
From Loudersound.
Thought the bewildering popularity of sea shanties was set to be the most confusing musical development of 2021? Well, hold your horses: Tom Jones has handed his beer to the seafaring community and entered the fray.
Having forged a career as Wales’ favourite son and premier crooner, Jones’ newest single, a spoken-word cover of US singer-songwriter Todd Snider’s Talking Reality Television Blues, takes an unexpected, if welcome, side-step into the world of alternative rock.
Honestly, we here at Louder don’t hate it. It’s got a ‘Tom Waits does Radiohead but in Welsh’ vibe, with a touch of that Baz Luhrmann Sunscreen song. So far, so 90s.
Lyrically, it runs through the snowballing damage television has inflicted on the collective modern psyche – a bold move considering Jones is himself a reality TV star thanks to his judging role on the UK’s version of talent competition The Voice – ending with the not-at-all-pointed: ‘Then a show called The Apprentice came on and pretty soon/An old man with a comb-over had sold us the moon/We stayed tuned in, now here we are/Reality killed by a reality star‘.
Popular musicians turning to alternative sounds in a bid to appear hip to the beat is nothing new. When hair metal was all but wiped out by a tsunami of knitted cardigans and dirgy guitars, a number of those bands tried their hand at a mid-90s grunge album in an attempt to cling on to relevancy (yes, Def Leppard, we’re looking at you). But where many of them missed the mark, for Sir Tom it seems an unnervingly natural fit. Could this be the start of a glittering alt-rock career? Well, it’s 2021. Anything could happen.
Talking Reality Television Blues is taken from Jones’ upcoming covers album, Surrounded By Time, which is due on April 23. The full tracklisting is below.
Surrounded By Time tracklisting
1. I Won’t Crumble With You If You Fall (Bernice Johnson Reagon)
2. The Windmills Of Your Mind (Michel Legrand/Alan & Marilyn Bergman)
3. Popstar (Yusuf/Cat Stevens)
4. No Hole In My Head (Malvina Reynolds)
5. Talking Reality Television Blues (Todd Snider)
6. I Won’t Lie (Michael Kiwanuka & Paul Butler)
7. This Is The Sea (Michael Scott)
8. One More Cup Of Coffee (Bob Dylan)
9. Samson And Delilah (Tom Jones, Ethan Johns, Mark Woodward)
10. Mother Earth (Tony Jo White)
11. I’m Growing Old (Bobby Cole)
12. Lazarus Man (Terry Callier)
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- Tom Jones - 20 Greatest Hits - UK - 2-LP vinyl set - £15.00, $20.40, €16.80 (Back In Stock) (arrived 08-Mar-2021 18:53)on March 9, 2021 at 4:37 am
TOM JONES 20 Greatest Hits (1974 UK 20-track double compilation LP, fully laminated gatefold picture sleeve with 'As Seen On TV' sticker on the front . The sleeve shows some minor creases to the laminate and the vinyl has just the odd light surface scuff TJD1/1 & 1/2)
- Tom Jones - Thunderball - UK - 7" vinyl - £15.00, $20.40, €16.80 (Back In Stock) (arrived 16-Oct-2020 10:08)on March 9, 2021 at 4:37 am
TOM JONES Thunderball (1965 UK 7" vinyl single with intact four prong centre, featuring the theme tune to the James Bond movie, also including Key To My Heart, Decca company die cut paper sleeve. The vinyl remains in excellent condition with just a few light surface scuffs to show for its fifty five years F.12292)
- Tom Jones - Delilah - UK - vinyl LP - £20.00, $27.20, €22.40 (New Item) (arrived 22-Sep-2020 07:54)on March 9, 2021 at 4:37 am
TOM JONES Delilah (1968 UK 12-track mono vinyl LP on the red 'unboxed' Decca logo 'ffr' label, front laminated picture sleeve. The sleeve is in great condition with minimal laminate creasing or shelfwear & the vinyl is superb with only light inaudible surface marks to indicate play - a great copy! LK4946)
- Tom Jones - It's Not Unusual - A Label - UK - 7" vinyl - Promo - £50.00, $68.00, €56.00 (New Item) (arrived 06-Oct-2020 12:54)on March 9, 2021 at 4:37 am
TOM JONES It's Not Unusual (Scarce 1965 UK 'A' demo for the classic 7" vinyl single with intact four prong centre & custom '22-1-65' release date print. Also includes To Wait For Love, Decca die-cut company sleeve. The vinyl is in Excellent condition with only a few light paper scuffs or spindle to indicate play - a fantastic copy of this iconic track F.12062)
- Tom Jones - Thunderball - UK - 7" vinyl - £15.00, $20.40, €16.80 (New Item) (arrived 12-Oct-2020 15:30)on March 9, 2021 at 4:37 am
TOM JONES Thunderball (1965 UK 7" vinyl single with intact four prong centre, featuring the theme tune to the James Bond movie, also including Key To My Heart, Decca company die cut paper sleeve. The vinyl remains in excellent condition with just a few light surface scuffs to show for its fifty five years F.12292)
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