Over the Top and Back: The Autobiography - Hardcover

Praise for his album "Spirit in the Room" (2012)
"The vocals are heartfelt and powerful; the arrangements are unobtrusive; the results are impressive."
-The New Yorker
"Jones lives and breathes inside these songs and shows us new sides to both the work and himself. Simply stunning...the entertainer becomes an artist"
--The Sunday Times
"This is a beautiful album of great songs performed with taste and sung with tender resonance by one of the most distinctive voices of British popular music...the results have undeniable emotional heft"
--The Telegraph
"Jones raises his game and lowers his guard...magnificent"
--Daily Mail
Praise for his album "Praise & Blame" (2010)
"On Praise & Blame, that gutsy Northern soul voice sounds righteous and true."
--Billboard
"A faultless batch of songs [that] brings out the best in this veteran singer's artistry. Johns lays down a resonant sonic foundation that is an ideal framework for Jones' newfound gravitas."
Randy Lewis, Los Angeles Times, 4*/4
"Jones' instrument has fire and brimstone--enough to make this elder statesman sound more virile and alive at 70 than ever."
--Jim Farber, New York Daily News, 4/5*
"He's managed to make himself something highly unusual for a man at this stage of his career: unclassifiable. Unpredictable. Tom Jones is no joke."
--Ken Tucker, NPR Music
"A batch of gospel, blues and rockabilly songs so raw and pure that every impassioned note and every percussive beat hits the heart. This is tom Jones' creative edict."
--Mario Tarradell, The Dallas Morning News, Grade A
"With Praise & Blame, he's reached deep and tapped into the real stuff. Impeccably sympathetic, haunting and rawboned...amid its grim-yet-joyous ecstasy, Jones gives no hint that his reinvention is anything less than a legitimate bid for salvation--artistic, personal, and even eternal."
--Jason Albert, The A.V. Club, Grade B+
"The song choices are impeccable, all propelled by Jones's remarkable voice, still a marvel of quaveriness and bluster and sinew after all these years."
--The Washington Post
Praise for "Over the Top and Back"
""
"In attitude and anecdote, his engaging and illuminating book backs him up...A remarkable memoir by a remarkable artist."
--Kirkus, Starred Review

Praise for Tom Jones
"At 72, Tom Jones still sounds like Tom Jones big as a sequoia, impossibly deep, occasionally full of ham Jones s voice is so gigantic that it can seem like a put-on, and he s always known it; part of his charm is the way he ll play it up, often with a hoarse cackle at the end of a line
--Rolling Stone Magazine (2013)
..".it can be easy to forget that Jones is a man with a passion for roots music that runs several fathoms deep. His appearance alongside a number of British blues luminaries in Mike Figgis' contribution to Martin Scorcese's series of The Blues films revealed a man exposing his emotions without the usual trappings of showbiz schmaltz and glitzy presentation. More often than not, he was no longer the Vegas crooner of legend but a man tapping his very heart and soul to deliver a performance of uncharacteristic tendernesss and undeniable human frailty."
--The Quietus (2010)

Praise for his album Spirit in the Room (2012)
"The vocals are heartfelt and powerful; the arrangements are unobtrusive; the results are impressive."
The New Yorker
Jones lives and breathes inside these songs and shows us new sides to both the work and himself. Simply stunning the entertainer becomes an artist
--The Sunday Times
This is a beautiful album of great songs performed with taste and sung with tender resonance by one of the most distinctive voices of British popular music the results have undeniable emotional heft
--The Telegraph
Jones raises his game and lowers his guard magnificent
--Daily Mail
Praise for his album Praise & Blame (2010)
OnPraise & Blame, that gutsy Northern soul voice sounds righteous and true .
--Billboard
A faultless batch of songs [that] brings out the best in this veteran singer s artistry. Johns lays down a resonant sonic foundation that is an ideal framework for Jones newfound gravitas .
Randy Lewis, Los Angeles Times, 4*/4
Jones instrument has fire and brimstone enough to make this elder statesman sound more virile and alive at 70 than ever .
--Jim Farber, New York Daily News, 4/5*
He s managed to make himself something highly unusual for a man at this stage of his career: unclassifiable. Unpredictable. Tom Jones is no joke .
--Ken Tucker, NPR Music
A batch of gospel, blues and rockabilly songs so raw and pure that every impassioned note and every percussive beat hits the heart. This is tom Jones creative edict .
--Mario Tarradell, The Dallas Morning News, Grade A
WithPraise & Blame, he s reached deep and tapped into the real stuff. Impeccably sympathetic, haunting and rawboned amid its grim-yet-joyous ecstasy, Jones gives no hint that his reinvention is anything less than a legitimate bid for salvation artistic, personal, and even eternal .
--Jason Albert, The A.V. Club, Grade B+
The song choices are impeccable, all propelled by Jones s remarkable voice, still a marvel of quaveriness and bluster and sinew after all these years .
--The Washington Post"

