Statement from Tom Jones’ Management
July 9th, 2010 | By TomJones
On behalf of Tom Jones, we’d like to say this about an article published on page 3 of the Sunday Times, published last Sunday July 4th:
Praise & Blame is not an album of ‘Hymns from the Common Book of Prayer’. The work draws from the traditional American Spiritual repertoire that has themes of choice and consequence, responsibility, struggle, temptation, good and evil–all universal themes of the worldly journey of both the body and spirit.
Tom and his producer Ethan Johns chose and developed these songs because they became, through working together live in the studio–genuine, true, performances of worth. Musically, the song interpretations are influenced by forms as diverse as soul, country, folk, blues, gospel, punk and rock, producing unique layers of sound, feel and meaning that cannot be categorised in a particular genre or era.
There is nothing to say about the article that contains this contemptuous email, except that the creative and marketing teams at Island Records have been nothing but genuinely enthusiastic and supportive of this landmark album. Please see www.islandrecords.co.uk/ for their own comment.
Praise & Blame is released on July 26th 2010.
Posted in: News
From what I’ve heard of this album, it’s a real knockout. But I’m Welsh, so I’m biased! And Tom (or Tom’s management), why not listen to my song, The Valley Road, on MySpace? I think it would be perfect for you.
Well, that comment has me tempted to buy Praise and Blame prior to seeing Tom In Vegas on Aug. 18. I think I will wait, I really want to hear it for the 1st time live with my wife. On our 19th wedding anniversary. It will be tough but I will wait!
I know Tom gonna be GREAT!
im delighted that island records have now distanced themselves from those bizzare statements by one of their staff members.i for one cannot wait to buy ‘praise and blame’.i love johhny cash,bob dylan,led zeppelin,gram parsons,kris kristofferson,the band,all artists who’ve clearly influenced this record.
iv heard tom’s take on dylan’s what good am i.its sensational.i’m also looking foreward to hearing tom’s version ov ‘aint no grave’.the choice of material on this album is remarkable.
coming from wales,iv obviously got a tom ‘best of’ in my collection.like many welshmen iv belted out ‘its not unusual’ in my local pub after one too many beers.however iv not got any tom studio albums amongst my beatles,,stones,zeppelin,ramones,lou reed,dylan, etc cd’s..
thats about to change.one copy of praise and blame is definitely coming to the powell household in neath.my 3 cats wont know whats hit them.ill be blasting it out.!!
if there are more people like me going to buy ‘praise and blame’,people who are from ‘the rock crowd’,who wouldnt normally buy a tom studio album,it could be a smash top ten hit.im really counting the days.
good luck with ‘praise and blame tom’.its music from the heart.music of depth and substance.its going to be fantastic.
richard powell
Tom is GREAT but he is not God. I think even he would take offense at being called that.
What I’ve heard so far reminds me of Johnny Cash’s covers record, the best thing he’d done in years – ditto for Tom.
This album is nailed on to recieve an award (and I’m not a Tom Jones fan) if it doesn’t move you see a doctor, because I fear you may have died and not noticed.
From what I’ve heard so far this will be an amazing album, a real gem, getting right to the heart of the listeners. That’s an excellent work which will speak for itself once released.
Well what would one expect from the New York Times? They can’t get anything right. They’re all blow hards with no substance. They have no souls. Empty rehtoric. And what die-hard Tom Jones fan would ever give credence to anything negative about our beloved Tom. He is God!