Tom Jones International

Moderator’s Note: It’s kind of late Sunday night and I’ve spent way too much time in airports and on planes this weekend (19 hours between Thursday and Sunday) and I am tired. So, look for a new post Tuesday — with audio, maybe some video. Thanks for your understanding and thanks, too, to all of you who have sent and will send reviews of the recent US shows. (BTW, I was at the Jersey Shore this weekend, not down South.)

Wishes that everyone going to Nashville tonight and New Orleans tomorrow has a wonderful time seeing a wonderful show! We’re all anxious to share your experience so be sure to tell us about it!

With gratitude to Denise and Lon for taking the trouble to send reviews, audio, photos. We really appreciate it!
Fan Reviews:
Denise Lewis: Along with three of my friends, I got to see Tom at the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Center in Atlanta on Wed April 27. Two of them had never been to a Tom Jones concert before and we were all very excited. We were in the 7th row from the front so we knew we would be in for a treat and we were. Tom’s voice was very strong and he seemed to be having a good time. He sang a number of songs but I’ll Never Fall in Love Again, Delilah and Green, Green Grass of Home got the best reaction for the crowd of approximately 2500. My friends were so excited and we had a blast. However I have seen him a number of times and something was different. I think the fan who wrote from Orlando was right. The band was way, way too loud. We want to hear Tom not amplified guitars that tried to drown him out. I noticed no really big notes, If I Only Knew was a prime example. One of my friends asked me if he had hurt his back or his legs because of the way he moved around the stage. Another girlfriend said he seemed to be holding back and not moving. Since neither had seen Tom live before I didn’t know how to respond except that he is almost 71 and we needed to cut him some slack. But it did worry me. I love his concerts and him and hope this was an anomaly.

There was a lot of Praise and Blame which is OK I guess but the crowd really responded to the ones they knew. I missed Pussycat, She’s a Lady, I (Who Have Nothing), Sex Bomb, Help Yourself, etc. Please don’t think I am complaining. I have loved Tom for over 40 years and have seen him in concert many times. I am just a little worried. This concert was different from other. Not bad, just really different. But I will never quit loving him. His voice is magical.

Lon Roberts: I was sitting on the front row. In short – Tom rocked the house! His voice is amazing. I had seen him previously in 1993 and 1994 at an amphitheater but neither show compared to this one. Again, his voice is amazing and even more powerful. He had the audience eating out of his hand. He seemed to be having a great time. He was very talkative and walked the stage like a true, seasoned professional. He has toned back on the move (but did move some here and there – including the leg rolls on Kiss), but even the innuendo and the insinuation of moves made the women scream. It was a great show and everyone left talking about how great he is and how great he sounds.

Click here to listen to Lon’s recording of Tom in Atlanta singing Green Green Grass of Home. Lon also sent photos that you can see, along with some others from Atlanta, at the top of the pictures in the TJI.com Tom Jones On Stage flickr set.

Tom Jones in Atlanta

Story by Hali McGrath SoundSpike.com

Iconic Welsh crooner Tom Jones is still going strong as he struts through his fifth decade of performing. The hip-swiveling 72 year old is on the road in support of his most recent studio set, Praise & Blame, and hoping to deliver up something of a religious experience.

The set is a mix of covers and original songs that SoundSpike contributor Phil Gallo described as “hitting all the expected notes within the idiom: the acceptance of blame for sin, references to fables, meeting angels in heaven and doing the Lord’s work among ne’er-do-wells.” On Saturday night (4/30), Nashville fans can judge for themselves when Jones and his band perform at the historic Ryman Auditorium. On Sunday (4/31), he will play a set at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival.

To read a new interview with Sir Tom, please click here to (more…)

Return of the Mack: Tom Jones dazzles at Ruth Eckerd Hall, Clearwater

Posted by Gabe Echazabal on Tue, Apr 26, 2011 at 1:14 PM in The Daily Loaf

You’d be hard pressed to find an entertainer who better defines the term “superstar” than Tom Jones. The Welsh-born singer rose to fame in the mid-1960′s and racked up a string of hit singles, starred in his own variety show and gained the admiration of millions of overzealous female fans who showed their affections by launching their undergarments at him during live performances.

Fast forward several decades and you’ll still find Jones every bit the dazzling entertainer. Jones has retained a large core audience that has faithfully followed him through changing trends and styles as evidenced from the eager crowd awaiting his taking the stage last Friday at Ruth Eckerd Hall in Clearwater.

