Spirit in the Room

Last updated

Spirit in the Room
Spirit in the Room.jpg
Studio album by
Released21 May 2012 [1]
Genre
Length37:27
Label Island
Producer Ethan Johns
Tom Jones chronology
Praise & Blame
(2010)
Spirit in the Room
(2012)
Long Lost Suitcase
(2015)
Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic 72/100 [4]
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svg [5]
The Independent Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [2]
BBC MusicFavourable [1]
Pop Matters 8/10 [6]
MusicOMH Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svg [7]
NME 7/10 [3]

Spirit in the Room is the 39th studio album by Welsh musician Tom Jones, released 21 May 2012 and produced by Ethan Johns. The album is composed entirely of covers.

Contents

Among the songs covered on the album are Tom Waits’ "Bad as Me", Odetta’s "Hit or Miss", Vera Hall Ward’s "Travelling Shoes", Richard & Linda Thompson's "Dimming of the Day", and "Charlie Darwin" by The Low Anthem. Spirit in the Room also includes songs by Paul Simon, Leonard Cohen and Paul McCartney amongst others.

Track listing

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."The Tower of Song" Leonard Cohen 3:56
2."(I Want to) Come Home" Paul McCartney 3:16
3."Hit or Miss" Odetta Gordon 3:41
4."Love and Blessings" Paul Simon 4:23
5."Soul of a Man" Blind Willie Johnson 3:49
6."Bad as Me" Kathleen Brennan, Tom Waits 3:33
7."Dimming of the Day" Richard Thompson 3:01
8."Traveling Shoes" Ethan Johns, Tom Jones2:38
9."All Blues Hail Mary" Joe Henry 4:25
10."Charlie Darwin" The Low Anthem 4:45
Total length:37:27
Deluxe edition bonus tracks
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
11."Just Dropped In" Mickey Newbury 4:36
12."Lone Pilgrim" B.F. White, Adger M. Pace3:04
13."When the Deal Goes Down" Bob Dylan 5:27
14."Hit or Miss" (radio version - bonus track) Odetta Gordon 3:20
Total length:53:54

Personnel

Technical

Charts

Chart (2013)Peak
position
UK Albums Chart [9] 8

Related Research Articles

<i>Southern Accents</i> 1985 studio album by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers

Southern Accents is the sixth studio album by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, released on March 26, 1985, through MCA Records. The album's lead single, "Don't Come Around Here No More", co-written by Dave Stewart of Eurythmics, peaked at number 13 on the Billboard Hot 100. The song "Southern Accents" was later covered by Johnny Cash for his Unchained album in 1996.

<i>Wildflower</i> (Sheryl Crow album) 2005 studio album by Sheryl Crow

Wildflower is the fifth studio album by American singer-songwriter Sheryl Crow, first released September 27, 2005. Although the album debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard 200, it received mixed reviews and was not as commercially successful as previous albums, having also peaked at No. 25 on the UK Album Chart.

<i>Brand New Dance</i> 1990 studio album by Emmylou Harris

Brand New Dance is an album which Emmylou Harris released on October 16, 1990. Produced by Richard Bennett and Allan Reynolds, the album mixed a rather eclectic collection of covers, including Bruce Springsteen's "Tougher Than the Rest", and Dave Mallett's "Red, Red Rose". Though it sold reasonably well, it was Harris' first studio album in fifteen years to yield no top forty country singles, and marked the beginning of a commercial decline for the singer, which would ultimately lead her to redirect her music away from mainstream country, a few years later.

