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.
“Beyond The Pale absolutely carries you
away—a true gem”—The Ceili magazine
“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 (
“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
“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”
“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 “Paleontology” in The
Ceili magazine
Beyond The Pale consists of four very
talented musicians who play a dizzying array of instruments: Gordon McLeod,
Christy McLeod, Betsy Cummings, and John Delaney. They
"wow" you with their ability as musicians. When I listen to this CD
there are all sorts of influences. For example, Conjugal Visit is a "witty" song with a
"Cajun" feel, and it is almost Zydeco without the washboard! Track
five is titled La Valsonette/Homage
The first track is the classic Beatles tune
I've Just Seen A Face! And track six is a David Gilmour (that's right
-- Pink Floyd!) song titled On The Turning Away. A sweet arrangement with
strings, accordion, and flute showcases Christy's vocals reminiscent of
You also find traditional beauty in the
Scottish tradition like track nine: T-Man's Jig--I'll Get Wedded In My Auld Claes--Rosewood,
and the gorgeous last track Now Westlin Winds by Robert Burns. This last track
showcases Gordon's deep and smooth vocals, a perfect foil to the sweet
words of The Bard!
But my favorite pieces are three very
traditionally Irish pieces: track 13: The Humors of Ballyconnell-The
Roscommon-The Reconciliation, as well as two compositions by Gordon himself:
track 11 - The Ghost of Willie Clancy and track 2
- Eoin Murphy's Slides and Polkas. Joined by traditional Irish fiddler
Matt Cranitch on track 2 and with a toe-tapping uillean pipes solo by
Mickey Dunne on track 11, BTP absolutely carries you away to
With their music you will think, laugh, and
then be carried back to the roots of it all! They are a true gem. So,
give them a listen and pick up a copy of their new cd, Paleontology. You won't be sorry you did!
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 (
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
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.