One of the loudest and rowdiest roars I’ve heard from an awaiting audience in a long time was steadily belted from the plush seats until Jones took the stage at 8:15 p.m. No need for an opening act; the crowd was here for one reason only: to be treated to the timeless, sexy, soulful voice that Tom Jones has entranced his fans with for years.

Clad in bright purple silk shirt, shiny black blazer and black slacks, Jones slowly emerged amid a sea of sultry red lights. A guitarist preceded Tom’s entrance and filled the hall with some tasty, nasty slide guitar blues giving the feel of a seedy blues club rather than a pristine performance hall. Jones quickly launched into Burning Hell, a cut from his newest album, the excellent gospel-blues tinged Praise and Blame. In fine voice, the 70-year-old Jones boldly opened with this relatively unknown selection from a current work rather than relying on a tried and true nugget from his vast career. Pretty ballsy move, without a doubt. But, in actuality, it set the tone for the bold course Jones opted to trudge all night long.

The evening’s set was filled with constant surprises and jaw-droppers. Sure, we were treated to classics like Green Green Grass of Home and a savory, Mariachi-styled version of Delilah. But Tom seemed to really soar when delivering his versions of some pretty unpredictable covers ranging from Little Feat’s Dixie Chicken to Hey Pocky Way by the New Orleans-based party band The Meters.

Showing no signs of slowing (ok, so Tom doesn’t swivel his hips as ferociously as he used to), Jones proved for nearly two hours that he is still as entertaining and charismatic as ever. Jones was, after all, the one entertainer who Elvis Presley admittedly feared; supposedly, Elvis was always worried that Jones would surpass him in terms of popularity and stardom, and that he’d eventually steal all his fans away from him. At this, my first ever Tom Jones concert, it’s easy to understand Presley’s anxieties. As if it weren’t enough of a threat that the man can sing, select hip material to cover AND whip an adoring crowd into a frenzy, he was also born with the gift of the gab. Almost as enchanting as the performance itself, Jones playfully told several engaging stories and anecdotes that found him name-dropping artists like Jerry Lee Lewis, Ry Cooder, Bob Dylan and Elvis.

For the rest of this article and another about Tom singing the Stoke football version of Delilah, please click here (more…)

Wednesday Notes: Just want to say that I hope all of you seeing Tom in the next few days — Atlanta, Knoxville, Nashville and/or N’Orleans — have a grand time. Keep other fans informed, please!

Tuesday night I went to see Gladys Knight in the newly renamed Gladys Knight Theater at the totally redone Tropicana, across the street from the MGM Grand. I wasn’t expecting a most special show, but I was so surprised. Among the songs she did, aside from her hits was a terrific I (Who Have Nothing), Grandma’s Hands and one of my favorite standards, Someone To Watch Over Me. She did some wonderful gospel and the evening ended up being a total joy! Keep her in mind when next you are in Las Vegas. Yes, you want to come to see Sir Tom, but there’s a lot more, too. There is a reason this is called “The City of Entertainment.” (And, no, neither the Visitors Bureau nor the Chamber of Commerce pays me to say this.)

A brief, OK preview of Tom’s show in Clearwater from the St. Petersburg (FL) Times. by Carole Liparoto, Thursday, April 21, 2011:

SoundCheck: Tom Jones

It’s not unusual to love Tom Jones. Adoring women shower him with undergarments. Singer-songwriter elite-types (Van Morrison) place him atop their lists of favorite artists. Queens (Elizabeth II) knight him. So what could be left for the 70-year-old bronzed baritone to accomplish? In a word, grit. On the Welshman’s latest, Praise & Blame, gone are the Vegas-style sex bombs, playful pussycat calls, the loose buttons and usual bombast. In are bluesy, roadhouse-rock covers (of John Lee Hooker, Bob Dylan, etc.) about where we go when we die. Fans should expect a little of both Jones styles at this show.

With the knowledge that everyone is entitled to his or her own opinion and in the belief that healthy, polite discourse is good, I am posting the review below from a long-time fan who travels to see Tom often and who went to the show at the Hard Rock in Orlando. Clearly, this fan was upset and the review is negative with a tone not of anger but of real disappointment. I don’t agree with the conclusion about Las Vegas but, as noted, we’re all entitled to our opinions. Feel free to discuss it. The fan said “the show was very substandard,” adding:

“As I spoke to the people around me before and after the show, those that had never seen Tom were over the moon, of course. I sat next to a woman from New York who had seen him many times who said she was very disappointed.

