One of the first things I usually notice when I’m watching a TV show is its soundtrack, so it’s no surprise that I quickly became a fervent fan of The Bear. Don’t get me wrong, I like the show for many reasons — its fast pace, the depth of its characters, that you never know what you’re about to see in any given episode — but The Bear’s soundtrack is what really sold me on it. There have been countless articles about the show’s incredible soundtrack, chock-full of dad rock by R.E.M. and the (appropriately) Chicago-based band Wilco. While I was expecting the creative genius behind the soundtrack to be some world-renowned music supervisor, it was actually the brainchild of The Bear’s creator Christopher Storer and executive producer Josh Senior, who said, “We became the music supervisors out of just desperation. … We were like, ‘let’s save some money and just do it ourselves.’” If you’ve watched The Bear, then you know how well the soundtrack matches the show’s vibe. But at no point was this more clear for me than when Otis Redding’s live performance of “Just One More Day” at Whisky a Go Go begins to play as Carmy confronts David Fields, his mentally abusive former boss, in the final episode of the most recent season. For one, I — like every other fan of The Bear — had been waiting for this moment for much of the show’s three seasons, and it was finally happening. The buildup that leads to Carmy’s moment of attempted release pairs perfectly with the drawn-out agony Redding expresses in “Just One More Day.” This moment also stood out to me because it was a change from the dad rock I was so used to hearing in the background, but in the best way possible. This wasn’t the first time Otis Redding had played in the show — “I’ve Been Loving You Too Long” appears in an earlier season — but it was the most powerful. I was thus inspired to dedicate this week’s Test Spin to Otis Redding’s 1966 record The Soul Album, as I anxiously await The Bear’s next season.
The Soul Album opens with “Just One More Day,” and with it, Redding lets you know exactly why he’s been deemed a King of Soul. His voice has the perfect amount of rasp as he begs, “Ooh, I want another day / You can let me have just one more day / Ooh, I need one more day, yeah / And I will do anything that you want me to do.” Each plea is punctuated by the sound of the trumpet, infusing the song with even more desperation. “It’s Growing” is a turn for the peppy and upbeat. Like much of this album, this song wasn’t written by Redding himself, but he brings Smokey Robinson and Warren “Pete” Moore’s song to life nonetheless. It’s a fun, happy listen from top to bottom, as Redding sings, “Like the rosebud, that’s bloomin’ man / In the warming of the sun, it’s growing / Like a tale by the time it’s been told, man / By more than one, ooh, it’s growing.”
“Cigarettes and Coffee,” written by Jerry Butler, is an extremely easy listen and slows the record back down. Redding’s voice cracks as he waxes poetic about the pleasure of smoking a cigarette and drinking coffee with his girl, creating a smoky, almost nostalgic atmosphere. “Chain Gang,” penned by Sam Cooke, is sanguine and brings the tempo back up, and that scratch in Redding’s voice hits just right. Nobody does Jimmy Cox’s “Nobody Knows You (When You’re Down and Out)” quite like Otis Redding. This track is one of my favorites from this record, from Steve Cropper’s moody guitar to the bold percussion.
Redding wrote “Good to Me” about his partner who is seemingly perfect in his eyes: “I don’t know what you’re doing to me, baby / But it sure is good to me / Whatever you do wrong, honey, I don’t care, baby / Because you’re so good to me.” Redding’s voice is laid over slow, jumpy instrumentals that make for a sweet sound — like if the most peaceful, satisfying sunset you’ve ever seen was a sound. If that wasn’t enough for you, Redding even makes a reference to “I’ve Been Loving You Too Long” in the lyrics. “Scratch My Back,” written by Slim Harpo, is about exactly what the title suggests — that is, unless you want to read into it — and is an undeniable foot-tapper. The swinging “Treat Her Right” was created by Roy Head and Gene Kurtz, and the message is simple: “If you just treat her right / She’s gonna love you tonight.”
Al Bell and Eddie Floyd’s “Everybody Makes a Mistake” is another one of my favorites. Redding implores others to learn from his mistakes: “So if you are running around with somebody else / Trying to satisfy, man, you can’t satisfy your selfish self / So, uh, man, you gotta take heed / Listen to every word I’m saying / ‘Cause that same thing, man / might happen to you one day.” The horn section, consisting of the Memphis-based Stax Records house band, is a standout here. “Any Ole Way” was co-written by Redding and Cropper. The song is clean and poppy, and there’s a great throaty quality to Redding’s voice. The Soul Album comes to a close with “634-5789,” courtesy of Floyd and Cropper. It’s another peppy track, with Redding’s gravelly voice creating some rougher edges.
To wrap this one up, I’d like to say thank you to Christopher Storer and Josh Senior. Thank you for not wanting to pay a music supervisor. Thank you for picking some apt dad rock to flesh out The Bear’s soundtrack. But most of all, thank you for throwing not one but two doses of Otis Redding in there, so I had an excuse to give The Soul Album a spin.
Test Spins is a fortnightly throwback column reviewing and recommending classic and underrated albums from the past. It runs every other Friday.
Sydney Levinton is a sophomore in the College of Arts and Sciences. She can be reached at slevinton@cornellsun.com.
