CDs

New stuff - Not Yet Released

Why are there so many songs about seaweed?
OK, maybe there aren't. But Glenn has redressed the balance with an ode to his favourite snack food - Dulse
here's an MP3, and here are the lyrics.

Lyrics

We've gathered up the lyrics to many of the songs we've recorded (well, most of the ones on Windsniffer, anyway), and you can see them here. Mostly, what you'll find there are scans of the marked-up copies we used in the studio, so it'll be easy to figure out what mistakes we made along the way.

“Windsniffer and Other Assorted Legends”

It was July, 2004, the last practice before Glenn headed back home to New Brunswick for his vacation. As he sometimes does, Les had just told Glenn another interesting story from his own home province of Newfoundland. This one was about Lauchie McDougall, a Newfoundland farmer who for 30 years was employed by the Newfoundland Railway to gauge wind conditions near Port Aux Basques, using nothing but his nose, and report if he felt it was safe for the trains to cross.

“Les”, says Glenn, “That’s a song if I ever heard one.”

Two weeks later he returned back from New Brunswick with the song. After over a decade of writer’s block, Glenn had found his new calling. There were stories to be told.

After 15 years of playing mostly traditional music, Brown Ale has produced its first collection of primarily original historical Celtic and East Coast songs and tunes about such legends. Some are true, some are myths, but all of them are told with heart, in their own authentic style.

*There's a good degree of hum-ability across the album.* - Mike Beggs, Brampton Guardian

*Brown Ale's Windsniffer sounds excellent.* - Mike Ford

*McFarlane proves to be quite a remarkable songwriter.* - Roddy Campbell (Editor in Chief, Penguin Eggs Magazine)

  1. Come to the Ceilidh – Barn burner opener, with reels at the end
  2. The St. John's Wort – Tender Celtic ballad from a 14th century poem
  3. A Toast to King Henry VIII – Morris Dance style sing-a-long
  4. Bring the Cup to the Rock - Uptempo fictional story for Newfoundland hockey fans
  5. She Moved Through the Fair Well known Irish Air, sung to a piper’s drone
  6. The County Claire Set – Medium Irish jigs
  7. The Heather Ale – Uptempo Scottish poem by Robert Louis Stevenson
  8. Noel Dinn (Man of the Island) – Tribute to Newfoundland Folk/Rock group Figgy Duff
  9. The Hammered Geese on the Mountain Set - An ammbient slow air and some jigs
  10. The Shipbuilding Song – Sea song style sing-a-long
  11. Windersniffer – Medium waltz ballad (title song)
  12. Tunes from Harry Bradley - Reels and marches
  13. My Life with the Vikings – Reflective dramatic ballad
  14. The Sealers' Ball – Well known Newfoundland song and a reel
  15. Yankee Privateer – Oral recitation

Self Titled (2003)

  1. Howie Meeker's Jig/Up the Southern Shore – medium tempo instrumental (jigs)
  2. By Peter Kerrivan – uptempo folk/rock song
  3. The Kelligrews Soiree – humourous turn of the century song
  4. Ode to Joy - well known classical piece, done minstrel style
  5. King of the Faeries Set – high energy instrumentals (hornpipe, reel and jig)
  6. Culloden's Harvest – dramatic Scottish ballad
  7. Lannigan's Ball – extremely rocked up Irish patter song
  8. The Death of Queen Jane – a cappella Olde English song
  9. The Gathering of the Clan Set - folk/rock instrumentals (reels)
  10. Fhear a Bhata – beautiful Scottish ballad
  11. The Steggie – raunchy Olde English song done to a Bo Diddley beat
  12. Emile's Set - Newfoundland fiddle tunes played on the flute (an air, followed by three reels)
  13. Betsy Brennan's Blue Hen – humourous turn of the century song
  14. Lukey's Boat / Du Pain, Du Beurre, et Du Caplin – well known Newfoundland song and a reel
  15. I'll Hang my Harp on a Willow Tree – sparsely accompanied ballad
  16. The Old Sod – uptempo folk/rock song
  17. Petty Harbour Bait Skiff – slow instrumental on the 4-stop accordion
  18. Stealin' the Holes – oral recitation

Heads Up! (2000)

  1. Banks of Newfoundland/Up the Hills of Down – medium tempo jig and reel
  2. Rocky Road to Dublin/Sound Symposium Jig – fast, slip-jiggish song and a jig
  3. The Ferryland Sealer - medium tempo, "electric" number
  4. The Unquiet Grave – soft ballad
  5. Glenn’s Set – fast original reels
  6. Jack Hinks – quirky traditional Newfoundland song
  7. Les Raftsmen – raunchy electric French song, with electric guitar and percussion solos
  8. The Old Smite – a cappella traditional Newfoundland ballad
  9. Maid on the Shore – medium fast waltz
  10. The Gypsy – medium tempo reel
  11. Lion Heart – bluesy a cappella song
  12. Come Ye O’er Frae France – fast electric waltz, with bass solos
  13. A MacFarlan’s Lament – medium/slow piece with plenty of ambience
  14. The Willow Tree Set – an air, a hornpipe, and a strange original tune
  15. I’ll Tell Me Ma – lively Children’s song
  16. Carrickfergus - dramatic ballad
  17. Follow Me Up to Carlow - high energy song, with acoustic guitar solo
  18. Of Limericks and Days Past/MacPherson’s Lament – poem and Scottish air
  19. Squarin’ Up Time – laid back waltz

"Windsniffer and Other Assorted Legends" is now available for the low, low price of only $15 each, plus $2 each shipping and handling. To order your copy/copies, contact Les or Glenn at:

Brown Ale

39 Windermere Crt.,

Brampton, Ont.,

L6X 2L5

email: Brown Ale