Beggars Opera ~ Scotland

Act One (1970)

Beggar's Opera were a band from Scotland, who like many from the British Isles, brought forth a highly spirited form of organ focused rock heavily influenced by classical music. Similar to Rare Bird, The Nice, Deep Purple (Mk. 1), Fields, and ELP in that way. However, the group wasn't above kickin' out the jams with some fine psychedelic guitar soloing courtesy of Rick Gardiner. And 'Raymond's Road' brings an intensity that recalls Aardvark in a similar mood with added guitar.

The CD adds their debut 1971 single. 'Sarabande' begins with a riff from A2 of Act One before breaking into a different mid section. It's also a heavier rendition. 'Think' foreshadows their more thoughtful next work Waters of Change, though still on the heavier side of the rock spectrum. Hopefully I'll find it in the wilds someday (not expensive online, and was released here in the States on Verve). Until then, I think I'll hold onto the CD.

Ownership: 

1970 Vertigo Germany (LP). Gatefold. Swirl label. Acquired in 2022.

2006 Vertigo Japan (CD). Papersleeve gatefold with the two above bonus tracks. Acquired in 2009.

First copy: 1990 Verve (LP). Gatefold. Acquired in 1993.

1993; 1996; 7/1/09; 9/1/25 (review)
 

Waters of Change (1971)

Beggars Opera's second effort is one of the more overlooked albums from the rich progressive rock landscape of 1971. The key track here is 'I've No Idea', as in I've no idea why it's taken me so many years to review this album. And I've no idea why I didn't recognize its brilliance until last night. While the band may have toned down their sound from Act One, they raised their game in the songwriting department. Waters of Change represents that wonderful 1971 UK progressive rock sound as also found in bands as diverse as Cressida, Gracious, Nektar, and Uriah Heep. They have quite a large ensemble, including a full time mellotron player, who happens to be female and is strongly involved in the songwriting. This gives a unique slant on the otherwise testosterone driven genre, especially back in those days. Alan Park's organ, though, wins the day, as he did on Act One. Outside of the interludes, including the somewhat silly 'Silver Peacock Intro', all the songs here are quite involved, well thought out, highly melodic, and great for listening over and over.

Ownership: 

1974 Vertigo Germany (LP). Gatefold. Spaceship label. Acquired in 2012.

1995 Repertoire (CD). Liner notes written by Chris Welch. Acquired in 1996.

1//96; 8/16/13; 6/7/18 (review)

Previously owned: Pathfinder.

6/7/18 (new entry)

Citizen Cain ~ England / Scotland

Somewhere But Yesterday (1994)

If Marillion copied Genesis and brought them into the 80s, then Citizen Cain copied both Marillion and Genesis and brought them into the 90s. Though Citizen Cain were part of the original New Wave of British Progressive Rock movement, they didn't get going until the 90s. Which is too bad really. As I've mentioned before, the term "neo prog" became a misnomer during the 80s, and was shorthand for "corporate AOR Arena Rock". All the groups participating in that scene fell prone to the allure of mucho dollars, and most did not come close. And lost their artistic credibility because of it. When IQ reemerged with Ever, it dawned a new era of excellent neo prog that is with us today. Citizen Cain is very much in that same oeuvre. Had they released Somewhere but Yesterday in 1987, it would be hailed as a modern classic. But it just got lost in the prog shuffle and most of my running set had nothing to do with bands like Citizen Cain in the early 90s. It wasn't until almost 30 years later I heard them at all.

When you have a lead singer named Cyrus in a neo prog band then you can expect a lot of singing, and that remains true here. Yet somehow it still feels like a primarily instrumental album. Lots of negative critical forensic reviews out there discussing the nuances of his voice against Gabriel and Fish. People think too much. Personally I think he does a great job, as does the band at emulating the early Genesis sound with the upbeat 80s styled groups like IQ. There's a lot of music to digest here, but I heard it pleasantly throughout. While I have no intention of loading up on Citizen Cain, I certainly would be interested in hearing all their works at some point regardless of reputation.

Ownership: 1997 Cyclops (CD). With lyric booklet (extensive) and recording details.

6/2/22 (first listen); 2/15/25 (review)

2/17/25 (new entry)

Tear Gas. 1971 Scotland

Now this is exactly the kind of hard rock I like. Great sounding heavy guitar with well thought-out compositions that contain more than one theme throughout. And superb solos. Only on 'Lay it On Me' do we hear Tear Gas go garden variety boogie rock, and even then, the guitar soloing saves the track from ruin. You'll also note an Elvis medley towards the end. Normally that would result in a complete disaster, but in the hands of Tear Gas, they make the tracks so much more interesting than they are. Overall a superb slice of early 70s hard rock.

