Pioneering progressive rock group Beggars Opera from Glasgow released several splendid albums for the Vertigo label in the early Seventies. The line up included vocalist Martin Griffiths, guitarist Ricky Gardiner and keyboard player Alan Park, who ensured a strong classical influence. ‘Waters Of Change’ was the group’s second effort, first released in 1971. It follows the pattern set by debut album ‘Act One’, and features highlight tracks ‘Time Machine’, ‘Silver Peacock’ and ‘The Fox’, given greater depth by the addition of Mellotron player Virginia Scott.

Esoteric Recordings are pleased to announce a 2CD Anthology by the classic Scottish Progressive Rock group Beggars Opera. Drawing on material from the band’s first four albums, recorded for the legendary Vertigo label, "Nimbus" features 27 of the band’s best tracks.
Formed in Glasgow in 1969 with a line-up of Rick Gardiner (Guitar, Vocals), Alan Park (Keyboards), Martin Griffiths (Vocals), Marshall Erskine (Bass, Flute) and Raymond Wilson (Drums), the band signed to the newly established progressive arm of Philips Records, Vertigo, in 1970. Their debut album, "Act One" gained some success in Europe with tracks such as ‘Poet and Peasant’ and ‘Passacagalia’…

Beggars Opera's third album offered up another dramatic change in pace and style from a band that had already demonstrated its musical schizophrenia well enough. Considerably more song-oriented than either of its predecessors, Pathfinder set out its stall with the pounding pop of "Hobo" before delving deep into period preoccupations with a truly visionary assault on "MacArthur Park" – imagine Vanilla Fudge if Brian Auger had created their arrangements. Eight minutes seem too short a time in which to layer all of the group's ideas, but they succeed with room to spare, and deliver what is probably the definitive reading of the song.

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).
Their debut album "Act One" (1970) 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…