Praise for "Over the Top and Back"
"This book is bound to be of great interest to pop music fans, especially those who remember Jones s glory days, when women threw their panties at thisubermale superstar. The honesty and openness with which Jones shares his life and career make it a must-read."
--Library Journal, Starred Review"
"
"In attitude and anecdote, his engaging and illuminating book backs him up...A remarkable memoir by a remarkable artist."
--Kirkus, Starred Review

Praise for Tom Jones
"At 72, Tom Jones still sounds like Tom Jones big as a sequoia, impossibly deep, occasionally full of ham Jones s voice is so gigantic that it can seem like a put-on, and he s always known it; part of his charm is the way he ll play it up, often with a hoarse cackle at the end of a line
--Rolling Stone Magazine (2013)
..".it can be easy to forget that Jones is a man with a passion for roots music that runs several fathoms deep. His appearance alongside a number of British blues luminaries in Mike Figgis' contribution to Martin Scorcese's series of The Blues films revealed a man exposing his emotions without the usual trappings of showbiz schmaltz and glitzy presentation. More often than not, he was no longer the Vegas crooner of legend but a man tapping his very heart and soul to deliver a performance of uncharacteristic tendernesss and undeniable human frailty."
--The Quietus (2010)

Praise for his album Spirit in the Room (2012)
"The vocals are heartfelt and powerful; the arrangements are unobtrusive; the results are impressive."
The New Yorker
Jones lives and breathes inside these songs and shows us new sides to both the work and himself. Simply stunning the entertainer becomes an artist
--The Sunday Times
This is a beautiful album of great songs performed with taste and sung with tender resonance by one of the most distinctive voices of British popular music the results have undeniable emotional heft
--The Telegraph
Jones raises his game and lowers his guard magnificent
--Daily Mail
Praise for his album Praise & Blame (2010)
OnPraise & Blame, that gutsy Northern soul voice sounds righteous and true .
--Billboard
A faultless batch of songs [that] brings out the best in this veteran singer s artistry. Johns lays down a resonant sonic foundation that is an ideal framework for Jones newfound gravitas .
Randy Lewis, Los Angeles Times, 4*/4
Jones instrument has fire and brimstone enough to make this elder statesman sound more virile and alive at 70 than ever .
--Jim Farber, New York Daily News, 4/5*
He s managed to make himself something highly unusual for a man at this stage of his career: unclassifiable. Unpredictable. Tom Jones is no joke .
--Ken Tucker, NPR Music
A batch of gospel, blues and rockabilly songs so raw and pure that every impassioned note and every percussive beat hits the heart. This is tom Jones creative edict .
--Mario Tarradell, The Dallas Morning News, Grade A
WithPraise & Blame, he s reached deep and tapped into the real stuff. Impeccably sympathetic, haunting and rawboned amid its grim-yet-joyous ecstasy, Jones gives no hint that his reinvention is anything less than a legitimate bid for salvation artistic, personal, and even eternal .
--Jason Albert, The A.V. Club, Grade B+
The song choices are impeccable, all propelled by Jones s remarkable voice, still a marvel of quaveriness and bluster and sinew after all these years .
--The Washington Post"

