Act One (album)

Act One is the debut album of the Scottish progressive band Beggars Opera.

This article is about the 1970 Beggars Opera album. For other uses, see Act One (disambiguation).
Act One
Studio album by
Beggars Opera
Released1970
RecordedDe Lane Lea Studios, Holborn, London
GenreProgressive rock
Length41:57
LabelVertigo
ProducerBill Martin, Phil Coulter
Beggars Opera chronology
Act One
(1970)		 Waters of Change
(1971)

Overview

Variously classified as symphonic rock, progressive rock or proto-progressive rock, Beggars Opera's debut album has been compared to (and sometimes described as "derivative of") works by The Nice and Deep Purple MK I.[1][2] It was published by Vertigo (which had at the time introduced its legendary "swirl" label) in 1970 and features cover art by the renowned surrealist photographer and artist Marcus Keef (the same that created the covers for Black Sabbath's first three albums).[2] In the same year the band also released a somewhat successful single, "Sarabande", which was not included in the album in its original LP edition, but appears in the CD reissue.

The album includes many elements of symphonic progressive rock, including a number of references to classical music (e.g.,Poet and Peasant and Light Cavalry by Franz von Suppé and Grieg's Peer Gynt), an Emerson-esque keyboard section featuring organ and Hammond, complex arrangements, and long suites (most notably "Raymond's Road").[1][2]

Track listing
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Poet and Peasant"Franz von Suppé; arranged by Beggars Opera7:10
2."Passacaglia"George Frideric Handel (passacaglia-Suite in g-minor,HWV432), Marshall Erskine, Virginia Scott; arranged by Alan Park7:04
3."Memory"Marshall Erskine, Virginia Scott; arranged by Alan Park3:57
4."Raymond's Road"Alan Park, Ricky Gardiner, Marshall Erskine, Martin Griffiths, Raymond Wilson; arranged by Alan Park11:49
5."Light Cavalry"Franz von Suppé; arranged by Beggars Opera11:57
6."Sarabande" (from single 71')Alan Park, Ricky Gardiner, Marshall Erskine, Martin Griffiths, Raymond Wilson, Virginia Scott3:32
7."Think" (from single 71')Alan Park, Martin Griffiths4:25

Personnel
  • Martin Griffiths - vocals
  • Alan Park - organ
  • Raymond Wilson - drums
  • Ricky Gardiner - lead guitar
  • Marshall Erskine - bass guitar

References
  1. Album review at AllMusic
  2. Album review at Storia della Musica
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.