The Dictionary of Soul has more punch and grit than most of the 1966 soul records I have heard. Be they of a more country or gospel or rock bent, the various modes make the album a kind of summary of the genre. Watching and rousing his tight band, the Mar-Keys, Otis sounds like he’s having fun. His vocals are warm and direct; and fast or slow, the vamping is kept to a minimum. What can I say? A model of compression, this is the Otis Redding sound, as be-jeweled as ever it was.
Rating: B