<i>Bluebird</i> (Emmylou Harris album) 1989 studio album by Emmylou Harris

Bluebird is the fifteenth studio album by American country artist Emmylou Harris, released on January 10, 1989, by Warner Records. Featuring mostly interpretations of work by artists such as the McGarrigle Sisters, Tom Rush, and Rodney Crowell, it included her most recent top-ten country-charting single, "Heartbreak Hill". The album enjoyed renewed interest in 2004 when "Heaven Only Knows" was used in the first episode of the fifth season of The Sopranos.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ethan Johns</span> English record producer, songwriter, and musician

Ethan Thomas Robert Johns is an English record producer, engineer, mixer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist. Johns has worked with artists including Ryan Adams, Kings of Leon, Paul McCartney, Ray LaMontagne, Tom Jones, Kaiser Chiefs, Rufus Wainwright, The Boxer Rebellion, Crowded House, Turin Brakes, Lauren Hoffman, The Vaccines, Laura Marling, The Staves, and Crosby, Stills and Nash. In 2012, he won the Brit Award for Best British Producer.

<i>Dlectrified</i> Album by Clint Black

D'lectrified is the eighth studio album by American country music singer Clint Black, released on September 28, 1999. It is also the first album in Black's career that he produced by himself.

<i>Its About Time</i> (Kenny Loggins album) 2003 studio album by Kenny Loggins

It's About Time is the twelfth studio album released by American singer-songwriter Kenny Loggins. Released in 2003, it was his first non-Christmas, non-children's album since 1997's The Unimaginable Life as well as his first following termination from Columbia Records while working on the album. Besides Loggins, several other noteworthy musicians co-wrote and performed on the album. These include frequent Loggins cohort Michael McDonald, as well as fellow soft-rocker Richard Marx and country singer Clint Black.

<i>We Ran</i> 1998 studio album by Linda Ronstadt

We Ran is a 1998 rock album by American singer, songwriter, and producer Linda Ronstadt. The disc featured back-up from three members of Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers. It spent two weeks on the Billboard albums chart, peaking at #160.

<i>Morning Dance</i> 1979 studio album by Spyro Gyra

Morning Dance is the second album by the jazz fusion group Spyro Gyra. The album was released in March 9, 1979 and was certified gold by the RIAA on September 19, 1979, and was certified platinum on June 1, 1987.

<i>Electric</i> (Jack Ingram album) 2002 studio album by Jack Ingram

Electric is the fifth studio album, released in 2002, by American country music artist Jack Ingram. The only single released was, "One Thing" which failed to chart. In 2003 an EP titled Electric: Extra Volts was released which contained five songs left off this album.

<i>Incognito</i> (Spyro Gyra album) 1982 studio album by Spyro Gyra

Incognito is the sixth album by Spyro Gyra, released in 1982. At Billboard magazine, it reached No. 46 on the Top 200 Albums chart, and No. 2 on that magazine's Jazz Albums chart.

<i>Back from Rio</i> 1991 studio album by Roger McGuinn

Back from Rio is the sixth studio album by American singer-songwriter, guitarist and co-founder of the Byrds Roger McGuinn. It was released on January 8, 1991, more than a decade after McGuinn's previous solo album, Thunderbyrd. The album was issued following the release of the Byrds box set and musically it leans on the sound of the Byrds thanks to McGuinn's ringing 12-string electric guitar and vocal contributions from ex-Byrds members David Crosby and Chris Hillman. Also prominent on the album are Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, with Petty co-authoring and duetting with McGuinn on the album's lead single "King of the Hill". In addition, several members of the Heartbreakers provide musical backing on a number of the album's tracks. Other prominent songwriters on the album—besides McGuinn and his wife Camilla—are Elvis Costello, Jules Shear and Dave Stewart of the Eurythmics.

<i>The Other Side</i> (Wynonna Judd album) 1997 studio album by Wynonna

The Other Side is the fourth solo studio album by American country music artist Wynonna, released in 1997 on Curb Records in association with Universal Records. The album, which was certified gold by the RIAA, produced three chart singles on the Billboard Hot Country Singles and Tracks charts: "When Love Starts Talkin'", "Come Some Rainy Day" and "Always Will" respectively reached #13, #14 and #45. A fourth single, "Love Like That", failed to chart. The album also includes "We Can't Unmake Love", a duet with John Berry, which was also included on Berry's 2000 Greatest Hits album.