Praise for "Over the Top and Back"
"Packed with the kind of showbiz tales you don't get any more...Jones is a charming, matey voice and the book is a terrific, star-studded journey through the world of entertainment. Even after meeting some of the greats, such as Elvis and Sinatra, Jones still retains an innocence and freshness that is rare." "Daily Express"
""Over the Top and Back" is a great read and funny. It charts his youth in the coal mining town of Pontypridd. It captures his Welshness." "Sunday Telegraph"
"Tom Jones really has had the most astonishing life, one which he recounts here with verve, energy and a vivid eye for detail - this is a hugely enjoyable read." "The Daily Mail
""This lively, thoughtful and entertaining account does justice to a remarkable life and career." "Sunday Express"
A brilliant read full of charm and anecdote that captures the spirit of each decade as well as giving a great behind-the-scenes snapshot of the music world. Fanny Blake, "Woman & Home"
"This book is bound to be of great interest to pop music fans, especially those who remember Jones s glory days, when women threw their panties at thisubermale superstar. The honesty and openness with which Jones shares his life and career make it a must-read." "Library Journal," Starred Review"
"
"In attitude and anecdote, his engaging and illuminating book backs him up...A remarkable memoir by a remarkable artist." "Kirkus," Starred Review
A story brilliantly told...Hold up your banners: Sir Tom F****** Jones . Yeah! Bryan Appleyard, "The Sunday Times"
""
A book that gets to Jones's core. "The Daily Mirror"
Praise for Tom Jones
"At 72, Tom Jones still sounds like Tom Jones big as a sequoia, impossibly deep, occasionally full of ham Jones s voice is so gigantic that it can seem like a put-on, and he s always known it; part of his charm is the way he ll play it up, often with a hoarse cackle at the end of a line.
"Rolling Stone Magazine" (2013)
..".it can be easy to forget that Jones is a man with a passion for roots music that runs several fathoms deep. His appearance alongside a number of British blues luminaries in Mike Figgis' contribution to Martin Scorcese's series of The Blues films revealed a man exposing his emotions without the usual trappings of showbiz schmaltz and glitzy presentation. More often than not, he was no longer the Vegas crooner of legend but a man tapping his very heart and soul to deliver a performance of uncharacteristic tendernesss and undeniable human frailty."
"The Quietus" (2010)

Praise for his album Spirit in the Room (2012)
"The vocals are heartfelt and powerful; the arrangements are unobtrusive; the results are impressive." "The New Yorker"
Jones lives and breathes inside these songs and shows us new sides to both the work and himself. Simply stunning the entertainer becomes an artist. "The Sunday Times"
This is a beautiful album of great songs performed with taste and sung with tender resonance by one of the most distinctive voices of British popular music the results have undeniable emotional heft. "The Telegraph"
Jones raises his game and lowers his guard magnificent. "Daily Mail
"
Praise for his album Praise & Blame (2010)
On"Praise & Blame," that gutsy Northern soul voice sounds righteous and true. "Billboard"
A faultless batch of songs [that] brings out the best in this veteran singer s artistry. Johns lays down a resonant sonic foundation that is an ideal framework for Jones newfound gravitas. Randy Lewis, " Los Angeles Times "(4*/4)
Jones instrument has fire and brimstone enough to make this elder statesman sound more virile and alive at 70 than ever. Jim Farber, "New York Daily News, ("4*/5)
He s managed to make himself something highly unusual for a man at this stage of his career: unclassifiable. Unpredictable. Tom Jones is no joke. Ken Tucker, "NPR Music"
A batch of gospel, blues and rockabilly songs so raw and pure that every impassioned note and every percussive beat hits the heart. This is tom Jones creative edict. Mario Tarradell, "The Dallas Morning News"(Grade A)
With"Praise & Blame," he s reached deep and tapped into the real stuff. Impeccably sympathetic, haunting and rawboned amid its grim-yet-joyous ecstasy, Jones gives no hint that his reinvention is anything less than a legitimate bid for salvation artistic, personal, and even eternal. Jason Albert, "The A.V. Club "(Grade B+)
The song choices are impeccable, all propelled by Jones s remarkable voice, still a marvel of quaveriness and bluster and sinew after all these years. "The Washington Post""

Praise for "Over the Top and Back"
"In Jones' new autobiography...the singer recounts some other excesses of his glory days, and of the leaner years and more modest venues that followed before his resurgence in recent decades. But the lasting image is that of Jones, now 75, as a family man who has been married to the same woman...for 58 years."" USA Today"
"Packed with the kind of showbiz tales you don't get any more...Jones is a charming, matey voice and the book is a terrific, star-studded journey through the world of entertainment. Even after meeting some of the greats, such as Elvis and Sinatra, Jones still retains an innocence and freshness that is rare." "Daily Express"
""Over the Top and Back" is a great read and funny. It charts his youth in the coal mining town of Pontypridd. It captures his We...