These Walls Tell A Story by Jim Bohn

--Curt Nichols Boise Weekly 11-15-2006

This is a MUST HAVE CD! - Catherine Tully

Man, this is tasty stuff. It's pretty rare that a CD hits on all cylinders, but then again, Jim Bohn isn't your average guy. With a voice that speaks right into the depths of your heart, and bands (the Swamp Dawg Band & the Sweet Magnolias) that you could listen to all night long, this entire album is a winner. "The Original Blues Cowboy" moniker is appropriate, as he taps right in to the soul with both his lyrics and delivery.

"Rhea Rose" was written for his granddaughter, and is a sweet and poigniant tribute to a little girl that has obviously captured his heart in every way. Its softness is touching. Bohn doesn't forget his dad either, tipping his hat to him in Track 1, "Blue Collar Man." I love Bohn's songs. The lyrics really resonate and are full of truth as well as humor.

For his morning caffeine he tapped a vending machine

for some Joe that could quicken the dead

If he knew what I paid for a Starbuck's latte

He'd slap me upside my head ... "

Those wry lyrics are everywhere throughout this CD. You'll chuckle and laugh, you'll tap your feet, you'll wish that it didn't end. "Better Keep Your Day Job" is a hilarious reflection on the TV show American Idol, "Angelina" has a Spanish feel to it, and "Beulah Land" and "Carry The Load" both have some gorgeous harmonies. The heartfelt and wonderfully skilled instrumentation on this CD really allows Bohn's lyrics ample opportunity to stand up and shine to their full capacity.

Many songwriters write lyrics about feelings or situations. Bohn focuses on people, drawing on his observations and insights, and it makes for a different, and deeper, kind of song. There is more texture and taste to the words; it's refreshing. I can't say enough about the bands either. They just jam it out in so many ways that you simply must hear them to believe it. This is a must-have CD.

THURSDAY, May 18, 2006, 5:19 p.m.

Jim Bohn: Good stuff from Grafton

I'm always optimistic when I open the mailbox and there's a CD-sized envelope fighting for space amongst the credit card offers.

In some instances, I've been more pleasantly surprised than in others. That's the case with Jim Bohn, whom I'd never heard of although he lives just up the road. Well, thanks to a recent trip to the mailbox, I've heard of him now and I like what I've heard.

His new CD, "These Walls Walls Tell A Story," (Jim Bohn with The Swamp Dog Band & The Sweet Magnolias), is a fine collection of Americana-based songs - some country, some blues, some folk and sometimes all three at once.

Nice touches of harmonica, slide guitar, steel guitar and sax augment the solid songwriting, playing and production. As background vocalists, The Sweet Magnolias can flat-out sing.

Jim Hoehn - Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel 5-19-2006

Singer-songwriter Jim Bohn covers a lot of ground – both literally and figuratively – on this new CD, "These Walls Tell a Story." These songs cover the American landscape, from trailer parks and roadside diners in the South to abandoned steel towns in Pennsylvania to working-class grit in the Midwest. And the tunes visit a wealth of musical styles – ballads, blues, country rock and southern rock, pure country, even a touch of Cajun.

But what you notice most is the absolute honesty of Bohn’s songs in telling the truth of a situation, whether it be a relationship, his (and our) heritage or history revisited. This vibe starts at the beginning and continues through to the last notes, with smart and unpretentious lyrics about folks living the way they want to and what it means to them, no matter how it appears to others.

Bohn drew inspiration from his travels and the people he met and observed along the way. As he says, "Everyone has a story." And he drew inspiration from places within as well as those places with other walls that could tell stories too. In these detail-rich songs filled with strong images, listeners can appreciate and absorb a wide range of experiences and sensibilities.

Whether it is the surreal portrait of a lonely, honk-tonk bar in the title track or painful love in the George Jones-like "Treacherous Heart," Bohn hits the mark by being engaging and real. You’ll taste the sweet potato pie in "Swamp Dawg Band." live the "hard-core truth" of "I Never Loved You," ride the emotional roller coaster in "What Seems Like Hell to You," and celebrate the joy of new life in "Rhea Rose."

Good songs leave us richer and wiser. These are good songs.

– June Lehman, music journalist

Jim Bohn's new release: "The Walls Tell A Story" is like a beloved photo album of worn sepia photographs. - Alaria Taylor

Jim delivers the goods! Audible fun...toe-tappin', head bobbin', finger snappin', back-to-basics, free-wheelin', pure and proud Americana-Country-Rock, with some surprises and top-notch production. There's not a word wasted in Jim's honest and colorful lyrics. Listen to this every morning to start your day and you can throw out your Prozac. - Tracy Jane Comer

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