“First, the lights and instruments drown out the man and his voice. I don’t know if this is done purposely. Maybe. As best as I can tell, the voice is still there. However, I noted no held notes or anything out of mid-range for him. On If I Only Knew, no big blast of that voice before the words or during mid song. Absolutely no dancing, which made the man look stiff and at times, uncomfortable. Even with Kiss, on the “think i’d better dance” part, no dance. He said, I think you’d better dance now. No What’s New Pussycat or She’s A Lady. Mostly his new songs. The best song of the evening was St. James Infirmary Blues from the Jools Holland album.

“All of the above brings me to the conclusion of why he may not be playing Vegas these days. I don’t think this show would be accepted by the many long time fans that go to Vegas primarily to see him.”

“He looks great, but seems a shell of his former stage personality. Of course, we love him and anything he has to offer musically, but… I realize they are trying to “legitimize” his music and Tom as a performer, but…. It wasn’t a bad show, just very different.

Video: The sound is awful and the picture a bit blurry, but someone took 55 seconds of video of Tom singing It’s Not Unusual at his first Florida show Thursday night. It is a bit blurry, but it is close up, so you can see that Sir Tom looks terrific. If you want to, click here to see a bit of Tom Thursday night at the Seminole Hard Rock Live. (I cannot recall ever posting video of this quality, but it shows Sir Tom to advantage so I decided to do it.)

May all who celebrate have a joyous Easter!

Don’t forget your reviews and thoughts on Tom’s shows! Fans everywhere enjoy them so much!

It’s been noted that Tom introduced a new Latin-infused arrangement of Delilah at the Hard Rock Live on Thursday night. The photo at right is of that performance. (Surely you can recognize that fact from the singer’s arms spread wide as in “Why, why, why Delilah?”

There was a video posted of the song on youtube but it wasn’t very good, as it was shot casually. However, TJI was able to extract the audio and improve it slightly so you can hear it. Hopefully there’ll be an ever better version and, if so, it will get posted. But this gives an excellent idea of the new arrangement.

Click here to listen to the new version of Delilah live at the Hard Rock in Hollywood, FL.

Speaking of Delilah, in football news: Gareth Dorrian, in today’s Daily Star, wrote about the upcoming Football Association (FA) finals between the teams from Stoke and Manchester. The article says: “FOOTIE City rivals Stoke and Manchester are set for an FA Cup Final song ding-dong – ­after unveiling plans to get top showbiz names in on the act. Sources at mega-rich Manchester City claim the club is planning to ask some of Britain’s most famous Blues to perform a Band Aid-style charity single. And legendary crooner Sir Tom Jones is in talks with Stoke to revamp his classic tune Delilah. The Sixties hit has long been a fans’ favourite at the Britannia Stadium and a spokesman said: “The club would be delighted if Tom agreed to re-do Delilah as the song for the FA Cup Final. “The reaction of our supporters at Wembley for the semi-final – when Delilah was played over the PA system – was first class. It really helped make it feel like a home game.The song is sung by supporters at every game, home and away, and in particular when we score a goal. There were at least five renditions at Wembley for the 5-0 win over Bolton.”

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I don’t really understand the article just below. It’s nice that the guy checked this website but, really, does it have to be a matter of “all or nothing?” Can’t music from several eras in Tom’s life be in a show. After all, variety, as is said, is the spice of life.

Tom Jones drops spiritual bomb

By RICK de YAMPERT, Entertainment | go386/Daytona (FL) News Journal | April 22, 2011 12:05 AM

For his latest album, the guy behind such swagger-filled hits as Sex Bomb, What’s New Pussycat? and She’s a Lady decided to turn to “matters of the spirit.”

Yes, Tom Jones’ latest album, Praise and Blame, includes his take on traditional gospel songs made famous by the Staple Singers, Mahalia Jackson and Sister Rosetta Tharpe, as well as rootsy, bluesy versions of John Lee Hooker’s Burning Hell, Bob Dylan’s What Good Am I, Jessie Mae Hemphill’s Lord Help the Poor and Needy and other spiritually cloaked songs.

Jones will be in concert at 8 p.m. Saturday at Hard Rock Live Orlando. Tickets are $47.45-$111.55, available at Ticketmaster. For more information, call 407-351-5483.

