Beggars Opera-Waters Of Change

This is the second album released By The Scottish band Beggars Opera

Greg Northrup:
The second album from the seminal Scottish group Beggars Opera is probably their best, as Waters of Change shows a significant maturation in the songwriting department, and for the most part eschews the classical rock, over-the-top organ bombast of Act One. Rather, the album is more restrained and melodic, though falling shy of the nondescript "pop music with mellotron" of some of their contemporaries. The album balances complexity and instrumental flair with solid songwriting and addictive melodies, as Alan Park's obviously virtuosic organ playing and Gardiner's fleet fingered, surreal guitar subsume themselves to the greater goal of the song, as it should be.

Although often thought of as a "mellotron album", the instrument is not nearly as dominant as I'd expected, and is ultimately outgunned by the main melodic device, the organ. Still, the 'tron contributes mightily to the album's warm, earthy air. Another highly appealing aspect of the band's work here are Martin Griffiths' vocals. Now, I'm a sucker for eccentric vocalists, and this guy definitely kills me. His powerful, some might say over the top, pipes really carry the main themes perfectly in my opinion. The melodies are pretty much universally addictive and enjoyable throughout, from the semi-melancholy "Time Machine" to the humorous faux medieval jig of "Festival" to the grandiosity of "Silver Peacock". Indeed, for a song based, light hearted and melodic early progressive rock album, one would be hard pressed to come up with a better example than Waters of Change. Everything the band set out to do they seem to have achieved with startling success. Warm and endearing to the last, this is one of the finest albums from this particular era and sub genre


Beggars Opera-Waters Of Change @320

1. Time Machine
2. Lament
3. I've No Idea
4. Nimbus
5. Festival
6. Silver Peacock Intro
7. Silver Peacock
8. Impromptu
9. Fox

www.zshare.net/download/1342387361512d31/
ps: echoesof-the-past.blogspot.com

Beggars Opera - Act One

Info By Progarchives:

This band was from Scotland, their name is derived from a novel by the poet John Gray in 1728. The musicians of BEGGARS OPERA were Martin Griffiths (vocals), Rick Gardiner (guitar and vocals), Alan Park (keyboards), Gordon Sellar (bass, acoustic guitar and vocals), Virginia Scott (Mellotron and vocals) and Raymond Wilson (drums and percussion). BEGGARS OPERA made a lot of records but remained acting in the shade of most progressive rock bands.

Their debut-album "Act one" (’70) contains fluent and tasteful organ driven progrock with powerful "Sixties" sounding guitarwork. The long track "Raymond’s Road" is a splendid tribute to the "classics" featuring Mozart’s A la Turka, Bach’s Toaccata in d-fuga en Grieg’s Peer Gynt Suite on the Hammond organ. The second album "Waters of Change" (’71) is build around the dual keyboardplay of Alan Park and newcomer Virginia Scott and the distinctive, a bit cynical vocals of Gardiner. The nine tracks are beautiful symphonic landscapes with many organ solos, some swelling and glorious Mellotron waves (like The MOODY BLUES and early KING CRIMSON) and fine electric guitarwork. On the third LP "Pathfinder" BEGGARS OPERA seems to have reached its pinnacle: strong and alternating compositions with lush keyboards (Mellotron, organ, piano and harpsichord), powerful electric guitarplay and many shifting moods (even Scottish folk with bagpipes). The band released three more albums but, in my opinion, they sounded far less captivating: "Get your dog off me" (’73), "Saggittary" (’76) and "Beggar's can’t be choosers" (’79).


Beggar's Opera-Act One @320

1. Poet and Peasant
2. Passacaglia
3. Memory
4. Raymond's Road

5. Light Cavalry
6. Sarabande
7. Think


pt1: rapidshare.com/files/116314022/bgsop_pt1.zip.html
pt2: www.zshare.net/download/12305632eed4daae/
ps: echoesof-the-past.blogspot.com