About this Artist

• Biography

Editorial Reviews

This August 2009 release from Vocalion combines two Tom Jones albums on a single CD, beginning with Close Up from 1972 and concluding with Tom, originally issued in 1970. Close Up was Jones' first album to not go gold since Green, Green Grass of Home, and given the inconsistent quality of the material and performances, it's easy to see why the record was only a minor hit. Many songs were either cutesy or vapid, and occasionally (such as "Young New Mexican Puppeteer" and "Witch Queen of New Orleans") they were both, although the hit single "Till" was a fine MOR ballad. However, Tom, from two years previously, had continued Jones' turn-of-the-decade winning streak, climbing to number six on the album charts. Featuring a set of R&B covers ("I Can't Turn You Loose," "I Thank You," "Proud Mary") and pop confections ("Sugar, Sugar") that were too bombastic to be enjoyable, Tom wasn't as strong as his previous studio collection (This Is Tom Jones), but when Jones delivered ballads like "The Impossible Dream" and the hit "Without Love," the record kicked into high gear, as his delivery matched the material as well as the arrangements. Vocalion's Close Up/Tom also includes the single "Looking Out My Window"/"A Minute of Your Time" as a bonus. Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide

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