The songs Jones chose for the album, released last July, “had to deal with matters of the spirit, they had to connect right to me and hopefully to others, and they had to have a message,” the 70-year-old Welsh-born singer said. The idea behind the album was to follow the journey of a man through life and rites of passage “as he reflects, observes and comments on what is going on around him.”

The songs aren’t necessarily autobiographical, Jones said, “but there are bits in there that I definitely relate to and can learn from.”

Although Jones’ current concert trek has been dubbed the Praise and Blame Tour, postings on the fan website tomjonesintl.com indicate the singer is still dropping Sex Bomb, Prince’s Kiss and plenty of his other randy hits into his set.

Donna and her friend Anita, both from upstate New York, went to Tom’s show at the Hard Rock in Hollywood, FL. She sent a set list (not, she noted, necessarily in order) and a review. Hope you all share my gratitude for the work Donna did for us.

The set list (with the name of the person/group who had the hit and links to the lyrics of new songs): Burning Hell; Run On; Let’s Have A Ball (Ry Cooder); I’ll Never Fall in Love Again; Dixie Chicken (Little Feat); Strange Things; Green, Green Grass of Home; Detroit City; Delilah; St. James Infirmary Blues; What Good Am I?; Nobody’s Fault But Mine; Don’t Knock; Didn’t It Rain; If I Give My Soul; Mama Told Me Not to Come; You Can Leave Your Hat On; It’s Not Unusual Encore: Kiss; If I Only Knew; Hey Pocky Way (Grateful Dead).

Donna writes: The Hard Rock Live in Hollywood, FL was just about sold out. It was a late-arriving crowd and the show started at about 8:20 with a screaming guitar solo and the stage lit in red lights. Everyone was pumped up by then, awaiting Tom’s arrival. This was how Burning Hell started. When Tom hit the stage, there was a huge ovation from the crowd — clapping, whistling, hooting & hollering, and screaming. After doing a couple of numbers, it was clear that Tom’s voice was as strong as ever. He addressed the crowd saying how beautiful the new arena was, he had never been here before but it definitely would not be the last – God willing! More screams from the crowd. With a motion of his hands, Tom invited the audience to sing backup on Strange Things. We all gladly participated.

Before doing Green, Green Grass of Home he told the audience the story of how he found the song on a Jerry Lee Lewis album and said that he was going to perform it like he did in 1966 when it became a #1 hit. He mentioned that he was getting back to basics tonight. The crowd really enjoyed this rendition of the song. Another change that the crowd really enjoyed was the new arrangement on Delilah. It started out with a slow tempo with dueling Spanish guitars for the first verse or two and then built up to a quicker pace on the later verses. Anita and I really loved this new version of Delilah. Again, Tom invited the audience to sing along, this time on the chorus. Everyone was into it. In fact, people were singing it as we exited the arena. When Tom moved into the faster songs starting with Mama Told Me Not to Come and You Can Leave Your Hat On, the audience was on its feet dancing and remained so for the rest of the show. The audience chanted until Tom came out for his encore of Kiss, If I Only Knew and Hey, Hey Pocky Way. The crowd was going crazy! Tom taught us how to sing the chorus on Hey Pocky Way and got everyone singing. The two girl singers joined Tom at the front of the stage as he did this final song. He encouraged us to sing louder and praised the audience saying “that was really GOOOOD!” It was clear that Tom was really enjoying how much the crowd was into the performance. As they finished, he thanked the audience and said without us, there would be no “them”. He said they really had a ball up there and that he hoped we did, too. This elicited more screams from the crowd. He gave each of the backup singers a kiss on the cheek and the rest of the band joined them at the front of the stage, they joined hands and bowed to the audience.

An interview with Tom was printed in the Knoxville, TN, newspaper on April 21. With a rather inelegant title, it begins:

Tom Jones’ talent outlives the fit of his trousers

The whole package

Over the past few decades, Tom Jones seems to be perpetually cool, but it took a little time to overcome his initial image.

“Those bloody pants,” says Jones in a call from Los Angeles, where he has lived since 1976. “If I had a chance again I wouldn’t have worn them so tight! I’ve only got myself to blame there. When I look at myself from then I say, ‘No wonder nobody paid attention to what was coming out of my mouth. They were too busy looking at my package!’ ”

To read the interview, click here.

