No other Otis compilation quite satisfies the way the old double-LP best-of does, but never mind: any way you hear Redding's many great moments is a good one. The Very Best splits ballads and up-tempo stuff half-and-half, letting you hear the great one's humanity in every mood--the pile-driving rock of "Respect," the preaching fervor of "Try a Little Tenderness," the nascent reflection of "Dock of the Bay." A record collection with no Otis is a poor thing: here's yours.