Tom Jones’ new album „Praise & Blame“ has drawn quite a few comparisons to producer Rick Rubin’s work with Johnny Cash. Not all of these have been favourable, partly due to the fact that Tiger Tom’s pipes are just too big for the small band format he’s currently working in. But Mr. Rubin’s work is also horribly over-rated. Although I appreciate many of his rap and rock productions (RUN-DMC’s version of “Walk This Way” is still one of my favourite records of all time), the sound of his acclaimed acoustic albums for Donovan, Neil Diamond and Johnny Cash has started to bore me: the hushed vocals, gossamer guitar and muted piano backing have become a parody of themselves.
Add to that the fact that Rubin is working with consummate performers who hardly need spiritual guidance to get back to basics in the studio, and you start wondering what it is that the producer really does on such projects besides choosing the repertoire and musicians to work with. In Rubin’s case, a “hands off” approach might mean having his hands tied behind his back when he’s in the studio. In fact, I prefer Ethan Johns’ work for Tom Jones to Rick Rubin’s latest Cash production “Ain’t No Grave”. Although “Praise & Blame” is flawed, there’s a sense of risk-taking here that is absent from Rubin’s all-too-tasteful acoustic work of late. Tom Jones may rip into tracks like Bob Dylan’s “What Good Am I?” and John Lee Hooker’s “Burning Hell” with more Las Vegas bluster than is good for this material, but you’ve got to admire the man for his energy and verve. And for upsetting his record company in the process. If the reports are true, the vice-president of Island Records tried to stop the release of “Praise & Blame” as late as May. Even at 70, Tom still manages to right people up the wrong way. He might be a veteran, but he’s also a rebel of sorts. Chapeau!
