Press and Reviews
Below are some reviews of our recordings
and performances. See the Merchandise Page to find out
how you can get your copies of Beyond The Pale’s CDs. Check out the Audio Page to view contents and hear Real Audio examples.
“I love it. You have a great song
selection, a rich mix of textures ... sounds great !”—Jed
Marum, singer/songwriter writing about “The Music Plays Me”
“Splendid!--fresh—out of the
ordinary—especially strong instrumentals—pleasurable and satisfying—an
enjoyable recording with a warm organic sound and an affable and relaxed way
with songs and tunes”—Rambles.net review of “The Music Plays Me”
“—Superb vocals---fine
singers”—Hot Press Magazine ( Ireland) review of Queen of Skye May 2005
“The sheer fun, imagination, innovation,
musical diversity and talent these guys exhibit on this disk and on stage puts
them in a class of their own.”—The Ceili review of Queen of Skye
“Well
played and sung—outside the expected—haunting—thoughtful, reflective and
clearly imagined.”—Dirty Linen review
of Queen of Skye.
“Wonderful!
Fantastic!—I just can’t stop listening to it!”—Catherine Sherer
comments on Strange Turns
“Mesmerizing—“—Dirty
Linen review of Strange Turns
“Strong
singers—eclectic tunes”—Sarah McQuaid in Hot
Press review of Strange Turns
Review of “The Music Plays Me” at www.Rambles.net
Beyond The Pale’s latest CD, The Music Plays Me is an
enjoyable recording, with a warm, organic sound and an affable, relaxed way
with songs and tunes. The traditionals -- mostly, not
exclusively, instrumentals here -- are especially strong. The
multi-instrumentalist Gordon McLeod, also the producer, is a splendid fiddler
though he is, as well, perfectly capable on mandolin, whistle, bodhran and other instruments. McLeod also sings, as does
everybody else: Christy McLeod (guitar and percussion), Betsy Cummings
(accordion, bodhran) and John Delaney (flute,
hammered dulcimer, saxophones, whistles, concertina).
BTP has a keen ear for out-of-the-ordinary
material. Most of it will be fresh even to informed folk fans. And when it's
something familiar, such as "Red Wing," it's done in an innovative
arrangement. In fact, the medley of which that tune is a part (the other parts
are "Cuckoo's Nest" and "Old French"), the 12th and last
cut, is to my hearing the best of them all. Which is not to say anything on
this amiable outing is ever less than satisfying and pleasurable.
Though all the material is played in
Celtic style, some of the songs are from well outside the tradition. The most
unusual of these is Keith Grimwood and Ezra Idlet's odd and lovably cranky "Who Are These
People," an exasperated (albeit tuneful) rant -- I am confident the only
song ever devoted to the subject -- set off by the stupefyingly
unrealistic depiction of human beings in popular fiction, movies and television
shows. Well, somebody had to put those sentiments to music. And about time, I
say.
by
Jerome Clark www.Rambles.net
Queen of Skye—Review by Dirty Linen,
Nov/Dec 2004
Beyond
The Pale: Queen of Skye
Texas based Celtic quartet Beyond The Pale
remains firmly anchored in Celtic music, but applies that style to a variety of
songs outside the expected repertoire on its most recent recording. The opening
medley of reels gives way to Christy McLeod’s haunting lead vocals on an Elton
John/Bernie Taupin song “Where to Now Saint Peter?”
which in the band’s interpretation seems to fit with the Celtic canon of songs
about death and what comes after.
Taking a livelier turn, and in another
twist, there’s Spade Cooley’s swing piece ”You Can’t Break My Heart”, with lead
by Betsy Cummings. Folk tales and more traditional reels continue the trip,
along with songs by Janis Ian and David Olney. Speaking of trip, there’s the
science fiction (sort of) story of emigration that is the title tune, which
includes spaceships among the modes of transport.
Gordon McLeod’s original “Hester” with his thoughtful
lead vocal, provides a reflective and clearly imagined consideration of what
the life of one of those Irish ancestors might have been to close the journey.
