Track Listing

1. Hurlers
2. Feather In A Storm
3. Crimson Dawn
4. Blood Red Sky
5. Solomon Browne
6. Cherry Red Girl
7. I'll Haunt You
8. Race To Be King
9. Poor Man's Heaven
10. Greed And Gold
11. Sound Of A Drum

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1606 in Music
• Released on: 2008-06-30
• Number of discs: 1
• Dimensions: .21 pounds

Amazon.co.uk review
Seth Lakeman's fourth solo album, Poor Man’s Heaven, moves him ever closer to the mainstream, his frantic fiddle playing backed with a small, tight band fully aware of the power they generate. But the Dartmoor-based folk singer still digs into local folklore for material. The pounding opener "The Hurlers" refers to an ancient stone formation in Cornwall, while "Solomon Browne" commemorates the more recent loss with all hands of the Penlee lifeboat - Lakeman knew some of the bereaved as a schoolboy. Clearly a larger recording budget--his breakthrough record, 2004’s Mercury nominated Kitty Jay, was recorded in his kitchen for three hundred quid--hasn’t mollified his Saturnine tendencies. Having emerged from the purist folk scene, rather than the more chilled folktronica side, Lakeman must now be wondering how far he can go. The jaunty "Race To Be King" features maybe the loudest Jew’s harp ever recorded, while Kathryn Roberts' haunting backing vocals on "Cherry Red Girl" add depth (though he might be overdoing it on the old red though, included songs called "Crimson Dawn" and "Blood Red Sky"). The title track though is the giveaway, a blatant and undeniably effective reminder that Led Zeppelin defined the heavy folk-rock crossover decades ago. Lakeman yelps like a West Country Robert Plant, sounding like a man with stadia in his sights.--Steve Jelbert

CD Description
Fourth album from the talented young English folk singer and his first original full-length release for EMI offshoot Relentless after their reissues of his third outing 'Freedom Fields' in 2006 and his impossibly rare debut 'The Punch Bowl' earlier in 2008. This new release sees him joined by a full band, bringing an edgy, propulsive rock vibe to his respectfully traditional compositions. Includes the singles 'Poor Man's Heaven' and 'The Hurlers'.

Customer Reviews

Folking great ho down!
If you're already the proud owner of Seth's previous albums then the best way I can describe this is as like Kitty Jay and Lady of the Sea - its fast, loud and foot stomping. There's a couple of slow songs but the pace doesn't stop.
If you're new to Seth then hello. Maybe you like folk music with a bit of a kick or if you're a fan of people like Clannad or The Levellers then this is certainly up your street. The inspiration for the album is the Cornish coast including the Penlee lifeboat tragedy, shipwrecks, old Cornish legends about standing stones and a race to catch whales. All of this may sound a little odd but its the way its delivered - with a striking drum and a frantic fiddle.
I can't praise this album enough - it was played full blast several times on a 4 hour drive if thats a good recommendation! If you get the chance to see any of these songs performed live then you're in for a treat.

Folk-curious or in denial?
Ok ok, so I like folk music - there I said it. Nic Jones, Martin Simpson and now Seth Lakeman, it would appear that someone, somewhere is slowly indoctrinating me (Radio 2's Stuart Maconie I suspect). I wouldn't, however, declare myself a full-blown folkie; I do enjoy the more mainstream stuff and would never join the sandal wearing, beard touting, real-ale swigging, finger-in-the ear brigade.

Right, this album is absolutely fantastic. Having bought it ten days ago I have had it playing throughout the house, in the car and even at work at every opportunity. The tunes, whilst telling tales of traditional folk themes (why are there so many folk songs about whales?), are very well crafted and excellently delivered. They are even better played live; I saw him play in Frome last week and he had the whole place buzzing - there was even a trad folkie (early 60s, bald, beard, CAMRA member etc) head-banging to one of his songs! Try to get to one of Seth's gigs; you will not be disappointed.

If you are folk-curious and want to see what it is all about, buy this album. You will be pleasantly surprised and will have the tunes banging around your head for days. Come out of the closet and join the rest of us neo-folkies; you know you want to!

Another great album by the lord of Folk Music
Seth Lakeman is a VERY talented Folk Musician. His energy, his passion and his genius makes all of his albums breathtaking. His previous album, the Freedom Fields has attracted a large audience to his fantastic skills in music. Obviously when his new album comes out, after the success of the Freedom Fields, there are high expectations.

Now let's get this straight, Poor Man's Heaven is no Freedom Fields. It has a livelier tone to it in one way and unfortunately it doesn't reach the quality of the Freedom Fields either. Despite that, Seth Lakeman's passion towards Folk Music is shown here more than ever. It' takes a braver turn, and relies less on his trusty violin and uses more guitar like instruments (The Hurlers is an exception). But the songs are still much better than much other Folk musicians can conjure up.

His dream of folk music returning as popular music seems to be coming into a reality. Great job Seth Lakeman, keep up the good work, nay, great work.