BEGGARS OPERA

4. Raymond's Road and the 2nd side which starts with a very famous classic tune; a piece of more than 10 minutes which looks at DEEP PURPLE, well which of the egg and the chicken, which had started? The most important thing is to remember that this album dates from 1970 and that it already had all the progressive markers within it; the rise, the crescendo, BACH in disorder as its obvious; back when we were talking about the MOODY BLUES and their fusion with classical instrumentation to create a progressive sound; it goes up, yes we chat and we would forget the organ solo on the machine-gun drums which never stop hitting in all directions; EMERSON, here GRIEG you want some here, and the bald mountain go ahead don't hold back; it's going up we said and we ask ourselves the question of why this album was not praised? Maybe too pumped on these classics, that's one answer! In the meantime the motorcycle is leaving, yes finished 5. Light Cavalry for the variation, the ramblings of Alan on the different keyboards, who will look to BACH and colleagues for a remarkable ride; this intro is remarkable and would almost extinguish Martin's verse; well already an orchestral break with shattering drums, ah how beautiful it was, the return of the verse, the Griegian finale and yes well done, but probably too predictable and not enough sounds of their own, in short a beautiful album which despite its age n Has hardly aged at all.

Overall, I really enjoy this album as I like every single song. Also, it is capable of giving me a full 50 minutes of awesome music.

With the addition of Raymond Wilson (drums) and Alan Park (organ, piano), BEGGARS OPERA adopted the visionary classically inspired hard rock sounds that both The Nice and Deep Purple had abandoned in order to take things to the next level, however BEGGARS OPERA infused the style with a breadth of creativity which immediately found a bit of success starting with its debut album ACT ONE which was released in late 1970 after scoring a record deal with Vertigo Records. As evidenced by the flamboyant regalia that graced the album cover, BEGGARS OPERA unleashed a plethora of passion on its debut with an invigorated zeal for adapting classical music to a rock context.

One of the bands that gives a true context in how the term symphonic prog came into existence, the five tracks on ACT ONE showcased complex arrangements that featured heavy rock riffing with the focus on the classical melodic heft of the Hammond organ, piano and heavy doses of mellotron. The classical adaptations stand out immediately as "Poet And Peasant" presents a creative interpretation of Franz von Suppé followed by an equally compelling Handel second coming in the form of "Passacaglia." The band was noted for its heavy driving grooves, Hendrix-inspired guitar gymnastics and most of all classically infused keyboard virtuosity very much in the vein of Keith Emerson in The Nice only BEGGARS OPERA took it all to the next level shortly after Emerson called it a day and went on to form ELP.

Released in November 1970, ACT ONE came out when progressive rock was just getting warmed up for the staggering complexities that emerged from 1971-75 and already showcased long suites in the form of "Raymond's Road" and "Light Cavalry" which both just missed the 12-minute mark, a trait that hadn't really caught on in the mainstream of the progressive rock paradigm quite yet. While The Nice and early Deep Purple had successfully introduced such rockin' the classics sounds to the evolving rock music paradigm, it seems it was BEGGARS OPERA who finally stepped in and made it interesting with creative compositional fortitude that offered a more balanced band approach without sacrificing the dramatic flair of the keyboard wizardry that made this style of symphonic prog so exhilarating. In other words, BEGGARS OPERA successfully married the classical sophistication of the keyboard melodies with the energetic heft of hard rock which included not only excellent guitar performances but a heavy driving bass / drum rhythmic drive.

While mostly relying on instrumental virtuosity as the main driving force, the album is pleasantly lifted to a higher level by the competent vocal style of Martin Griffiths who sounded a lot like David Bryon of Uriah Heep. Most of al it's the compositional fortitude of BEGGARS OPERA that takes them to the next level beyond the obvious influences and even though the keyboard sounds are dated, an attribute which makes some of the music of this era sound a little hollow, this team of music maestros were so intimately in tune with the varying dynamics, tones and tempos that they pulled it off by crafting an album that while dated in terms of technology comes off as a more timeless album in terms of composition. While ACT ONE usually gets overlooked in favor of the band's following "Waters Of Change" and "Pathfinder," this debut is not to be missed as it single-handedly revived the rockin' with the classics sounds of the late 60s only made it all interesting enough for return visits.

This British band, founded in Glasgow in 1969, took its name from a Baroque play of John Gay. Stylistically the quintet followed the path of The Nice. Debut album Act One emphasizes on the Emerson-like organ work of Alan Park, as well as on the heavy borrowing from classical music.

Perhaps this feature helped to hide the fact that there were no strong songwriters in the band at that point. 'Poet and Peasant' is derived from an operetta overture by Franz von Suppe. Especially Raymond Wilson on drums is very good, but Martin Griffiths' vocals go a bit over the top with a heavy use of vibrato. 'Passacaglia' and 'Memory' are original compositions that carry on the same energetic style.