<i>I Prefer the Moonlight</i> 1987 studio album by Kenny Rogers

I Prefer the Moonlight is the twentieth studio album by American country music singer Kenny Rogers. It reached #18 on the charts. Though the album only reached #163 in the Billboard 200.It contained three top five singles: the title cut and the grammy-winning duet with Ronnie Milsap, "Make No Mistake, She's Mine" and "The Factory". The album was Rogers' final studio album for RCA Nashville.

<i>Not Far Now</i> 2009 studio album by Richard Shindell

Not Far Now is Richard Shindell's eighth studio album and sixth album of original material.

<i>Somewhere Down the Road</i> (album) 2010 studio album by Amy Grant

Somewhere Down the Road is the seventeenth studio album by Christian music and pop music singer-songwriter Amy Grant, released in 2010. It is a unique album featuring eight new songs, a new recording of the song "Arms of Love", from her 1982 album Age to Age, and rounded out with three of Grant's previously released story-songs.

<i>If Not Now Then When?</i> 2012 studio album by Ethan Johns

If Not Now Then When? is the debut solo studio album by English artist and record producer Ethan Johns. Inspired by the 22 minute opus of the same name by early 1990s Dublin band Spacepony UK, it was released in November 2012 on vinyl and was scheduled to be released in other formats in February 2013, by his own Three Crows Music label. The album was recorded in early 2012 and was engineered by Dominic Monks. If Not Now Then When? was mixed by Johns' father, audio engineer and record producer Glyn Johns, at Sunset Sound in Los Angeles. The album features performances with Ryan Adams, Laura Marling and Danny Thompson. Bill Wyman played bass guitar on "Red Rooster Blue." Johns will follow the vinyl release of the album with a full UK tour of independent record stores in November 2012.

<i>Alabama & Friends</i> 2013 album by the American band, Alabama

Alabama & Friends is a tribute album to American country rock group Alabama. It was released on August 27, 2013 via Show Dog-Universal Music. The album includes two new tracks, "That's How I Was Raised" and "All American", performed by Alabama.

<i>All Over the Place</i> (Mike Stern album) 2012 studio album by Mike Stern

All Over the Place is the fifteenth studio album by American jazz guitarist Mike Stern, released on June 19, 2012, through Heads Up International.

<i>Long Lost Suitcase</i> 2015 studio album by Tom Jones

Long Lost Suitcase is the 40th studio album released by Welsh singer Tom Jones, released on 9 October 2015. It is the third in a trilogy of albums, following 2010's Praise & Blame and Spirit in the Room in 2012. Like the previous two albums, it was produced by Ethan Johns.

References

  1. 1 2 Aizlewood, John (30 May 2012). "Neither a sea-change nor a slump, this 40th studio LP finds Sir Tom on fine form" . Retrieved 5 April 2013.
  2. 1 2 Gill, Andy (19 May 2012). "Tom Jones: Spirit in the Room: Spirits lift as the Voice shows he's a modern master" . The Independent . Archived from the original on 24 May 2022. Retrieved 5 April 2013.
  3. 1 2 3 Cooper, Leonie (18 May 2012). "Album Review". Nme.com. Retrieved 27 April 2013.
  4. "Spirit in the Room". Metacritic. Retrieved 6 April 2013.
  5. Jeffries, David. Tom Jones: Spirit in the Room > Review at AllMusic. Retrieved 6 April 2013.
  6. James, Matt (26 April 2013). "Tom Jones: Spirit in the Room". Popmatters.com. Retrieved 27 April 2013.
  7. Paton, Daniel (21 May 2012). "Album Review". Musicomh.com. Retrieved 27 April 2013.
  8. "Spirit in the Room - Tom Jones : Credits : AllMusic". allmusic. Retrieved 2 February 2013.
  9. OCC. "Tom Jones". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 6 August 2013.