ACT ONE

Named after the famous ballad opera in three acts written in 1728 by John Gay with music from Johann Christoph Pepusch, the Glasgow, Scotland based BEGGARS OPERA were one of the immediate successors of 1960s The Nice and the Mark I lineup of Deep Purple who were perhaps the most successful bands to popularize the so-called rockin' with the classics sound. This band was formed in 1969 by guitarist Ricky Gardiner, vocalist Marin Griffiths and bassist Marshal Erskine who resonated with the classical music inspirations interpreted into a rock context that Keith Emerson had brought to fame with his first band The Nice before departing and starting the even more audacious Emerson, Lake and Palmer.

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.