'Raymond's Road' is a tiresome 12-minute potpourri featuring references to several art music pieces, as if it was asking how many of them are recognized by the listener. In addition to The Nice, Beggars Opera were certainly familiar with Love Sculpture's rock version of Khatchaturian's Sabre Dance. Equally long 'Light Cavalry' is the album's second dive into Suppe's operetta world, but also IMHO its most succesful piece as it combines both borrowed and own ideas.

Act One may be considered a noteworthy classical music inspired prog debut, but I prefer their next two albums. 2,5 stars rounded down on a subjective basis.

Opening the curtain on "Act One" comes "Poet and Peasant", a fast and furious fugue of supersonic Emersonian organ virtuosity. This booming and bombastic Baroque piece is very loosely based on the music of the obscure Austrian composer of light operas, Franz von Suppe. Light opera has NEVER sounded quite like this though. This is a wild and dynamic organ jamboree where traditional Classical music is thrown completely on its head and given a healthy burst of pompous and powerful Prog-Rock, in true "Roll Over Beethoven" fashion. The wonderfully expressive singer sounds like he's having a great time too with some magnificently over-the-top operatic vocals, in the style of David Byron of Uriah Heep. Hold on tight now because entering stage right is "Passaglia". Can you handle it as this is George Frideric Handel played as you've never heard him played before. Again, the keyboard player is going hell for leather on the Hammond organ with no let-up in the incredible pace. There's also a flambuoyant flourish of funky guitar in an exhilarating extended solo in the middle section. This powerfully percussive piece has all the unstoppable power and explosive energy of an Exocet missile, with you the listener as the target. The next song "Memory" is another rapid-fire machine gun delivery of sound with the dynamic duo of Hammond organist and wild guitar player battling it out together while the drummer pounds away relentlessly on percussion. Apparently, when Beggars Opera acted as the support band for the Tremeloes way back in 1970, they blew the Tremeloes off the stage, and it's easy to see why when you listen to this energetic high-voltage album. This explosive music has all the flash and thunder brilliance of a boxful of fireworks that's been accidentally set alight.

Side Two is occupied by two 12-minute-long suites. There's more manic musical mayhem with "Raymond's Road". It's a soaring and symphonic sonic blast of incredible intensity with the amplifiers turned all the way up to eleven. Is it Bach or is it Mozart? One thing's for sure, you've never heard Classical music played quite like this before. You may not have heard Symphonic Prog played quite like this before either. This is no Moonlight Sonata. This is more like Widor's Toccata on anabolic steroids. It's an adrenalin rush of rip-roaring organ-powered Rock and there's even a riotous rendition of the William Tell Overture thrown in for good measure too. Rossini would be rocking and rolling in his grave to this music. The breathtaking speed of the high-energy Hammond organist on this album is just phenomenal. You really have to hear it to believe it. We're charging ahead next with "Light Cavalry" and this cavalry aren't stopping for anyone. The band of musical brothers are charging ahead with all guns blazing in a storming symphony of sound. The music gallops along relentlessly at incredible pace in this canorous cavalcade. It's time to dismount now though as we've finally reached the end of the album. Phew! That was a blast!

It's Bach to the Future for this dynamic, classically-inspired blast of powerful Symphonic Prog. It's an album to put on your Chopin Liszt the next time you head Orff into town on Debussy, although you may have to Handel disappointment and come Bach empty-handed, as it's a case of Haydn seek with finding this rare album treasure in the record stores these days.

Beggars Opera is among those early British prog bands that never received commercial success (at least partly due to the unstable line-up) but made a couple of classic albums containg fairly good, organ / Mellotron centred symphonic prog rock. This 2-disc compilation from the trusted Esoteric recordings covers their releases on the now-legendary Vertigo label, ie. their best era in the 70's plus the sudden nosedive into notably weaker and less proggy material of the disappointing fourth album Get Your Dog Off Me! (1973) which is here wisely represented by a smaller percentage -- four tracks only -- than the three other albums. The non-album single 'Sarabande / Think' (1971) is contained too.

The debut Act One (1970) operates mostly in The Nice reminding, organ dominating proto prog circulating some light classical compositions (e.g. Suppé) among their own pieces. The band matured considerably on their second album Waters of Change (1971), with the Mellotron player and skillful arranger Virginia Scott joining the line-up. Not only sonically but also in the song-writing this album is a big improvement from the debut. The third album Pathfinder ( 1972) is perhaps more song-oriented, but it's pretty diverse in style and yet it feels very coherent and strong all the way, although unfortunately it lacks Virginia's Mellotron. The prog rock version of the gorgeous Jimmy Webb composition 'MacArthur Park' (made famous by actor Richard Harris) works extremely well.

