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.