Act One

Artist: Beggars Opera
Label: Repertoire
Category: Music

Average customer rating:

Format: Import
Media: Audio CD
Number Of Discs: 1
EAN: 4009910704127
ASIN: B0000085GW

Release Date: 2002-10-01

Act One

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General

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Progressive Rock

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Tracks:

Poet and Peasant
Passacaglia
Memory
Raymonds Road
Light Cavalry
Sarabande [*]
Think [*]

Similar Items:

This Is Gracious
Waters of Change
Gravy Train
Jade Warrior
Space Shanty

Album Description

1997 Repertoire reissue of their 1970 debut with two bonus tracks, 'Sarabande' & 'Think'. Seven tracks total.

Album Details

From 1970 Including Two Bonus Tracks.

Customer Reviews:

The best album from an idiosyncratic band.......2005-08-02

This is a great band, but you have to be careful with them as each album is very different from it's predecessor. "Act One" is high quality symphonic prog, like ELP but with a darker,heavier Italianesque edge. "Waters of Change" is an excellent exploration of the Canterbury sound, which I am not really a fan of. But if I had to listen to a "folky-baroquey" album, this would be the one. It's like Caravan in spots, Tull in others."Pathfinder" almost has a proto-neoprog sound (can I say that?); just high quality keyboard oriented rock,similar to a lot of the "sellout" prog of the very late 70's "Get Your Dog Off Me" is just a good Rock-N-Roll album, reminds me of some of the stuff from Kin Ping Meh or Birth Control, or even mid-period Lucifer's Friend. Almost boogie rock in spots, but again, very good. Some re-issues add "Woman of Hellfire", which almost recalls bombastic AC-DC! All their stuff is good, but you have to be selective with them, unless you have very broad tastes.

The Beggars Opera Masterpiece.......2001-04-22

This is the one to start with!!! Beggars Opera began their career as an excellent heavy organ/guitar prog band that used a lot of classical motifs (even "borrowing" little segments of light classical music). On "Act One" they serve up an intense (mostly instrumental) over-the-top, vintage rock with frantic drumming, blistering guitar and powerful organ. This is their MOST organ-driven record. I love some of those "carnival" sounds achieved by Alan Park. Some of the long instrumental jams recall early Deep Purple, not least because Ricky Gardener achieves a plaintive sound like Ritchie Blackmore which works well over pulsing keyboards and "galloping" rhythm section. Singer Martin Griffiths is the mad ringmaster of this pomp carnival. His vocals would be given much more space on later albums. The album relies on intense instrumental blowouts rather than smooth production or studio effects. Its raw, "period" sound will appeal to lovers of organ-driven British prog. The Cd bonus tracks include "Sarabande", which was released as a 45 in Europe (where the band was much more popular). I've enjoyed this album from the time I first heard it and will always consider it to be THE definitive Beggars Opera. It's good all the way through, while the other albums just had a few "shining moments".

Act One.......2000-05-28

This is the first album for Beggars Opera and in many ways carries on from the Nice in musical terms. The music is definately progressive rock with heavy influences from classical music (their name is taken from an opera by John Gay).

If you like you music with pomp and circumstance aplomb you will love this album. Vinyl copies now change hands in England for £30 upwards.

Further albums did not neccessarily live up to Act One with the notable exception of the tongue in check "Get Your Dog Off Me" which surely is due for release on CD.

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