![]() ![]() "I sometimes visit him at his house when I'm out in California and he always gives me a jar of his homemade jelly that he makes with fresh kiwis from his garden," Thorn recalls. The song also is significant because he has developed a friendship with Bishop over the years. "I believe technology in moderation is good but too many folks are walking around wearing ear phones and some have forgotten the lost art of basic social skills." "We are living in a new world where people are very connected, but also at the same time are disconnected," Thorn states. ![]() What The Hell's centerpiece is the powerful title track, a blistering look at life in modern times that was penned by blues-rock icon Elvin Bishop. and Eli put into words what I feel like sometimes." The latter particularly expresses Thorn's feelings about being on the road and missing his family back home: "Being a touring musician is a blessing and a curse. Vance's Shed A Little Light and Eli "Paperboy" Reed's Take My Love With You are emotionally powerful tunes. What The Hell Is Goin' On? also delivers songs of love and salvation. Emerson (who has written for George Jones and Tammy Wynette) is someone, according to Thorn, who "can tell a story in a song like nobody else." Thorn, so skilled with his own character studies, plays storyteller with such lurid tales as Hubbard's Snake Farm and Emerson's Bull Mountain Bridge. The set covers subjects that are familiar territory to Thorn, from the spiritual pull of Miller's Shelter Me Lord to the spirited fun in Big Al Anderson's Jukin'. They all have real depth, which is very appealing to me." None of these songs are cookie-cutter tunes like you hear on the radio today. "At the risk of sounding corny, they write with their hearts. "They don't just write songs in an effort to become popular or follow trends," he explains. "I would hear them in the tour van or I'd be at a festival and see someone perform them live," Thorn says, "and I'd say 'That's a great song, I wish I had written it!'" One thing all the writers of these songs have in common, according to Thorn, is that they are true artists. The idea for a covers album grew as Thorn encountered tunes that meant something important to him. The Buckingham/Nicks tune Don't Let Me Down Again originated on that duo's debut, not during the Fleetwood Mac era, while the Paul Rogers/Free song that Thorn chose to cover is an obscure one, Walk In My Shadow. There are some names familiar to Americana fans (Buddy Miller, Ray Wylie Hubbard), some lesser-known (Foy Vance, Wild Bill Emerson) and some surprises. The collection, entitled What The Hell Is Goin' On? (Perpetual Obscurity / Thirty Tigers) finds Thorn putting his own gritty rock stamp on some of his favorite songs. "I wanted to take a break from myself," he reveals, "do something different, and just have fun." After writing many discs of semi-autobiographical tunes that have drawn comparisons to John Hiatt and John Prine, the critically acclaimed singer/songwriter - hailed as the "Mark Twain of Americana" - decided to do an album of covers. Thorn took an unexpected detour on the road to recording a follow-up to his most successful release, 2010's Pimps and Preachers. This resulted in Thorn being signed to a recording contract with A&M Records and recording his first album, Hammer & Nail in 1997. After a few years of working in a local furniture factory and playing in local clubs, he was discovered by music professional Miles Copeland (brother of The Police drummer Stewart Copeland). While utilizing narrative story-telling in his songs, Thorn's music is mostly centered around themes such as love, heartache, memories, his religious beliefs, and just having a good time.īefore his professional music career began, Thorn was briefly a professional boxer. Paul Thorn (born Paul Wayne Thorn on July 13, 1964, in Kenosha, Wisconsin) is an Americana singer-songwriter whose style is a mix of blues and rock music with a hint of Gospel. After a few years of working in a local furniture. Before his professional music career began, Thorn was briefly a professional boxer. While utilizing narrative story-telling in his songs, Thorn's music is mostly centered around themes such as love, heartache, memories, his religious beliefs, and just having a good time. ![]()
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