Author: Peter Podbrežnik
Artist: Beggars Opera
Label: Vertigo Records
Released: 1972
Length: 37:53
Rating: 4/5
Scottish symphonic prog outfit Beggars Opera were one of those obscure but hugely gifted bands signed to Vertigo Records, the well-known patrons of experimental music, yet they were simply never destined to get beyond cult status and the deep respect of most prog connoisseurs. Unlike other similar bands, such as Cressida, Cirkus, Fantasy and Spring, Beggars Opera, despite numerous lineup changes, somehow managed to hang on right up to the early eighties. In the early years of their career they put out three studio albums with the outstanding singer Martin Griffiths, records they can still be proud of today, since they stand up to some of the most impressive achievements of far better-known masters of progressive rock.
The third of those early but pivotal albums of their career was »Pathfinder«, released in 1972, just when it seemed that luck was slowly starting to smile on Beggars Opera and that they might step up into the “big league”, just like their former Vertigo Records labelmates Uriah Heep managed to do. Their previous album, »Waters Of Change« (1971), had, with the help of the successful single »Time Machine«, met with a rapturous response from German fans. While the (spoiled) British home crowd and the critics showed little enthusiasm for their music, the reaction in Germany was far better than anyone had hoped for.
»Pathfinder« should have been that crucial third album that would bring the up-and-coming Glasgow crew their big breakthrough to the wider music scene, but, partly thanks to some pretty incompetent management, that’s not how it went. Comparing Beggars Opera with other similar bands is a thankless job, but the closest sonic parallels can probably be found in early Uriah Heep and also Jethro Tull. Griffiths’ vocals are slightly reminiscent of David Byron, Alan Park’s organ wizardry is top-notch and comparable to what Ken Hensley did in Uriah Heep, and guitarist and band founder Ricky Gardner (who later worked with David Bowie on the album »Low«, 1977), much like Mick Box, made heavy use of the wah-wah effect, while Beggars Opera also cultivated excellent vocal harmonies.
The band was rounded out by a dynamic rhythm section, which on »Pathfinder« consisted of bassist Gordon Sellar and drummer Raymond Wilson. At the same time, Beggars Opera were true masters of creating layered, atmospheric nuances in which an unmistakable and intoxicating Celtic melos always played an important role. Their lyrics on »Pathfinder« were rather interesting, featuring social satire about homelessness (»Hobo«), a critique of the church and the Inquisition (»The Witch«), and the neglect of our own heritage and nature in the pursuit of profit (»From Shark To Haggis«).
What a wonderful band Beggars Opera were at the peak of their creative powers is proven by the opening symphonic prog stunner »Hobo«, with its massive wall of Hammond organ and Griffiths’ theatrical vocal approach, which, combined with jazzy rhythmic touches, builds an indescribably sad atmosphere. The socially critical lyrics are at least partly modeled on the Jethro Tull classic »Aqualung«, telling the story of an elderly beggar whose apathetic surroundings, walking right past his corpse after his death, fail (or refuse) to identify him.
The band’s knack for melodramatic pomp shows itself on the excellent symphonic epic »MacArthur Park«, the most interesting piece on the album, where, while weaving mighty, Mellotron-tinged arrangements, they manage to conjure up an unforgettable, deeply nostalgic atmosphere. It’s not an original, mind you, but a brilliant adaptation of a song written in 1966 by Jimmy Webb, which the legendary Irish actor and singer Richard Harris turned into a hit single. There’s also a well-known version of »MacArthur Park« that disco diva Donna Summer sang in 1978. Griffiths’ vocals are positively bursting with emotion as he sings about the (seemingly) ideal beginning and tragic collapse of a love affair that started in MacArthur Park. It’s a shame that no other piece on »Pathfinder« reaches such atmospheric depth, even though there isn’t a single bad song on the album.
»The Witch«, a biting critique of medieval witch hunts, is a pretty dark creation with massive layers of Hammond organ, raw guitar passages and uncompromising drum fills. The dramatic mood, along with numerous interesting rhythmic twists and turns, builds from second to second. The only flaw of this relatively punchy song is perhaps its somewhat repetitive chorus, which only kicks in during the closing section but then ‘drags’ on right to the end. Of all the tracks on the album, it’s actually the title track that most recalls early Uriah Heep, as mighty vocal harmonies and beefy guitar passages with regular use of the wah-wah effect take over amid Park’s organ wizardry.
»From Shark To Haggis« is a song of many different moods. It opens with a slow tempo and a gloomy vibe, then moves on to a rowdy atmosphere, matching the lyrics about a notorious, egotistical businessman and speculator (the ‘shark’ of the metaphor) who rediscovers his ‘inner child’ and goes through a personal change after returning to the Scottish countryside after many years (haggis is a Scottish national dish). Beggars Opera, as true Scots, also bring in bagpipes in the second half of this song, which adds even more spice to its folksy closing groove.
The very good instrumental »Stretcher« features dramatic piano arrangements and epically heart-wrenching slide guitar passages, which at times even slightly recall a ‘primitive’ version of the legendary Queen. »Madame Doubtfire« is yet another song about witches, with epic arrangements and dramatic vocal harmonies, where the ever-theatrical and charismatic singer Griffiths especially shines. Only the overlong, burlesque-spiced ending sounds a bit cheap and drawn-out, with its crazed laughter and cacophonous sounds; the whole thing sounds like it was lifted from some horror flick starring Vincent Price.
»Pathfinder« was the last classic album from the cult Scottish symphonic prog standard-bearers, who became one of those unlucky bands with outstanding talent and a big artistic fire, but who were simply never destined to break through to a wider audience. »Pathfinder« wasn’t quite as ambitious an album as its excellent predecessor »Waters Of Change«, but it still had some brilliant creations, led by the unforgettable evergreen »MacArthur Park«, which is surely one of the best covers ever done by a prog rock band. Sadly, though, after Griffiths’ unexpected departure it was all downhill, and although they released a few more records through the end of the seventies, they never recovered.
Line-up
Martin Griffiths – vocals
Alan Park – keyboards
Ricky Gardiner – guitar and backing vocals
Gordon Sellar – bass guitar, acoustic guitar and backing vocals
Raymond Wilson – drums
Production
Beggars Opera
Track list
1. Hobo (4:40)
2. MacArthur Park (8:20)
3. The Witch (5:26)
4. Pathfinder (3:44)
5. From Shark to Haggis (6:38)
6. Stretcher (4:50)
7. Madame Doubtfire (4:15)
