The 40 Essential Albums of 1967

The epitome of raw soul, Otis Redding made better albums than any other R&B artist of the Sixties. Carla Thomas was daughter to Rufus Thomas of "Funky Chicken" fame, with the teen novelty "Gee Whiz" and graduate school in English behind her. Together whenever conflicting schedules didn't compel Carla to overdub, the sparrow and the bear chuckled and moaned through the greatest duet album this side of Ella & Louis. In addition to reconceiving Clovers and Sam Cooke oldies and a bunch of current soul hits, they turned "Tramp" into their own classic and "Knock on Wood" into everybody's.