Throughout his astonishing career, Tom Jones has seen females faint at his feet and pitch their panties during performances. Now, he’s seen the light: the Welsh crooner who’s made women swoon for decades has just released Praise & Blame, a set of Gospel, blues, country and traditional songs that lie at the core of his musical upbringing. Catching flying lingerie may be nice, but on this collection, Jones’ gaze – and voice – is fixed much higher than just below the belt.
Sinner-Saint-Singer: At 70, Tom Jones is still considered a sex symbol among women young enough to be his granddaughter and old enough to be his mother. Putting sexy aside, in recording Praise & Blame he “wanted to go back to basics, go back to the source, it was just me singing live…no gimmicks…just…capture the meaning of the song, its spirituality, its life…” On the new album, Jones - who says he grew up listening to Mahalia Jackson and Sister Rosetta Tharpe on the radio, thinking gospel music was “just like rock ‘n’ roll, every bit as exciting but with deeper lyrics” - squeezes every drop of blood out of every song he sings.
Jones wraps his guttural growl around Bob Dylan’s “What Good Am I,” getting Praise & Blame off in a chillingly effective manner. “Lord Help the Poor and Needy” turns the volume and tempo up several notches with an electric blues guitar from heaven (or hell, if you believe in making a deal with the Devil); “Lord Help” is juxtaposed with the dirge “Did Trouble Me” in which Jones’ voice is the first thing one hears. On Sister Rosetta Tharpe’s spiritual rave up “Strange Things Happen Every Day,” Jones sings as if he’s auditioning to become one of the Blind Boys of Alabama.
Many have compared the spirit, sound, and subject matter of Praise & Blame to Johnny Cash’s American Recordings Ain’t No Grave, and in many ways the comparison is fair. In its review, UK’s Guardian said Jones takes “the Johnny Cash route; stripping away the showbiz fripperies and recording songs that are intended to capture the gravitas and depth of a man who has lived long and seen much;” The London Evening Standard stated “Tom has made an album that befits his age (70) and suits his voice. Tom sings the songs with warmth and not a trace of bombast.”
But we’ll give Tom himself the last word: “I’m immensely proud of what we’ve achieved here. It’s such a natural, honest record. And it’s a record that makes you think.” Much praise must be given to producer Ethan Johns (Kings of Leon, Ray LaMontagne) and a group of insanely talented musicians, including keyboardist Booker T. Jones of Booker T and the MGs. Ladies, keep the underwear on; gentlemen, ignore any preconceived notions you have of Tom Jones and share Praise & Blame.
Wing And A Prayer: Check out a special video clip of the making of Praise & Blame:
As A Matter of Fact…
* Tom Jones was born Thomas John Woodward on June 7, 1940 in Trefforest Pontypridd, near Cardiff in Wales.
* Jones’ first proper professional gig was in 1963 as frontman for Tommy Scott and the Senators.
* In 1965, “It’s Not Unusual” climbed to the top of the UK charts and into the top 10 in the U.S. That same year, he won the Grammy for Best New Artist. To date, Jones has sold over 150 million records worldwide.
* Sir Tom Jones, who was awarded an OBE in 1999, was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II in 2006 at Buckingham Palace for his services to music.