A good amount of variety, to be sure, well
played and sung and all tinged with a hint of Celtic arrangement. (KD)
See the Merchandise Page
to find out how you can get your copy on CD. Check out the Audio
Page to find out selections and hear Real Audio examples
Queen of
Skye—Review in Hot Press Magazine ( Ireland ) May 2005
Beyond The Pale
Queen Of
Sky
(Ceol Na Féinne)
03 May 2005
[This is the]
latest release from Texas-based quartet Beyond The Pale…, with superb vocals courtesy
of three fine singers. Christy McLeod (guitar) does a great cover of Elton
John’s ‘Where To Now, St. Peter?’ as well as a witty trad
song about meat and self-preservation collected in County Clare, while the
smooth-voiced Betsy Cummings (accordion) performs an old Western Swing number
called ‘You Can’t Break My Heart’ with aplomb; and Gordon McLeod (fiddle,
guitar, mandolin) takes the lead on the album’s standout track – ‘Hester’, a
poignant song of his own composition inspired by a gravestone in Quin Abbey. Completing the lineup is John Delaney on flute,
whistle, hammered dulcimer, sax and backing vocals.
Sarah McQuaid
Rating: 7 / 10
The Music Plays Me
CD Review written by Jed Marum appearing in April
2006 issue of The
Ceili
THE MUSIC PLAYS ME is the newest album released by Beyond The Pale . THE MUSIC PLAYS ME has a good mix, a well balanced selection of songs and tunes that deliver bounce and humor – dance and melody. Its variety of instruments, interesting song and tune selection, and its variety of musical styles give the CD depth. THE MUSIC PLAYS ME is rich in texture.
The CD has 12 tracks for a total run time of 44 minutes, 35 seconds. It was produced and engineered by band member, Gordon McLeod at Mockingbird Studio in Tyler, Texas. In addition to Gordon, Beyond The Pale band members include Christy McLeod, Betsy Cummings and John Delaney. Dirje Smith appears on cello on several tracks as a guest performer.
Playing melody throughout the album, you will hear mostly Irish Traditional instrumentation; whistle, flute, fiddle, hammered dulcimer, accordion and concertina. You will also hear traditional style rhythm instruments; guitar, octave mandolin (not infrequently used in lieu of bouzouki in Celtic trad music), and bodhran – but there are some pleasant surprises as well along the way, including saxophone, harmonica and cello.
The track list starts well with a couple of fine tunes composed by Gordon, arranged and played ceili style with Irish flute, whistle, bodhran, fiddle and guitar. The tunes set the tone for the musical styles and textures you will hear throughout the album. Track two stands out as the album’s finest. Betsy sings a trad sounding Tim O’Brien song called High Road while the group provides a grand, “sweep you off your feet” melodic dance between each verse. Betsy delivers the song with the warm intimacy of a friend telling you a sunshine story, her vocal touched nicely with a tasteful harmony by Christy. The powerful, dancing fiddle/accordion lines in between verses trade licks throughout. It’s a track you wish would never end. It really captures this group’s strengths all at once; skillful musicianship, strong singing, excellent song selection and an obvious love for the joy of music. I challenge you to listen to this song without at least part of you getting up and dancing!
At its roots, THE MUSIC PLAYS ME fits the Irish Trad genre, but the album explores new sounds, new scales and rhythms, as well. One of those new explorations is a track that combines two modern European tunes, Sideways Glance and Gaestebud. Played primarily on trad instrumentation, the group adds saxophone and a touch of electric bass. This track has a strong Celtic Gypsy feel. The tunes evolve and combine nicely to make a noteworthy piece.
Another nice variant from the trad genre is a superb song written by Keith Grimwood and Ezra Idlet (a.k.a. TROUT FISHING IN AMERICA). The song, Who Are These People is a thoughtful look at the ‘drive by media,’ sound bite world where we sometimes live -- a world where the TV/Hollywood image of life never quite fits with who we really are. It is a strong song sung well and convincingly by John Delaney. The arrangement feels uncomplicated and elegant. It builds on the song’s simple melody and verse, adding layers of strings, harmonic vocals and percussion. John’s saxophone lines flesh out the arrangement with a sort of “icing on the cake” touch.
