In 2010 we saw the release of 'Praise & Blame' which contributed to a great year in the Tom Jones camp.
Continuing the critical acclaim throughout the year we are delighted to be featured in some "Reviews of the Year".
After our post on reaching Number 5 in the LA Times writers top 10, we thought we would share some more with you.
Jeff Spevak at the Democrat and Chronicle, chose 'Praise & Blame' as his number 1 album of the year.
Jeff says: "The No. 1 album surfaces not out of the urgency of the word, but because, whenever I put on the CD, guests would invariably ask, "What is this?" This is Tom Jones — with the record of his life.....When I last saw Tom Jones singing live, in 2006, one of the highlights was a bluesy take on the old traditional, "St. James Infirmary." He's continued that deep musical journey here with songs celebrating the roots of American music. There's no "What's New, Pussycat" kitsch. His aching, restrained take on Dylan's "What Good Am I?" is followed by a soul-rocking version of Jessie Mae Hemphill's "Lord, Help the Poor and Needy." At 70, Jones' voice still rises to the occasion, booming its way through the gospel of Sister Rosetta Tharpe's "Strange Things," while he and the guitars are a gritty match on John Lee Hooker's "Burning Hell." And Billy Joe Shaver's "If I Give My Soul" will shake you up. All I can say is, wow ... good work." Click here to read the full article
St. Cloud Times reviewer Karl Leslie, rates Praise & Blame at number 5 in his top ten.
Karl says: "Tom Jones, “Praise & Blame:” Yes. Tom Jones. After duping you with a melancholy cover of Dylan’s “What Good Am I?,” Jones proceeds to lay down the R&B comeback album of the year." Click here to read the full article
And at The Dallas Morning News, Mario Tarradells rates Praise & Blame at number 9 in his top ten albums of 2010.
Mario says: "From the opening note, Jones' robust voice rattles the bones. It's like you've never heard him, singing gospel, blues and rockabilly tunes with so much power and zest that he probably peeled the paint right off the recording-studio walls." Click here to read the full article