Review: Praise and Blame

Tom Jones
Praise and Blame
release date: July 26th, 2010
Reviewed by Phillip Merritt
Rating: 7/10

In a dramatic switch from his past pop recordings, Tom Jones gets the roots-y make-rover that worked so well for Johnny Cash, Neil Diamond and Loretta Lynn. Praise and Blame is his 39th studio album, and his first for Island Records. It’s a collection of hymns and inspirational songs, both slow and rocking. With songs ranging in date from the 20’s up to contemporary times, it sounds sometimes like a Sunday church service, sometimes like a Saturday night at Merlotte’s bar in Bon Temps. Many of the songs are ones Jones heard as kid on the radio; “Just like rock’n’roll, every bit as exciting but with deeper lyrics,” he says.

The record was produced by Ethan Johns, who’s worked with Crowded House, Ryan Adams, and Kings of Leon. Johns contributes guitars, percussion and drums and brings in a group of seasoned musicians like Booker T. Jones (Booker T. & the M.G.s), Benmont Trench (Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers), and Gillian Welch (backing vocals). According to Jones, the songs were recorded live and in one take, and the songs definitely have honest, unforced feel to them.

A couple of the songs were recorded by Cash on his American Recordings series, and make for an interesting comparison. Unlike Cash’s eerie, cracking voice, Jones’ voice is still amazingly smooth and supple at 70 years old. Listening to Cash’s versions give you a feeling of impending death--you want to go home and drink yourself into a stupor. Jones’ versions, even though they tackle some serious topics, leave you in a much more positive mood and looking forward to the after-church barbecue. Jones’ versions are also more straightforward in their arrangement, without the arty touches of the Cash recordings.

Track List
* best tracks

*1. What good am I? (Bob Dylan) This standout track is from Dylan’s ‘Oh Mercy’. It’s a slow and moving self-examination, with Jones’ powerful voice paired with a slow and driving drumbeat. 3:51
2. Lord Help - (Jessie Mae Hemphill) The pace picks up with immediately this uptempo spiritual. 3:41
3. Did Trouble Me - (Susan Werner) A contemporary song that starts of slow until a banjo comes in to liven things up. 4:15
*4. Strange Things (Sister Rosetta Tharpe) Another upbeat spiritual. 3:00
*5. Burning Hell (Bernard Bessman, John Lee Hooker) A mid-tempo, guitar driven blues song in the voice of an unbeliever--a nice contrast to the other tracks. 3:26
6. If I Give My Soul (Billie Joe Shaver) A slower track, with the singer asking for forgiveness 3:30
7. Don’t Knock (Pops Staples, Wesley Westbrooks) An upbeat tune; you don’t have to knock on the door of heaven, just walk (or dance) on in. 2:16
8. Nobody’s Fault But Mine (trad.) Slow and swinging, kind of rockabilly. 3:40
9. Didn’t It Rain (trad.) A gospel-y version of the story of Noah, but it’s hard not to associate it with Katrina. 3:21
*10. Ain’t No Grave (trad.) A somewhat creepy song about the dead rising up for the Second Coming. It’s ambiguous as to whether the singer is alive or in the grave. 3:08
11. Run On (trad.) A rock’n’roll warning for all you sinners out there. You know who you are. 3:58