Customer Reviews

The Acoustic Motorbike

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

 

 

Bloom's second album, after his stunning debut "Riverside," was, perhaps, destined to disappoint by comparison, but the fact that it comes so close to matching is a bold testament to his talents.

This album begins with the startling "Mary Watches Everything," and ends with the simple, but decidedly NOT silly, love song "Be Well." In between we get another impressive set of Luka originals, mixed in with a pair of terrific covers, the Elvis standard "Can't Help Falling In Love," and a wild version of LL Cool J's (yes, that's right) "I Need Love." All and all a first rate album from a first rate artist.

It's difficult to describe this album as it has a really unique style and sound. For some reason, the word 'cool' comes to mind.

I first heard Luka Bloom on some obscure video channel playing his rendition of L.L. Cool J's 'I Need Love'. Luka Bloom's version is fantastic. Rather than drum beats and rap you'll find the acoustic guitar and Luka's accent while 'rapping' setting the song apart. It's worth it for this song alone.

As with many pleasantly surprising finds, the rest of the songs are also fantastic. There are some mellow pieces and some rather rocking pieces, all driven by his acoustic guitar. Yet there are other subtle instrumentations that make their way into your hearing with repeated listenings. It has grown on me over the years and I have yet to tire of it. A good find if you're looking for something a bit apart from the mainstream.

Bittersweet poetry and haunting tunes make The Acoustic Motorbike a worthy addition to any music collection. The sound will stay with you long after a listen and the occasionally silly song, like the title track, makes a welcome change from the sense of pain that pervades the music. Even a cover of "Can't Help Falling In Love With You" sounds as if the singer knows that this will be a big mistake.

What a great follow up to Riverside! I've been listening to Acoustic Motorbike in my car for weeks now, and I'm nowhere close to getting tired of it! :) It has a heavier mix of effects (delay, chorus, reverb, etc.) than the cleaner sounding Riverside and Turf, and it works well. I was treated to a private performance of 'Exploring The Blue' during one of Luka's sound-checks in Chicago recently. Listening to it on the CD is not quite the same, but it is still a VERY lovely sound.

I love 90% of this album.

Well, more accurately, a little more than that, as there are 12 tracks...

This is the second album by Luka Bloom, though apparantly his fourth or fifth in all - he recorded some obscure, out of print albums in Ireland as Barry Moore, before swtiching personas, (and apparantly styles), to get out of his brother's shadow.

Well, having never heard the Barry Moore albums, all I know is that I love Luka Bloom. He has a wonderful voice, and a vivid performance style. "Exploring the Blue" is a lovely, soft track, but does not descend into empty mellowness - even in the soft moments, the music is full of spirit, emotion to the fore. LL Cool J's "I need Love" is completely transformed in this cover, easily one of my all time favourite Luka tracks.

The one track that falls flat for me is "Listen to the Hoofbeat", which is musically promising at the opening, but loses it in the vocal melody, and loses it worse in the lyrics. Luka's most overt political moments are often his weakest, not because the issues are unimportant, but because he cannot seem to get past slogans into the heart of the matter ("Forgiveness" on Salty Heaven, is the exception). His more subtle political tracks, those where the issues come second to the music, are invariably twice as strong.

Still, aside from that, this album is powerful. Luka plays around with several different syles and moods, with covers and originals, and the passion of an artist still discovering his strong points. Some songs are more rough gems than others, inevitable when an artist is still experimenting, but equally inevitable, the album is more interesting, because the talent and the voice shine through, and the artist hasn't fallen prey to the dangers inherent once he's established his sound - there's no chance of stagnation or repetition. I just hope his future albums never do fall prey to that; there's too much good stuff going on here.

The Acoustic Mtorbike! the acoustice guitar played by luka is as good as would be heard anywhere. Apart from the song "The Acoustic Motorbike" (more in the tongue in cheek style of his more famous brother Christy Moore) all these songs are deep, crystal clear vocally, and stunning acoustically. My favourite -- I need love, Just listen. If you get the opportunity see this man live in concert.

This is one of Luka's most diverse albums, absolutely bursting with energy on minute, sweetness the next. There are a couple really surprising covers, and the rest original music that really covers an array of emotions.

I owned this one years ago, but gave it to a friend as a gift assuming I could find it again stateside without any trouble, but I was wrong. Thank God Amazon started carrying it, because I have missed this album dearly. I have a few other Luka albums, but this oen is certainly my favorite.

This is Luka Bloom's second album, and it remains an astounding achievement. Like many Irishmen, he has a deep need to brood and give voice to his melancholy. He does so with such grace and passion, that it is hard to not get swept up by his emotional power. At the same time, he's got a delightfully inspiring sense of humor. How else would you explain a faithfully rendered version of LL Cool J's "I Need Love," performed as if it were truly a folk ballad, complete with a fiddler in the fade?

Luka's beauty also rests in his national pride, most evident in "This Is Your Country" and in the disc's closing number "Be Well." I remember having to explain the line "an Atlantic sunset fills your mind" to a man who thought that Luka had committed a ridiculous geographical gaffe. But it's easy to hear his commitment to this music in his voice. Only once on "The Acoustic Motorbike" is there a slip into the lyrically awkward, and that his attempt at the vaguely political "Listen To the Hoofbeat." There is still enough firepower musically to cover that minor quibble.

He also plays a stunning live show, and if you ever get to see him play, do so. You will be richer for it.

This is beautiful music! Listen to the samples - especially "explorng the blue". I've owned this for years and never get tired of it. Makes a great Christmas gift too!

Would highly recommend,A great blend of lyrics and music this material is not dated.