Customer Reviews

The Lead and How to Swing It

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

If you've heard Tom Jones sing and love the sound but can't take the Vegas schmaltz, this is the album to get. Tom can sing anything with anyone: he growls, he soars, he hits notes that a man his age (sorry, Tom) has no damn business hitting.

I read an interview with Tom years ago where he said that he thinks his continuing success comes from knowing when to "take the pee out of yourself" (which translates to "make fun of yourself" in American English). I think that that's how he can pull off asides like "T.J.'s in the house with phat beats from the streets." ("Something for your head") Don't be frightened -- he wisely stops short of actually rapping.

From soulful, melty ballads like "I wanna get back with you" to the self-esteem anthem "I don't think so" ("failure wants to play tapes in your head -- will you just lay there in your bed? No, I don't think so!") this album shows off the incredible range of a truly talented vocalist to whom stereotyping has not been quite fair. If you really need Tom's particular brand of charming smarm, there's "Show Me," and if you get halfway through "Lift me Up" without becoming the backup singer you always knew you could be, well, you have more restraint than I.

Check this out -- it ain't Delilah!

Tom jones can sing anything and it's provin here on this fantastic CD. He touches on all types of music that he likes and sings like nobody else could. Nobody belts out a note like him. I fully recommend this CD for all ages with all different tastes in music. I have seen him several times in concert and he is more powerful live than on a recording. I give this CD 5 stars!

This man has a voice that drags you to the heights of Mount Everest and will then glide you down a slope into a sea of tranquility... This album is simply a superb collage of Tom Jones' great vocals and excellent beats and background music. Don't miss out on a GREAT album!

I'm a long-time fan of Tom Jones and "The Lead and How to Swing It" is my favorite. His versatility, his soul-touching voice, and his inexplicable charisma all shine through on this artistic endeavor.

It is a CD that you will listen to over and over. I heard the song "Situation" on the show Veronica's Closet and I hear "If I only knew" in the store Spencers Gifts all the time.I Love It!

Every since I was little and watched Tom make guest appearances on TV I have thought he was sexy but I was not particularly impressed with his vocal talents. I went into a music store that lets you listen to the CD before buying and they had this CD prominently displayed. I was AWESTRUCK, SUPRPISED & IMPRESSED at this man's vocal talents. Don't let that gyrating body on stage fool you, this man can sing. While not a recent release this CD always sounds good when I pop it into my stereo... and I start to think of tight velvet pants....

I'm 30 now and started liking Tom Jones when I was around 15. The guy's voice is incredible and one incredible live performer also. The Lead and How To Swing It was on of my first Tom Jones CD's that I ever bought. His collaboration with Teddy Riley put Tom right back on top. After "Kiss" and the Art of Noise collaboration, many people thought Tom would fade away again with "Kiss" being his swan song in popular music. But Tom being smart along with being extremely talented, started to seek out the latest and greatest producers to create a sound that was hip and relevant for 1994. The first track, "If I Only Knew", matches the strength of his vocals with a swinging horn section hook and a little rap in the middle. He covers the classic 80's tune, "Situation" which rocks and fits Tom's Baratone range perfect. "Lift Me Up" is a great mellow tune. "Fly Away" was good and matched the R&B genre of that time. Kiss was a good album but this album re-established him as the awesome vocalist that can fit any era of music. I love everything Tom puts out but this one will always be my favorite !

Here's guy who has a voice and a personality that won't quit, and through canny guidance by his manager/son, has managed to save himself from stagnating into playing for the 'blue-rise' crowd night after night. That's part of the allure :the number of singers who can go on-stage (I saw him live in June 2006) and sing a beautiful ballad and then go into a song with a scream that Ian Gillan would admire can be counted on the fingers of one hand.
The material here seems to be a little contrived and he seems as though he is working too hard to impress, but, hell, it could be just the man's non-stop enthusiasm for what he does. Admittedly, some of the songs seem incongruous to him, but that's part of the allure....you don't know what's coming next.
An enjoyable listen all around. If there was one disappointing song, it was the last track. A great song by two Belgians, Jan Leyers and Paul Michiels, "Changes", it seems that it was put on as an afterthought with little or no production, a pity, since it was the most melodic song on the collection.
This is my second copy...my daughter refuses to give my original one back to me..she's 28! 'Nuff said?

(...) He may be older than my father, but he does great things with this album - the songs get in your head and stay there. Plus you gotta admit - the man looks pretty damn good for his age.

Tom has been singing contemporary songs in concert and on his TV specials for years, but with "The Lead..." he hooks up with the likes of Tori Amos, Teddy Riley, and Flood to put together a fresh sounding set of songs. Tom has never sounded so R 'n' B-dance oriented. The Voice has not seemed to have lost it's power. Tom Jones fans of all ages will enjoy it.