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Elly Roberts reviews

Tom Jones: 24 Hours

Distributed by
Parlophone/S-Curve Records

Released: November 2008

Rating: 10/10++

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‘Sex-bomb’ returns! Phew!

It’s always been about the ‘tubes’ for me with Tom Jones.

Not since his halcyon days (the mid-‘60s) has superstar Tom Jones dug so deep to unleash a phenomenal album.

Some are calling it his best ever, and to be honest, it probably is.

Jones ‘The Voice’, unlike some of his contemporaries, sounds better than ever, consolidated by amazing performances on recent Later..with Jools Holland and Graham Norton shows. On Jools’ show, he belted out current single If He Should Ever Leave You – it was a rare show-stopping moment, and later on the stirring 24 Hours were enough to stir my curiosity.

2000’s Reload, was a masterstroke by his manager-son, doing covers like party hit, Sex Bomb.

Now on 24 Hours, he appears to have gone back to his roots of doing soul-R&B infused material that perfectly match that cavernous larynx.

If Dusty was the greatest white soul singer, then our Tom is the blue-eyed soul boss.

Earth shattering bongos and whopping brass open the 60s flavoured I’m Alive – sounding like some wild party - a statement of intent maybe? Then the loungy cabaret 60s swinging If He Should cruises by with Tom masterfully layering some smokey tones. A similar mood ensues for the cool and breezy We Got Love, only to be broken by a Motown (Funk Brothers) beat that’ll blast the rafters on his live shows: Feels Like Music, should be the next single – are you listening Parlophone / Tom?

Things get even hotter – I’m about to self-combust at this point- Give A Little – brings the best of the valley boy, as if he hasn’t impressed enough so far.

Even Sir Thomas Jones Woodward, 68, with over 100 million sales behind him needs to cool-off, so he takes it nice’n’easy on stylish ballad The Road, segued by two throbbing and funky delights – In Style And Rhythm then Sugar Daddy. Never, is (surely) a nod to Amy Winehouse’s soulful retro-ism. Bringing southern soul bang up-to-date, he whips up a gentle and breathy storm that Otis Redding and his type would marvel, while he steadily trawls through The Hitter. Listening again to 24 Hours, and those ominous military drum rolls, is the perfect close to a, really, yes really, brilliant album.

It ends with a hidden track, a monster that’ll shake those rafters all over again.

File under: One of the best 2008.

Weblink: tomjones.com

The full list of tracks included are :

1. I’m Alive 2. If He Should Ever Leave You 3. We Got Love 4. Feels Like Music 5. Give A Little Love 6. The Road 7. In Style And Rhythm 8. Sugar Daddy 9. Seasons 10. Never 11. The Hitter 12. Seen That Face 13. 24 Hours

Review & concert pics copyright © Elly Roberts, 2004-2010.

As of April 2009, Blu-rays and DVDs reviewed by the editor are watched on a Panasonic TH-37PX80B 37" Plasma TV with a Sony BDP-1500 Blu-ray player and played through a Yamaha DSP-AX820 amplifier.

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