A decade ago in 2010, Tom Jones emerged clasping Praise & Blame – a soul-baring collection that at long last unveiled his musical roots and lifelong affection for gospel and the blues. A decade followed with intriguing reveals via Spirit In The Room and Long Lost Suitcase, reaffirming his unique gifts, his standing in popular music and bringing him to a hitherto untapped audience. Now, at the age of 80, Tom proudly presents his latest musical adventure, Surrounded By Time.
Co-produced by Ethan Johns and Mark Woodward, Surrounded By Time marks out new territory with a sonic landscape of outstanding musicianship and a vocal delivery that re-imagines a diverse set of songs of personal importance that have impacted the artist throughout a long, unpredictable but undeniably impressive career. Surrounded By Time inhabits new ground, with Talking Reality Television Blues a startling opener that catalogues the impact and changing role of television from its beginning to current times. A driving, almost menacing track accompanies a cool, spoken-word vocal from a performer who has an intimate personal and working knowledge of this cultural force. As Tom explains, ”I was there when TV started -- didn’t know I’d become a part of it -- but it could be that its power is to remind us how wonderful, crazy and inventive we are, but also how scary the reality it reflects can be.”
Released 23/04/21