Tom Jones - This Is Tom Jones (1969)

Tom Jones revels in MOR pop for this mostly fine 1969 long-player. Big-band swank makes a rare appearance on opener "Fly Me to the Moon," while the remainder ranges through the likes of "Little Green Apples," "Wichita Lineman," and "Hey Jude." The layered string and choral backdrop gets a soul update on "Sitting on the Dock of the Bay" and Betty Everett and Jerry Butler's duet hit "Let It Be Me," as "Dance of Love"'s pelvic R&B makes for a quick glimpse of the singer's show-stomping energy. Save for the lag brought on by a few overblown, one-dimensional ballads ("That's All Any Man Can Say," "That Wonderful Sound"), This Is Tom Jones keeps up the singer's solid run of late-'60s releases.