Tom Jones: A Sexy Guy Sings Rubbish

You’d have thought you were in some back-street strip joint in Hollywood rather than the upscale Greek Theatre as pleas of “Take it off!,� “Take it off!� filled the air Saturday night.

But that’s not unusual at a Tom Jones show, where female fans continue to thrill at the sight--and sound--of the Welsh pop singer, who, at 51, is still handsome and fit.

Despite the pleas, however, Jones didn’t go any farther than shedding his sports jacket. He did, however, add to the sexually-charged atmosphere with his suggestive banter and an array of bumps and grinds. With those antics, it’s no surprise that hardly anything of artistic merit transpired during the show.

Backed by a pop-rock quintet and two female singers, Jones mostly sang his oldies, including “It’s Not Unusual� and “What’s New Pussycat?,� with his usual overkill.

Jones’ problem has always been that his vocals and material have been woefully mismatched. That big, deep, rich voice is far too classy for the kind of pop rubbish he usually sings. After all these years, he’s still never learned how to modulate his style to fit his music. Even the hipper selections--Prince’s “Kiss� and a medley of Van Morrison compositions--never approached their potential.