Customer Reviews

Between the Mountain and the Moon

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Having listen to Luka Bloom from his first great CD "Riverside" in 1990, I thought he quickly reached to his pinnacle with his 2nd fantastic CD "The Acoustic Motorbike" in 1992. "Turf" in 1994 was good but lacked the creative edge of his pervious genius. Then after a 5 year vacation the lack luster "Salty Heaven" came in 1999, which lost the universal outlook of his previous work. After writing this review I returned to "Salty Heaven" & I am starting to get into it.

With "Between the Mountain and the Moon" Luka Bloom returns to almost match "The Acoustic Motorbike" in style containing a quasi Christian/Buddhist spiritual outlook. Luke Bloom sings with great passion about lost loves & hope for the future intermixing personal reflection about Ireland, Christ, the Angel Gabriel, & the Dali Lama. At times Luka Bloom does a clean Irish rap...er...poetry talk that is very unique for those that dislike rap won't mind listening to.

At times Luka Bloom can be compared to Bruce Cockburn. Both write & talk/sing about serious subjects in a multi cultural style with excellent guitar work & back up. But un-like the Canadian Bruce Cockburn, Luka Bloom retains more to his Irish/Celtic heritage within a baritone range.

Sinead O'Connor joins Luka Bloom in a few songs & makes an amazing match in tone & timber, specially in the song "Love Is a Place I Dream Of". Give it a listen to in the sample section.

I must have been living under a rock because I just discovered Luka Bloom this year while browsing in a small music store in County Kerry, Ireland. Picked up the CD because of the Tibetan prayer flags..,. Then the store guy was kind enough to play it... The first few lines of "Monsoon" and I was hooked! Luka Bloom is a rare gem: masculine, deep, raw, real, romantic. No fake pop sentiments here. This is grounded and gutsy music. Gutsy because he dares to be real. I'm in awe of Luka Bloom and his vast talents. Now, I'm catching up by buying his other stuff, but so far this one is the very best.

As someone who's seen Luka's live shows at least 10 times, I'd say this is his best album since the early 90's. He's had these songs around awhile because he played them live back in 98 at the Roxy in LA. Still, these are good songs, all of them, driving guitar work, well-crafted ballads and lyrics that make you think. He's back to his simplest, best style on these songs which once again cry out to be heard by more people than will ever hear them. Why isn't he selling out stadiums? He's got Sinead here to help him. Maybe this time he'll find his audience.

I bought this album without reading any reviews because I trust Luka's talent and sensibility. You should too, beautiful melodies, simple yet deeply spiritual poetry. A refreshing oasis in today's music wasteland.

The song "Perfect Groove" is so good that I think it worthwhile to buy the CD. Want to start a Chi-Gung session, loosen-up, dance with joy, then find a way to hear this song. Ten thousand blessings!

BETWEEN THE MOUNTAIN AND THE MOON, Luka's 2002 album, includes two of my all-time favorite songs, "Perfect Groove" ("I'm looking for the perfect groove!") and "Rainbow Day" ("If I find love -- it's a rainbow day.") "I'm a Bogman" is the third up-tempo number, with a three-piece brass band. These up-tempo songs are not typical of the album as a whole, though, which is beautifully quiet and peaceful, full of subtle melodies, excellent instrumental playing, great production, and of course Luka's voice.

The Buddhist prayer flags on the cover are from the Dzogchen Beara, a Buddhist center on the Beara Peninsula in West Cork, Ireland. Two of the songs are about Buddhists, "Soshin," which is about and dedicated to Maura O'Halloran, an Irish woman who became a Buddhist nun. The beautiful chorus includes "everything in the world is new." "As I Waved Goodbye" is about the Dalai Lama and the loss of Tibet, and is the source of the album's title: "I can hear the cry of the geese that fly between the mountain and the moon."

Sinead O'Connor duets with Luka on two songs, including the moving "Love Is a Place I Dream Of." Of the slower, more contemplative songs, my favorites are "Here and Now," "Love is a Place I Dream Of," and the stunning "Hands of a Farmer." My least favorite are "Monsoon" and "Moonslide." If I'm not in the right mood the stretch of quiet songs between tracks 3 and 9 ("Groove" and "Bogman") can seem a bit wispy, while if I'm tuned into the right wavelength, I'm carried right along. But this an old-fashioned album, and the whole is greater than the sum of the parts. It's Luka's vision of peace and love!

Luka Bloom took a sabbatical of three years between this CD and "A Salty Heaven," having felt burned by the music industry and wary of writing new material. But he also couldn't keep the music from coming out of him, so he recorded the all covers "Keeper Of The Flame" and - claiming inspiration from the self-made CD's by Ani DiFranco - released it independently. The success with that CD coaxed Bloom into recording "Between The Mountain and The Moon" as an independent again, and at his own pace. The result of this leisure was a terrific return to form.

The album rolls off on the metaphor of "Love Is A Monsoon." Talk-singing the verses while an ethereal background vocal swoops overhead, this is the kind of music that made his name in folk-circles. His mix of spirituality and eloquence matches song for song in quality (especially on "Gabriel"); his gentle guitar work is astounding as always. There are so many highlights here that it's just not possible to list them all.

A special treat is the voice of Sinead O'Connor, who is a far better singer than most people give her credit for. The melancholy "Love Is A Place I Dream Of" is a reminder of how great to subtly powerful voices can be when paired. Also of note is the live favorite "I'm A Bogman," a playful song about one's roots.

Bloom has released many fine albums over the years. Seeing him in concert in 2006 while touring for "Innocence" rekindled my respect for his work. "Between The Mountain and The Moon" is just one of many CD's that you can choose from to acquaint yourself with his wonderment.

This is a lovely album from Luka Bloom. The songs are a lovely mixture of gracious melody, contemplative lyrics and earthy reality.

One of my favourites is the song written in tribute to Maura O'Halloran, the Irish girl who became a Buddhist nun. As Luka says in this song, "everything in the world is new"

All the songs on this great album speak of simplicity, joy, celebration, love and gentle humanity. What more could a body want.

As a long time fan of Luka Bloom this album hits me where I live.
No one sings with as much charisma as he does. In this album, as in another favorite, (Turf), the music is injected into my soul. The songs are mesmerizing. When he is singing you are listening, totally. This is not background music. When you hear Between the Mountain and the Moon have a few kleenex with you.
There isn't a bad song on it. If possible catch a live performance. He will knock you out.

luka bloom's jump to an independent record label was one of the best moves he's made. his small fan base has made him a wonderful icon in the celtic, folk, and indie realms. since jumping on bar none, he has expanded his usual solo efforts to include some regular vocals and new instruments. each track on this album is delightfully different and presents a new side of luka bloom. female vocals provide backup and stability, and rolling tracks like 'soshin' and 'bogman' remind you that this is in fact luka bloom. a wonderful release with a definitely push towards expansion and creativity. kudos, luka!