Salty Heaven

Salty Heaven

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
Attendees at the first Guinness Fleadh (festival) in New York were intrigued as the noted Irish singer-songwriter Christy Moore flogged his kid bother Luka Bloom's (the nom de plume is half Suzanne Vega and half James Joyce) gig from the stage, and those who took his advice were agreeably surprised. Salty Heaven shows why--it is a potpourri of soulful images and love songs: protests against France's atomic bomb tests in Polynesia, kisses at a Brigid well, laments commemorating Altan's late flautist Frankie Kennedy, and the Irish famine. Bloom sings in a strong, extremely masculine baritone that contrasts pleasantly with the sensitivity and relaxed tunefulness of his songs. His many long stays in the U.S. have given his songwriting a cosmopolitan, urban soft-rock, neo-folk blend. Even so, his point of view as a lyricist remains specifically Irish even as the concerns he addresses speak from a wider experience. --Christina Roden

Tracks:

Blackberry Time
The Hungry Ghost
Don't Be So Hard On Yourself
Ciara
Rainbow Warrior
Water Ballerina
Holy Ground
Cool Breeze
The Shape Of Love To Come
Sanas
Forgiveness

Amazon.com

Attendees at the first Guinness Fleadh (festival) in New York were intrigued as the noted Irish singer-songwriter Christy Moore flogged his kid bother Luka Bloom's (the nom de plume is half Suzanne Vega and half James Joyce) gig from the stage, and those who took his advice were agreeably surprised. Salty Heaven shows why--it is a potpourri of soulful images and love songs: protests against France's atomic bomb tests in Polynesia, kisses at a Brigid well, laments commemorating Altan's late flautist Frankie Kennedy, and the Irish famine. Bloom sings in a strong, extremely masculine baritone that contrasts pleasantly with the sensitivity and relaxed tunefulness of his songs. His many long stays in the U.S. have given his songwriting a cosmopolitan, urban soft-rock, neo-folk blend. Even so, his point of view as a lyricist remains specifically Irish even as the concerns he addresses speak from a wider experience. --Christina Roden

Customer Reviews:

Weak.......2003-06-25

I am a huge Luka Bloom fan. I would rate ALL of his other works as must haves (if you need to choose just one get Riverside). This album just does not have the power and intensity of his previous works. That being said, if you ever get a chance to see him live don't miss it! You will be blown away.

A Must-Have album.......2002-04-03

And that is certainly not a title I give albums very frequently, implying as it does that everyone should have it, rather than just those who like (in this case) folk music.

I was put onto Luka in general and this album in specific by an inspirational teacher and friend of mine who had the guts to play the entire 8-minute opus that is "Forgiveness" in front of some 500 students last year. While most of my friends were busy talking about other things, I was spellbound by Luka's guitar technique and the no-holds-barred, leave-it-all-on-the-stage nature of his imagery. Then and there I was converted to the work of this incredible man.

The album itself is simply amazing. "Blackberry Time", the opener, gives the merest hint of what is to come: Luka's baritone overlaid over gloriously catchy guitar strumming, all the while singing some of the most heartfelt lyrics ever committed to CD. The other 10 tracks offer more of the same, Luka's lyrical brush paints many pictures of life and love in which the one common denominator is his lived-in voice, making his stories all that more believable.

The coup de grace is saved for the final track, "Forgiveness". Here, Bloom leaves the 20th Century behind as he tells the heartbreaking tale of a young man and his wife fleeing the Irish Potato Famine. All pretences of sugar-coating (which does appear on this album every so often) are left behind as Luka travels with this couple to Canada and beyond.

Every song on the album has its own high points and barely any have low points, so picking favourites is almost impossible. The first three tracks "Blackberry Time", "The Hungry Ghost" and "Don't Be So Hard On Yourself" are utter gems just dying to be heard by many more people than will ever do so. The first and third of those songs I've heard live and am still in awe of, while the second should have been played as well. The other songs are also, as I have said, classics - although I recommend "The Shape of Love To Come", "Ciara", "Rainbow Warrior" and "Holy Ground" as well worthwhile. "Ciara", interestingly enough, is even better live as well. In fact, at the concert I saw it played at, it was requested from the audience as Luka tuned up for his next song - upon hearing it he responded "OK" and performed it, while keeping the audience completely silent.

There are always reasons that people have to hate artists. Luka is sometimes accused of predictability in guitar technique or vocal range, however this simply accentuates his lyrics - and certainly makes "Rainbow Warrior" a spellbinding listen. Certainly his lyrics do venture a little close to the sappy side of things on occasion, but the complete package of the performance salvages them.

Overall, as I said above, this album is important to own regardless of your musical tastes. Folk-lovers will, of course, derive the most utility out of it, but all bar hardcore rappers and metalheads will certainly enjoy it.

salty heaven.......2001-03-03

again a wonderful offering from a truly great irish singer/songwriter.salty heaven sees luka using other instruments to compliment the voice and guitar.i would say peter van hooke and rod argent have contributed greatly to the outcome of this album. lovely fluent bass playing and nice snare hits and rolls especially on blackberry time draw the listener into the songs.many people say he is limited as a guitar player with the same strumming technique but i think this becomes less obvious when mixed with different instruments and the bigger production effort that has gone into this record.highly recommended

The Sound of Passion.......2000-11-03

This is actually the first Luka Bloom CD I owned. The compositions on this CD truely represent a beautiful compilation of passionate music. Bloom has found a way to paint a portrait of his soul through the music on this disc. Songs such as Hungry Ghost exemplify this through the haunting vocals and delicate chord choices. Blackberry Time, the first track, starts off the CD with an upbeat rythmic tone. Perhaps the strongest piece is the last, Forgivness, the story of the pilgramage of his people inmto Canada. If I could meet this man I would gladly tell him how much I appricate this CD being created! Other honorable tracks are, Rainbow Warrior, Holy Ground, and Water Ballerina. Whether you're a fan of Folk or a fan of extraordinary music you must buy this CD! You will not be disappointed!

Disappointing Effort.......2000-05-04

Like the other reviewers, I'm a big fan of Luka's, but this CD really doesn't grab me at all. After the brilliant 'Turf', I was really disappointed by 'Salty Heaven'. The lovely voice, guitar and melodies are still there, but the lyrics seems exceedingly trite, even when addressing interesting topics. The occasional strings just add to the 'sappiness' of most of the songs. 'Rainbow Warrior' is particularly annoying, not to mention extremely dated. 'Water Ballerina' can't hold a candle to the very similar Mike Scott-penned song ('Sunny Sailor Boy') he covered on his previous album. Indeed, there are too many repeats of melodies and ideas here, and not enough growth to my mind.

It was interesting to note that many of the reviewers had seen Luka live: I agree he is an outstanding performer, and the songs are probably better live, but this CD only has a few good - not great - songs on it ('Ciara', 'Blackberry Time', 'The Shape of Love to Come'. 'Sanas' are the best of the bunch), so, separated from his live show, it just isn't all that impressive. There just isn't the humour and passion in this CD that is evident live. The only possible exception is the song 'Forgiveness', which is a pretty powerful song addressing an emotional subject.

For those interested in hearing this excellent singer/songwriter, check out 'Turf'. In my opinion, it is by far his best album. For that matter, his other two CDs are also better than this effort. I'd still leap at the chance to see him live though!

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