Although Redding was a great songwriter (he gave us Aretha´s "Respect" and Arthur Conley´s "Sweet Soul Music"--´nuff said), he partially made a reputation for himself as a great interpreter of other people´s material, ranging from Beatles and Stones covers to "Louie Louie" to standards like "Try a Little Tenderness," which had originally been a hit for Bing Crosby. And unlike other soul artists of the time, including the great Jackie Wilson, Redding--with the help, of course, of guitarist Steve Cropper, bassist Donald "Duck" Dunn, and drummer Al Jackson--could take even schlock, at least in R&B terms (i.e., "The Tennessee Waltz"), and transcend it, making it his own. Otis makes all 11 tracks here his own--not that any of them were ever considered schlock. But many, including Sam Cooke´s "Chain Gang," Roy Head´s "Treat Her Right," and Wilson Pickett´s "634-5789,