In addition to the first track’s original tunes, the album’s track list includes two strong original songs, one each by Gordon and Christy McLeod. Gordon’s Sligo – paints a romantic series of images seamlessly mixed with a driving traditional reel in Celtic almost Bluegrass flavor. Christy’s original, The Music Plays Me ties the album’s themes together against a mix of instrumental and vocal harmonies - reflecting the joys of music and its connection with the human spirit. Both songs are celebrations of life, and love for the music we make along the way.
There are more highlights. Another nice “aside of the genre” track is one titled Old Silver. It is a great Americana/roots style song, nicely sung, with harmonies. It is simply and well accompanied in Celtic flavor. The Abbeyfeale Polkas are “session” style tunes. The set is traditional sounding but with the surprise addition of saxophone on the melody. It is a great addition to the album. A set of traditional tunes end the album with a joyous dance - ending almost the way it began; celebrating life and reminding each listener that “the music plays me.”
Here's what The Greenman Review
one of the UKs leading folk reviews had to say
about Beyond The Pale’s CD “Strange Turns’:
Although this
Texas based band is virtually unknown on this side of the pond, they must have
visited these shores at some time, if only to find source material. This is
evident from some of the songs on the album. So folkies in the States are in
for a rare treat, because, as yet these songs may not be widely know in the
U.S. Listeners will understand what I mean when listening to Beyond the Pale's
rendition of Mick Ryan's song 'The Widows Promise' (here called 'The Widow'),
always one of my favourite songs.
Let me introduce
the band to you. On Highland bagpipes, and Scottish small pipes is Richard Kean, with Gordon McLeod on fiddle, guitar, bass guitar,
mandolin, piano, percussion, and vocals, Christy Mcleod
on guitar, percussion, and vocals, John Delaney on: flute, whistles, hammered
dulcimer, saxophones, concertina, and vocals, and Betsy Cummings on accordion,
percussion, and vocals. Throughout the album, this largely acoustic band blends
the instruments together very well. Betsy or Christy can also harmonise seamlessly when the occasion arises, and they
also take most of the lead vocals.
Strange Turns also
contains songs about transportation to Australia, the legend of a wicked king
in Ireland, and a music hall song, that used to be sung a lot, that I have not
heard for years, called 'With Her Head Tucked Underneath Her Arm', adding just
the right amount of humour to make the whole album
very entertaining.
Someone once asked
me why I like Celtic folk music so much. I replied it must be something in the
blood, my being of Scottish Celtic descent. I am sure this is the case with
Beyond The Pale. It is a nice easy album that is going to please the listener.
This band deserve to be heard by a wider audience, and not just in their home
state of Texas. I can wholeheartedly recommend this album and be sure you won't
be disappointed. [Peter Massey]
See the Merchandise
Page to find out how you can get your copy on CD. Check out the Audio Page to find out selections and hear Real Audio
examples
Dirty Linen Review of Strange Turns (#110, Feb/Mar
2004)
Wrapping things up for this month is Beyond The Pale, a quintet form Texas
that incorporates a little bit of everything on Strange Turns (self-produced
BTP 3059 ( 2002)).
The primary orientation is Irish-Scottish,
but this is a band that likes to blend genres and does it well. There are a
couple of highly effective bagpipe-led medleys, including a mesmerizing Breton
tune set dubbed “The Hoochie Dance”, a surprising Celtified cover of Dolly Parton’s
country hit “Jolene” that’s sandwiched between and Irish reel and a Bill Monroe
tune, and a fiddle/squeezebox/hammered dulcimer track called “Traveling North
America Set” that begins with a Quebec reel, jumps into an Appalachian clog
dance, and ends up with a Tex-Mex polka. Other songs range from an Irish
transport ballad to a music-hall ditty to a gospel-flavored a capella chorus.
