly go wrong owning this disc. It needn't be said that there can never be too many Otis Redding live albums, but even allowing for that as a given, this CD — an expanded, somewhat reshuffled version of the LP Recorded Live, which appeared to little fanfare in 1982 — is worth special attention. Recorded at the same April 1966 dates whence came In Person at the Whiskey a Go Go, it is a little on the rough side, as singer and band struggle to get completely in sync, but once they do — the version of "I've Been Loving You Too Long" presented here could be the best on record, an extended soul workout that just seems to ratchet up the fever and the tension past the point of no return, so it just seems like Redding is going to float away into the sky because there's no place left for him to go with the song — this reviewer works up a sweat just listening to it. The rendition of "Security" here isn't far behind it, and as neither of those numbers was on the earlier In Person at the Whiskey a Go Go release, their presence here makes this disc a mandatory purchase. Not everything here comes up to that standard, but even Redding's version of "A Hard Day's Night" is worth hearing. The CD edition has been expanded with the inclusion of an introduction plus versions of three numbers — "I'm Depending on You," "Pain in My Heart," and "These Arms of Mine" — that are already represented on the first album. The sound is excellent and the annotation is thoughtful and informative, all making this disc essential listening for any fan.