ACT ONE

Beggar's Opera first album has an interesting mix of classical and rock music. This sounds dated today (I wonder what punk rockers would do if they had brains to listen to this album), but as a product of early 70's, it's just another piece at the puzzle of prog-rock. There are great musicians involved on this album (Alan Park sounds as a turbocharged Tony Kaye) and Ricky Gardiner knows how to play his guitar. Some compositions sounds a bit like The Nice (listen to "Poet and Peasant" and "Light Cavalry", two pieces written by classical composer Franz Von Suppé and arranged by the band) and another sounds like Deep Purple MK I ("Sarabande", a bonus track). Beggar's Opera was then a promising band, and this, their first album, is still worth of a good listen - but don't expect something unforgettable.