Over the Top and Back: The Autobiography

 

In a career that has spanned six decades, Sir Tom Jones has performed with almost every major recording artist, from Jerry Lee Lewis, Elvis and Sinatra, to Robbie Williams, Van Morrison and Jessie J, across every imaginable genre, from rock and pop to country, blues and soul. The one constant throughout has been his unique musical gift and unmistakable voice.
In this, his first ever autobiography, Tom will revisit his past, both personal and professional, exploring the twists of fate that took a boy from a poor Welsh coal-mining family to global celebrity status. He will chart the stories behind the hits as well as the ups and downs of his professional life - from the heyday in Las Vegas and subsequent fallow years in the 1980s to his renaissance and comeback, thanks to the direction and management of his son, Mark - as well as shedding a light on the life he has led behind the cameras and the stage.

 

VA • The Best Sixties Album In The World... Ever

 

 

The Monkees, Sonny & Cher, Carole King, Cliff Richard & The Shadows, Del Shannon, The Four Seasons, Dusty Springfield, The Everly Brothers, Tommy James & The Shondells, Jeff Beck, The Move, The Kinks, Beach Boys, The Zombies, Manfred Mann, The Troggs, The Righteous Brothers, Gerry & The Pacemakers, Procul Harum, Glen Campbell, The Hollies, The Walker Brothers, Petula Clark, Andy Williams, The Tremeloes, Marvin Gaye, Otis Redding, Aretha Franklin, Dionne Warwick, The Supremes, The Four Tops, Martha Reeves & The Vandellas, Stevie Wonder, Sam & Dave, Tom Jones, Georgie Fame & The Blue Flames, The Small Faces, Cliff Bennett & The Rebel Rousers, Wilson Pickett, Eddie Floyd, James Brown, Fontella Bass, The Moody Blues, Van Morrison, The Byrds, The Animals, Percy Sledge, Patsy Cline, Louis Armstrong, Ben E. King.

VA • The British Invasionː History of British Rock, Vols. 1-9

 

Review by Stephen Thomas Erlewine
Rhino's nine-volume British Invasion: The History of British Rock is the most exhaustive and essential overview of '60s British pop/rock available. Although the collection doesn't include tracks from the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, the Who, Herman's Hermits, the Dave Clark Five, and the early Animals, their absence doesn't hurt the series, since it spotlights several artists who never had more than a handful of hits, plus many forgotten gems. And there are plenty of major acts here, as well: The Kinks, the Small Faces, the Yardbirds, Donovan, the Hollies, the Zombies, the Spencer Davis Group, the Searchers, Manfred Mann, and Them are all represented by their best-known tracks. The collection runs from the beginnings of Merseybeat to the aftermath of psychedelia, meaning that it chronicles the evolution of British pop/rock quite effectively. But The History of British Rock shouldn't be thought of as simply an educational overview of one of the most vital eras of pop; each volume is fun and exciting, and sounds more like a good time than a history lesson. The series is one of the cornerstones of any comprehensive pop/rock collection.
https://www.allmusic.com/album/the-british-invasion-history-of-british-rock-vols-1-9-mw0000676664

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Reseña de Stephen Thomas Erlewine
Los nueve volúmenes de Invasión británica: The History of British Rock de Rhino es el panorama más exhaustivo y esencial del pop/rock británico de los años 60 que existe. Aunque la colección no incluye temas de los Beatles, los Rolling Stones, los Who, Herman's Hermits, Dave Clark Five y los primeros Animals, su ausencia no perjudica a la serie, ya que destaca a varios artistas que nunca tuvieron más de un puñado de éxitos, además de muchas joyas olvidadas. Y también hay muchos grandes artistas: The Kinks, The Small Faces, The Yardbirds, Donovan, The Hollies, The Zombies, The Spencer Davis Group, The Searchers, Manfred Mann y Them están representados con sus temas más conocidos. La colección abarca desde los inicios del Merseybeat hasta las secuelas de la psicodelia, lo que significa que narra la evolución del pop/rock británico con bastante eficacia. Pero The History of British Rock no debe considerarse simplemente como una visión educativa de una de las épocas más vitales del pop; cada volumen es divertido y emocionante, y parece más un buen rato que una lección de historia. La serie es una de las piedras angulares de cualquier colección completa de pop/rock.
https://www.allmusic.com/album/the-british-invasion-history-of-british-rock-vols-1-9-mw0000676664