Sadly the bigger domestic success still went past them. After the release of Pathfinder the original vocalist Martin Griffiths departed. Occasionally he had used his vibrato a bit too heavily, but nevertheless his strong voice had been an essential part of the band's distinctive sound. His replacement, former Savoy Brown member Pete Scott left during the session for the fourth album and was in turn replaced by Linnie Paterson who sings in a rough hard rock style. Undoubtedly two vocal songs from the miserable bulldog covered album is enough. Ricky Gardiner's instrumental 'Requiem' is carried by his wailing guitar in a lazy tempo. The best track of the Get Your Dog album is saved for last in this compilation: 'Classical Gas' composed by Mason Williams is a wonderful prog instrumental showcasing various keyboards from harpsichord to Moog.

Malcolm Dome has written the liner notes, and the 16-page cover booklet is lavish with colour/b&w photos and album information (with the harmful exception of track lengths). All in all the Vertigo years of Beggars Opera offer a very fruitful theme for a compilation. Without a doubt a one-disc set could have been an excellent "best of the best" selection but it surely takes two discs to represent the era in a more comprehensive depth. Worth purchasing especially if you don't already have the best albums Waters of Change and Pathfinder.

In my opinion 'Think' is slightly better song of the two. Again it's proto hard rock of guitar / organ interplay, but the composition has a bit more progressive or psychedelic twist. Though not so extraordinary musically, this single is a noteworthy addition to the the band's output as it contains decent songs outside of albums. And in fact, if either of them, or both, had been included in Act One, with some editing of its classically inspired tracks to give the needed space, perhaps the album would have been more interesting and would have had a bigger appeal especially among those who enjoyed early hard rock scene.

The opening title track is a fiery pop-rocker that holds some of the playful cheekiness of those breezier Caravan tracks like `Behind You', although Linnie's gutsy vocals are a world away from Martin Griffith's pomp and it really alters the identity of the group, despite the playing from many of the same musicians clearly still being up to scratch. `Freestyle Ladies' is book- ended as a fairly throwaway piano-pounding retro rock n'roller, but it delivers an ambitious chorus and a rip-roaring brief Hammond solo burst in the middle, while `Open Letter' is an angry tirade against critics and reviewers (uh oh!) that boasts a proud and defiant lead vocal, shambling guitars and thick murmuring bass. `Morning Day' is buoyant country-lite pop, but at least teasing instrumental `Requiem' offers searing electric guitars that have just a little taste of early Seventies Pink Floyd to them, although it sounds underdeveloped and like a fragment of something larger cut down to the scant two minute interlude here.

The second side's opener delivers an unexpected highlight with `Classical Gas', but rather than a tired acoustic remake, the band deliver a pimped-out, progged-up version! Throwing in everything from ravishing piano, sparkling harpsichord, spiralling Moog, frantic drumming, red-hot guitar wailing and searing Mellotron veils, it would have been a complete standout on any of the earlier defining Beggars Opera albums. `Sweet Blossom Woman' is an easy-to-enjoy but throwaway country-flecked rocker (lifted by some breakneck Moog and electric piano soloing in the finale), and confident rocker `Turn your Money Green' slides into ballad-like moments of dreamy chiming guitars and ruminative bass. `La-di-da' is a romantic sing-along with a Joe Cocker-like quality with the warmest of humming Hammond organ, and `Working Man' is a final husky R n'B bluesy rocker that may not be a particularly memorable closer, but it at least allows for nice soloing moments from the players.

Recent CD reissues include two bonus tracks of both sides of an exclusive 1973 single - `Two Timing Woman' is a roaring horn- powered grooving scorcher, and `Lady of Hell-Fire' opens as a baffling screeching AC/DC-ish belter before carrying on as an Atomic Rooster-like heavy metal rocker! These two pieces would have probably jarred with the sound of the proper album, but they might actually be stronger than several of the tracks on it!

Despite the arrangements mostly becoming less intricate and the singing being entirely different to what came before, careful listening to the instrumentation means `Get Your Dog Off Me!' is still recognisable as coming from the musicians who delivered those first three classic Beggars Opera discs. Prog purists will want to stick to those first few, but repeated listens of `Dog' at least reveals an undemanding and enjoyable rock album with very strong melodic qualities and great playing, which is more than enough to gently recommend it.

Two stars as a prog album, but three for a perfectly decent rock album.

Beggar's Opera "Act One" will make a great album for all fans of old progressive rock and classical music. This is an especially important album, which shows the face of early prog. A true gem!