Review of Strange Turns by Sarah McQuaid in Hot Press, April, 2003
This five piece band hail from Texas and
play an eclectic blend of Irish, Scottish, Breton, American, Canadian and
original tunes, plus contemporary songs by everyone form Holly Near to Todd Rundgren. The first track on the CD sets the pace, with the
Irish session classic ‘Julia Delaney’ segueing into an alt-countryish
rendition of Dolly Parton’s ‘Jolene’, which in turn
is followed seamlessly by the old Bill Monroe bluegrass number ’Jerusalem
Ridge’. Two strong female singers, Christy McLeod and Betsy Cummings, handle
most of the lead vocal duties, but happily the splendidly gravel-voiced Gordon
McLeod is on hand to relieve any excess sugar. Highland piper Richard Kean adds a fine Caledonian element to the mix.—Sarah McQuaid
From: "Catherine M Sherer" Sent: Thursday, April 29, 2004
Subject: Strange Turns
I just wanted y'all to know I really love this album! I just can't stop
listening to it! The whole album is really good, it actually moves
me! The vocals are wonderful, the arrangements are fantastic, and I just
can't
get enough of it. What y'all've done is really impressive. and I just
thought you should know . . .
love,
Catherine Sherer
CD Review – Oueen
of Skye by Beyond the Pale—The Ceili,
autumn 2004 by Lee Kelton,
Ok, I admit
it – I really like this bunch! The shear fun, imagination, innovation, musical diversity
and, yeah, talent these guys exhibit on this disk and on stage puts them in a
class of their own. The band members are: Betsy Cummings, John Delaney, Christy
McLeod and Gordon McLeod. And, while each has their own stand-alone talent,
it’s the blending of their individual strengths that make this group one of the
most outstanding regional bands around!
The CD is named for a song about
immigration, The Queen of Skye,
and reflects the band’s ongoing immigration to new ideas about the music they
play. The disk also reflects their broad range of music knowledge and
creativity - they are not just a “lets
play jigs and reels again and again” band – which, I believe, is one of their
outstanding strengths!
The disk contains 13 cuts, some traditional
selections, some original works and some acknowledged creations, that make this
a fun CD. It also showcases Gordon McLeod’s growing talents as an imaginative
producer).
The first cut, Farrell O’Gara’s-The Bellharbor-Siobhan
O’Donnell’s, is a collection of traditional Irish reels that showcase each
band member’s particular talent. It a great introduction to a fun, eclectic CD
! The second cut, Where to Now, St Peter?,
as sung by Christy, is a haunting melody
that asks a question that we all may be asking before our lives are done. This
piece seemed to grow on me as I played it (guilt, Nora, Enya
or fungus?). The string arrangements are first rate and reflect the touch of a
real pro. The third cut, Mooney, is
a creation of Gordon, The Lyricist-Fiddle.!
Piece well backed up by the band
members.
The fourth cut, Wow! What a throwback to
golden days of western swing, smoky west Texas honky-tonks, cold Lone Star,
jeans n’ boots, platinum bo-fonts and bruised
knuckles! You Can’t Break My Heart,
is a fine ol’ song done in a sorta
Patsy Cline style by Miss Betsy Cummings, late of Ft. Worth, Texas.The Fifth cut, Millionaire,
is a rare treat! A solo by John Delaney! John, backed up by Gordon’s sorta “bluesy” guitar, is one of those multi-talented folks
who we need to hear more of! Hopefully on the next CD, we’ll hear more of Mr Delaney.The sixth cut, The Butlers of Glen Avenue, is a good
collection of session tunes that once
again underline how all the member’s talents come together to make fine,
danceable music.
The seventh cut, From Me to You, is a Janis Ian song as done by Ms Betsy Cummings – a bit autobiographic and certainly
heartfelt. The song has a style reminiscing of some early Mannheim Steamroller
stuff. The eight cut, The Spanish Lady,
is probably my favorite cut on the disk. The interplay of the band’s various
instruments with Gordon’s 1920s crooners style of singing is brilliant! The
ninth cut, La Sansonette-Coridinio,
is two French-Portuguese dance tunes collected by John Delaney. If you have
ever been folk dancing, you will recognize one or both of these tunes. Great
dancing material!! The tenth cut, The
Salt, is a Christy McLeod semi-original song. A fun, message tune done in
the traditional style that reminds us to watch the salt and stay off the farm.