If you want to see Tom in Nashville, check out the tickets available in the post below. And, wherever you see him, please don’t forget to send your reviews/photos/etc. for other fans to share!

The first report, from a fan named Roxanne, is in. “Tom looked great and sounded great, too. The show was wonderful! He put in Detroit City and has changed the arrangement of Delilah so that it now has a Spanish feel. It started slowly and built. That song made me want to dance with a rose in my mouth and a pair of castanets. It was great!”

She told me there were other changes, but she didn’t remember. TJI will post them as soon as we have them.

“I have to say,” she added, “he looked great! He’s lost about 20 or 25 pounds and is in great shape. It’s so good to have him back.”

More to come as we hear from people at the shows.

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Tickets For Tom: Chris, a lovely fan, has two tickets for Tom’s show next Saturday night, April 30, at the terrific Ryman Auditorium in Nashville. She will sell them for face value, $191.00 for the pair, and $15 for Fedex second day, $206 all together.

These are goo seats. They are on the Main Floor (MF) section 1. They are to the right side of the section, roughly indicated by the yellow circle on the diagram at right. They are five rows back, row G, seats 7 & 8. The rows back in that section begin with row ‘C’)

If you are interested please email TJI.com and I’ll forward it to Chris.

Sincere wishes for those seeing Tom in Florida tonight to have a terrific time. Please send TJI photos, set list, review — anything relating to the show. May it be a wonderfully memorable night for each of you!

Back in October Tom did a concert that was recorded and released by the Sun in the UK. There was an accompanying interview.

You can check out the October post with the interview here.

They’ve released another video, the one at left of Tom singing If I Give My Soul, which they’ve incorrectly called If I Gave My Soul.

It’s a beautiful song. Enjoy!

May all who celebrate have a joyous, happy Passover!

TJI hears — not positive — that Tom is in the UK rehearsing with the band and, maybe, there’ll be one or two new things in the set.

We hadn’t noticed, but the blond backup singer is new as of the last half of last year. She’s called Laura Critchley. In June, 2009, she won great acclaim for singing to British troops in Basra, Iraq. She’s recorded with lots of people and is also a songwriter whose work is heard often in the UK.

Don’t know if the other band members are still in place. Guess we’ll find out Thursday and, hopefully, people in Hollywood (Florida) will send reviews and set lists. Please!

(And if this info is incorrect please drop a line using the “contact TJI” link at bottom right so it can be corrected. Thanks!)

Tom Jones preforms at Ruth Eckerd Hall

Article published on Monday, April 18, 2011 | Tampa Bay Newspapers Weekly

CLEARWATER – Tom Jones preforms Friday, April 22, 8 p.m., at Ruth Eckerd Hall, 1111 McMullen Booth Road. Tickets range from $42 to $103.

Jones’ Praise & Blame Tour will be the performer’s first concert at Ruth Eckerd Hall since his sold-out show in 2007. Jones’ 46-year career has remarkably gone from strength to strength.

Along with sustaining his popularity as a live performer and recording artist for more than four decades, he has garnered – at the age of 70 – the best reviews of his career for his recent album, “em>Praise & Blame. Critics across the world are nearly unanimous in their approval and admiration for both the recorded work and the performance of it in concert. The Praise & Blame mantra was “get back to basics,” and the album was recorded as wholly live performances at Peter Gabriel’s studio in Bath, England, produced by Ethan Johns. The result witnesses a singer at the top of his game, with the songs themselves coaxing exhilarating performances out of Jones and his band. Played live to astounding success at festivals and venues in the UK and Europe, Jones now brings Praise & Blame to concertgoers everywhere as part of his live show experience in 2011.

The tour also features fan favorites and traditional Jones’ hits, such as It’s Not Unusual, Kiss, Delilah and What’s New Pussycat.

There are a few tickets left for this show. Call 727-791-7400 or visit Ruth Eckerd Hall.

Note: If you’ll be in Las Vegas, it was announced today that Elton John will be back at the Colosseum at Caesars Palace with his new show, “Million Dollar Piano.” He’ll be here September 28-30 and October 1-2, 6-9, 13-15, 18-19, 21-23. Tickets are $55 to $250 and are available at Ticketmaster or by going to Caesars Palace website. Just in case you’re interested.

