Act One + 2 Limited edition

Limited edition remastered in a miniature LP sleeve with 2 bonus tracks: 'Sarabande' and 'Think'. From 1970, Beggars Opera's debut album introduces them as a major player in the early British symphonic scene. Like many bands of the era, the music had a post-psychedelic, pop/folk vibe, though Beggars Opera added a flashy, complex instrumental underpinning. On Act One, Alan Park's organ and keyboards are particularly dominant, often reminiscent of Emerson, Lake & Palmer or the Nice in their bombast and affinity for classical quotations. However, a sense of humor and irreverence pervades the album, making the whole affair far less pretentious. Martin Griffith's powerful, strident vocal style is particularly striking, though the melodies he would have to work with are not as strong here as they would be on the follow-up, Waters of Change. Vertigo. 2006.