The following reel is well done.
The eleventh cut, The Queen of Skye, the CD’s namesake, is one of those songs that
always gives me goose bumps!! It’s a heroic tail of leaving all you have known
and taking a chance on the unknown future – much like my own people did.The twelfth cut, Fred
Finn’s-Father Newman’s-Frank’s, is a collection of reels that again, show
case the band’s wonderful mix of talent and enthusiasm. Don’t sit there, get up
and dance you slugs!
The thirteenth cut, Hester, is another creation of Gordon, The Songsmith. A well done
and creative bit of story telling sung by Gordon that has echo of Evita and early Beatles. Good lead in by Delaney’s flute.
The ‘Choir” does fine work on this one
Lee Kelton
CD Review of Strange Turns – Beyond the
Pale—in The Ceili , winter 2003 by John Hebley
Take components of two of the finest bands
in North Texas, mix together and blend in one heck of a piper and one cannot
fail to produce exceptional music. The newly reformed Beyond the Pale combines
the talents of Gordon and Christy McLeod with Betsy Cummings and John Delaney
from Lost Tribe and the very fine piping of Richard Kean.
This, their first CD with this new five-piece lineup, is all that I expected it
to be. Strange Turns, so named because of the way it suddenly changes gear and
goes of in a new direction, is a mixture of old and new, jigs, reels, and even
polka, traditional and modern. It contains some of the songs that we have heard
in live sets for some time as well as new and original material.
Who but Beyond the Pale could combine the
traditional Julia Delaney, played on the fiddle by Gordon, with Dolly Parton’s Jolene sung by Christy and then take another turn
by ending with Gordon’s fiddle and foot tapping in Jerusalem Ridge. That’s the
way this CD starts, and it continues with the same meanderings.
Betsy Cummings takes the lead as she sings
one of my all time favorites, Green Among The Gold. A beautiful ballad telling
the story of how the Irish prisoners who were transported from Britain to the
penal colony of Australia, and how they took their own culture of music and
dance with them to the new land. 200 years later the Irish influence in
southeast Australia is as strong as it ever was.
The ancient Irish legend of the Children of Lir was the inspiration behind Gordon’s original
composition, The Fate of the Children of Lir. The
legend tells of a widowed king Lir, beguiled by
beauty, chooses a wicked stepmother Aoife, for his
four children. Over time, Aoife becomes jealous of
the affection Lir has for his children. She
decides to take them into the forest and leave them there. Once in the
forest, she decides instead to cast a spell on the children. She transforms
them into swans; swans that can sing. They are forced to endure this fate for
900 years.
Just when think you understand where the
music is leading you it takes yet another strange turn. From the legends of
ancient Ireland we are rapidly transported to the all to horrific truth of King
Henry VIII’s England. With Her Head lucked Underneath
Her Arm is a macabre piece of musical wit, by Bert Lee, R.P. and Harris Weston,
referring to Anne Boleyn, the most famous of King Henry Vlll's
unlucky wives. The King had her beheaded, but soon found that she wasn't
through with him-for every night at midnight she walked the tower, her bloody
head held underneath her arm. Gordon puts on a strong London accent, stressing
the “‘ead tooked oonderneef ‘er arm” to sing us
this tale. The Yeoman Warders of the Tower (Beefeaters) will tell you with an
absolutely straight face that even today her ghost can be seen at midnight
walking the high battlements.
There is hardly anything more stirring than
a good pipe tune. Richard Kean’s pipes really sing in
The Hoochie Dance, aptly named because that is just
what this tune makes one want to do. Try it and see if you can sit still all
the way to the end. And who could resist Sputnik’s Lullaby, Richard’s song to
his toothless cat. Throughout the CD, the tunes are as much fun as the songs,
even for someone like me who really gets “into” singing along.
