TOM JONES/THE BODY AND SOUL OF TOM JONES SKL 5162 (-73) UK

An album often put down by critics but I don't think is bad at all. Maybe not his best though with enough quality to make it worth while. Gordon Mills production and Jimmy Spence arrangements top notch with sweet background quires. His voice personal and poignant with lots of feeling involved. The funky cover of "Running Bear" has to be one of his more forceful recordings back then, while the rest of the tracks have a more romantic feel. Anyway it's good Tom Jones. Stereo mix both revealing and tight, providing equally good listening in mono, and the audio tophole. Played on a good equipment it's almost tangible giving an audiophile quality. In some cases I'm not sure if I fancy a record only because of the music involved, or if the audio sometimes makes it so easy to digest and so pleasant to the ears that becomes crusial for liking. But however much of this or that is involved here it is good listening. Released on vinyl all over the world up to mid-seventies, also as reel and 8-track in US, but to my knowledge never issued like this on legit CD anywhere. Premiere UK had label as shown here and laminated cover with "blue box" stereo inner. (TÖJX*)