Reviewed by Matthew Cordle

"Friends said that just because I'd been cycling in China there was no need to make a song about it. Of course, that is exactly what I did do!" states the CD inlay. I'm afraid Raymond should have listened to those loyal friends, or this should have been a "friends and family only" CD! I am a big fan of Celtic music of many sorts, but I find it hard to recommend buying this to anyone. Raymond travels around Ireland playing traditional Irish gigs so it must work in a live context, but I really struggled to listen all the way through the CD twice. The music is okay and sounds like a pub band recorded live but the vocal tuning is often questionable and grates on the ears - it was hard to get past this! As to the "full 11 verse mix" of the main "Ballad Of Beijing" track, I'm sure it is full of meaning for anyone involved but my hand just couldn't stop hitting the skip button.

The opinions expressed in this article are not necessarily those held by Cross Rhythms. Any expressed views were accurate at the time of publishing but may or may not reflect the views of the individuals concerned at a later date.

Interested in reviewing music? Find out more here.