My Love Will Never Die - Otis Rush
Song of the Day #10
Yes, I know, ANOTHER Otis Rush song review. But I can't help it with genius of this caliber. Each and every song he wrote/performed for Cobra is a precious, shining jewel that should be cherished for generations. These are simply some of the most bleeding, heartfelt, and powerful recordings in the history of popular music. All 16 of his songs have heartbreaking vocal performances, scorching guitar work, seriously great songwriting at the hand of two geniuses (the other being Willie Dixon), and constantly innovative approaches to a formulaic genre. Even the goddamn shitty recording quality becomes an asset in this context. Instead, he is almost entirely forgotten by the public, where he STILL has less than 300k listeners on Spotify and is mostly remembered through covers of his songs. If this is not an injustice of the highest order, I have no idea what the hell is.
If all of this praise sounds like exaggerations, go ahead and say it while hearing the first 30 seconds of this absolute masterpiece. Never will there be an intro that can convey more raw pain and anguish, those horns almost screaming out in distress. It has a solemn, funeral-like march, which Otis uses it to make his performance overflowing with desperation. Just hear the way he stretches each verse (especially when he does it on "my love will neeeeeeeeeeeeever dieeeeeeee"), where he really sounds like the mere thought of his lost love makes his whole body tremble. This song is not an expression of inner turmoil: this is an internal thunderstorm, almost morphing into hysteria. Those subtle guitar flourishes add the necessary sonic depth, but it's really all about Otis laying his emotions bare for you. This recording is the most suicidal the blues have ever sounded, where he performs it like his body will lay to waste after this last fiery swan song.
It is truly an emotionally crushing experience that few pieces of art can compare with, nothing I say will begin to convey what he expresses here. I don't even know if I can recommend it to everyone because it might be too intense for some audiences (no wonder he didn't sell as much as some of his equally talented peers). But when you find yourself in a state of black depression over losing a loved one, this is the song to hear. Otis Rush has been widely imitated and covered, but there is no way anyone can recapture the power of his blood-soaked recordings in the late 50s. Some genius is simply impossible to match.
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