For most of the CD, and for that matter
during live concerts, John Delaney is the master behind the hammered dulcimer,
or flute or whistle. On Honest Work, however, he walks to the front and
delights us with an a capella version of Todd Rundgren’s all too timely tale of union workers who are not
afraid to work, but who are sadly driven to drink and despair through lack of
honest work.
A new song that I have never heard before I
got a sample of this CD takes you on yet another strange turn. I’ll not spoil
it by telling you the whole story behind the song. Suffice it to say that The
Widow is an amusing tale sung by Betsy, of the battle between the widow and the
Devil and, more importantly, which one wins.
If you don’t have a Beyond the Pale CD in
your collection, shame on you; get out and buy this one! If you do already have
one or more Beyond the Pale CD’s, go get this one, too! You’re gonna love it.
Beyond the Pale are joined on this CD by
Morgan McLeod on drums and Dirje Smith on Cello.
Production, recording and mastering is by Gordon McLeod.
The following review appears at
www.folk-tales.com/beyondthepale.html
Based in Texas, Beyond the Pale is a trio made up of Patrick Thurmond
primarily on pipes and whistles, Gordon McLeod mainly on fiddle and guitar, and
Christy McLeod on guitar and percussion. All three members provide vocals, as
well. While playing mostly Celtic music on Angel on the 7th Stair, they
are not beyond mixing in an occasional country song, often to good effect.
After the first track, this CD turns into something special. The version they perform of "The Star of
the County Down" [ track 2] is competent, if rather standard. But then,
they pair it with a Hank Williams song, "Kaw-liga,"
about a lonesome cigar-store Indian. I'm unsure if it's Thurmond or Gordon who
sings on this track; but whoever it is does a good job. The transitions back
are smooth and McLeod's bodhran playing works both as
Irish and Native American.
The third track ,a jig set of Gordon’s own tune, "Amanda's
Jig," along with the traditional "Australian Waters" and
"First Night in America", is effortlessly smooth.
The fourth track, "Mattie Groves" is an incredible track,
starting out with Christy keening a wordless lament, before singing the ballad.
The arrangement is outstanding -- sad and gentle, but never losing sight of the
violent emotions and actions in the story. Gordon on fiddle and Thurmond on
whistle add emphasis to the story and Christy rounds it out with her keening.
The next set starts with a very stately air, "Lamentation of Owen
Roe O‚Neill" and builds momentum though the hornpipe, "The Brown
Coffin," and the reel, "Paddy on the Turnpike."
The title track [Angel on the 7th Stair] is a beautiful, peaceful song
about celebrating childish imagination that was inspired by Frank McCourt's
Angela's Ashes.
The next two tracks, a jig set ("The Geese in the Bog,"
"The Muckin‚ o‚ Geordie's Byre," and
"Drummond Castle") and a cover of Bob Dylan's "I Want You"
are both solid, if unspectacular. However, the three-reel set of "The Tamlin," "Princess Morgan," and "The
Star of Munster" is an outstanding performance by Gordon on fiddle with
Thurmond's whistling joining on parts of the third tune.
The song, "The Wild Geese," was written by Gordon in memory
of County Clare fiddler Junior Crehan. It is followed
by an air of the same name that was a favorite of Crehan's.
I've listened to this track several times and, frankly, there's times I've
found it unbearably sappy and times I've found it wonderfully sweet. In either
case, it is, at the least, very well performed.
"The Hanging Set" switches again from Celtic to country,
starting with "MacPherson's Lament," which
slowly builds. Then, reaching a peak, the tune turns into the C&W classic,
"Long Black Veil." The final track is a solid set, comprised of the
tunes, "The Faery Flag" (written by
Gordon), "Skye Boat Song," "Orange & Blue," and
"The Drunken Piper."
If there's any fault to be found (outside of that first track) it's
that Beyond the Pale never really kicks themselves into overdrive. Not every
band or performer does so, of course, but Beyond the Pale's style seems to be
coming right up to the point of an all-out full speed Celtic music assault. No
matter, really. Angel on the 7th Stair is a solid CD with some
outstanding and surprising vocal arrangements. Beyond the Pale is a band to
look out for.