We all know that Tom and Elvis were friends in a mutual admiration society. On November 11, 2002, the Sydney Morning Herald carried a story about a recurring dream Tom spoke about wistfully. The brief article said:

Elvis Presley may be long gone, but Tom Jones says he keeps dreaming about saving The King’s life.

In his recurring dream, he finds himself back in the ’50s and sees the singer leaving a studio. He follows him to warn him about the end of the road.

“I tell him how the drugs will ruin his life. I tell him about his early death,” Jones tells Ananova.com.

“I say ‘I’m from the future – look at my clothes!’ Then I look down at myself and realise I don’t look any different because many of the things I wear today are a revival of ’50s fashion.”

Jones’ dream always ends the same way: Elvis refuses to believe him.

The dream reflects real-life experiences Jones had after becoming friends with Elvis when both were performing in Las Vegas.

Said Jones: “During the last years of his life, it was virtually impossible to help him. He didn’t answer the phone, he didn’t call back – he isolated himself.

“Sometimes I think maybe I could have helped him. But even in my dreams, I fail.”

The two superstars did have some fine moments together. Here’s video of one of them, when Tom joined Elvis on vacation in Hawaii.

Click here to watch a bit of (not too good) video of Tom and Elvis in the ocean, Hawaii, October 1969. The third man in the video is Elvis’ friend, musician Charlie Hodge.

As usual, if you cannot play it, drop me a line using the “Contact TJI” link at the bottom right and I’ll email it to you.

Below is a rather odd preview of Sir Tom at the Hard Rock in Hollywood, FL next week — “odd” because it’s really a review of Praise and Blame picked up from a midwestern paper. We hear from someone in Europe that the upcoming US shows (maybe all the shows in Europe, too) are going to be a mix of old and new; Praise and Blame and, for example, Delilah and other long-time favorites. The band/singers are rehearsing now.

Tickets are still available. They are priced between $55 and $80 (the $105 seats are sold out). There are also good seats available with a dinner package for $123.75 (including taxes and fees).

Tom Jones’ new CD plows some uncharted territory for him

By Robert Trussell, The Kansas City Star|reprinted in the Sun Sentinel| April 14, 2011

And so begins a new chapter in my love-hate relationship with the great Welsh singer Tom Jones.

I got to talk to Jones on the telephone in advance of an appearance at the Midland back in 1988. The show itself was vintage Jones nonsense — he sang medleys of his pop hits and worked some ill-fitting contemporary material by Michael Jackson and INXS into the lineup. And, of course, he worked up a sweat, prompting women to toss underwear on stage for him to mop his glistening brow.

But in the interview he described his roots as a teenage rocker in working-class bars and how he saw himself.

“I’m a blues singer,” he said matter-of-factly.

Jones, who turned 70 last June, was part of that Beatles-Rolling Stones generation of British musicians who were heavily influenced by American folk music. Skiffle bands proliferated, especially after Lonnie Donegan’s hit recording of Rock Island Line in 1955, and African-American bluesmen were feted as living gods when they toured the U.K.

That’s where Tom Jones came from. In all the years since that phone conversation, as he kept his career afloat as a perennial Vegas crooner, I couldn’t help but imagine what a Tom Jones straight blues album would sound like.

Now, as if to reclaim his roots, he gives us Praise & Blame, a lean, muscular, explosive recording that I can’t stop listening to. It’s more gospel than blues, but it’s a soulful, reflective record in which Jones roars and whispers and exhibits surprisingly good taste.

This collection of 11 tunes includes compositions by John Lee Hooker, Bob Dylan, Sister Rosetta Tharpe and Billy Joe Shaver. It’s stunning. Jones rocks, but with a refined sensibility, a delicacy that creates mesmerizing sound portraits. He’s still the bombastic singer he always was, but producer Ethan Johns has channeled the bombast into elemental songs that achieve beauty in their simplicity. The resulting vocal performances may, at times, bring to mind Big Joe Turner and other great blues shouters from long ago.

I have no idea what Jones’ religious leanings are — he could be a godless heathen like me who simply gets turned on by high-voltage gospel music — but this carefully selected group of songs has an eye on the big questions. They deal with sin, salvation, redemption and the unanswerable question of where we go when we die.

The album opens with a quiet reading of Dylan’s What Good Am I? and wraps up with a pulsating version of the gospel standard Run On, in which Jones warns “long-tongue liars, midnight riders, ramblers, gamblers” and “back-biters” that “sooner or later God’s gonna cut you down.”

Please click here to (more…)