Rock and pop music mavens, be forewarned: I am about to commit heresy. nnIn the pantheon of pop singers and crooners, Elvis Presley is considered by many millions to be The King. I certainly bow to his primacy in his youth as a progenitor and massive popularizer of rock’n’roll. In his later years, he sang some amazing performances, albeit among a pile of dreck and piffle. And a slew of lousy movies.
But as far as my ears and tastes hear it, the genuine king of pop, rock, crooning and more, at least in terms of consistent quality and continuing musical coolness, is Tom Jones.
“Tom Jones?” you might ask, perhaps recalling scenes of his female fans tossing their panties onstage to him during Jones’s initial 1960s heyday. You bet. That Tom Jones. Or more formally, Sir Thomas John Woodward OBE. The huge and hearty voice from Wales, best known for such indelible pop hits back then as “It’s Not Unusual” and “What’s New Pussycat” – recordings that brim with his swagger, punch and mighty baritone pipes. Not long after those numbers he had his first country chart hit with “Green, Green Grass of Home.” From early on in his career, Jones busted through the genre boundaries. And did so with stunning vocal performances.
His 1969 to ‘71 TV series, “This is Tom Jones,” boasts a stunning roster of guests from across the entertainment spectrum: Johnny Cash and June Carter, Ray Charles, Bob Hope, Ella Fitzgerald, Zero Mostel, Sammy Davis Jr. and Liza Minelli, to name a few notables of the day. But also acts from the counterculture; check out him on YouTube singing with Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young on “Long Time Gone” and trading vocals with Janis Joplin.
Jones has continued to stay abreast of the latest in musical cool. In 1988, he tracked a wicked cool take on Prince’s “Kiss” with the English synth-rock innovators The Art of Noise. His 1999 romp through the Talking Heads song “Burning Down The House” with the Swedish rock band The Cardigans is a performance that makes me smile and groove every time I play it, which is often.
Many measures and recordings bolster my assessment of Jones as the voice, most notably his recently-released 41st album, “Surrounded By Time.” It’s one of four sets richly and imaginatively produced by Ethan Johns, the stunningly talented son of superstar record producer Glyn Johns (whose credits include the Rolling Stones, Who, Led Zeppelin who is a multi-instrumental wiz and artist-in-his-own right.
Johns is the perfect musical foil for Jones, understanding how Tom’s voice can swoop, swirl and jab or seductively whisper or sweetly tug at your heartstrings, and so much more, in a smart and broad array of musical settings. The two began their run together in 2010 with the soul-stirring gospel album “Praise & Blame,” and have continued to keep Jones at the cutting edge while simultaneously deep in the fertile roots on every outing together.
Song sources on the albums run a wide gamut: Bob Dylan, Los Lobos, Paul McCartney, John Lee Hooker, Mick Jagger/Keith Richards, Odetta, Tom Waits, Cat Stevens, Blind Willie Johnson, Billy Joe Shaver and Richard Thompson, to name just some of the notable. The discs also feature superb numbers by such lesser-known yet masterful songwriters like Joe Henry, Todd Snider and Mike Scott (Waterboys).
At 81 years old, Jones’ marvelous vocal instrument still brims with a mind-blowing potency and flexibility. And he has a keen aim that gets straight and deep into the heart and soul of whatever song and style he takes on. However you may define what is hip, there are few if any popular musical artists cooler and finer than Sir Tom Jones. Dig in, listen up, and savor a true god among singers.
TV Series: “My Life is Murder” – Starring Kiwi actress Lucy Lawless, best known for “Xena: Warrior Princess,” this Australian show (that’s my current binge) about a semi-retired homicide detective who’d rather bake bread is smart, fun and vogue, and suffused with a cool “girl power” spirit.
Book: “Heartwood” by James Lee Burke – I’ve savored all of the many Cajun country mysteries featuring detective Dave Robicheaux by Burke, preeminent among today’s fictional crime writers. In this tome he shifts his setting to Texas, where his sense of place and its people as well as his sharp plotting, snappy dialogue and richly literate yet down-home writing shines just as vividly.
Rob Patterson is a music and entertainment writer in Austin, Texas. Email orca@prismnet.com.
From The Progressive Populist, December 1, 2021
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