Ownership: CD: 1993 Renaissance (USA). Standard jewel case reissue with one excellent bonus track, not found on the other reissues (including Esoteric). Acquired this from a friend in 2014.

11//14; 7/19/22 (new entry)

I was reading some old notes of mine from 2004, and I wasn't very keen on this title back then. Just goes to show how much my appreciation for hard rock has gone up since.

Chou Pahrot ~ Scotland

Chou Pahrot Live (1979)

With an instrumental focus on violin and electric guitar, sometimes played in a complex fashion, Chou Pahrot are about as close to the early High Tide albums as you'll find at this late of a date. Live recording could use a little polishing, though I do like the raw bass sound. Overall one of the best UK albums of the late 1970s, and one of the very few that weren't either punk, New Wave, or metal influenced.

Ownership: 1979 Klub (LP). Acquired in 1997.

No reissues exist as I update this post on 4/16/26.

1997; 9/7/09 (review); 2/2/21 (update / new entry)

Writing on the Wall ~ Scotland

Power of the Picts (1969)

I had forgotten how great this album really is. For 1969 this is quite the heavy album. Great organ and guitar throughout. I had it classified with the progressive rock collection, but really it belongs to hard rock in the same sense that Deep Purple belongs there. And I like the raw vocals too, they go with the style.

Ownership: 2003 Akarma (CD). Karma Pak. 

12//05 (acquired); 5/2/20 (review / new entry)

Holocaust - The Nightcomers. 1981 Scotland

Even though Holocaust is frequently mentioned as one of the "big names" of the original NWOBHM movement, my memory says different. In 1980, age 15, heavy metal was my first foray into deep diving for music. Sure, I knew of Diamond Head, Angel Witch, Samson, Witchfinder General, Praying Mantis, Tygers of Pan Tang, not to mention the obvious Iron Maiden, Saxon, etc... But Holocaust? No. Metallica's cover of 'The Small Hours' put these guys on the larger map, but long after the initial group was dead and buried. I didn't first hear Holocaust until 1993 when I stumbled upon their live Hot Curry and Wine LP in a Wichita, Kansas record store of all places. Probably was Mark Shelton's old copy...

It wasn't until the mid 2000's that I finally picked up The Nightcomers based on positive reviews. After hearing the inauspicious opener 'Smokin' Valves', I was gearing up for an Ethel the Frog kind of disappointment. This woofer is nothing more than a 70s styled boogie rock track with distorted guitars. And then... ...then comes 'Death or Glory', a song that today is universally acclaimed as a stone classic of the NWOBHM movement. And no argument from me. It's exactly this kind of composition and riffs that makes this era of heavy metal timeless. 40 years after laying this down to wax, the music sounds as fresh and exciting as ever. What a riff, what a sound! And The Nightcomers never looks back either. Every track here is a winner. 'Heavy Metal Mania' being another very catchy number. My favorites are the more thoughtful and subtlety complex tracks like 'Mavrock' and in particular the title track. So yes, in retrospect, an absolute classic of an album. But not in their day, nope.

I haven't heard any of their reformation albums, but word around the campfire says they continued to push the boundaries of metal. Certainly sounds just up my alley.

Ownership: CD: 2000 Metal Blade (USA). Jewel case release with lyrics. Also includes their Heavy Metal Mania EP from 1980. This EP isn't near the standard of their album proper. Closer to the anthemic side of NWOBHM. Purchased in 2005.

12//05; 2/22/19 (new entry)

Bodkin - s/t. 1972 Scotland

Bodkin were a major discovery from the mid 1980s, though the album was known to exist prior in very small quantities. The story goes that a German collector had befriended Scottish music engineer and label owner Jim West, and to his amazement, he still had in his possession plenty of vinyl - and no covers. So the story of the LP and the reissues is quite fascinating. See below for further detail.

As to the music, Bodkin hit near the bulls-eye of that organ drenched heavy prog sound. Think of all of those 1971 albums on the German Bellaphon or Philips label. Or the original Vertigo Swirl label roster. Even the Canadian band Warpig. It's got that sound. All 5 tracks here are well played, with memorable melodies and progressions, and fine performances from all. The vocals have that husky "lost" tone, that was popular is those blues infected days. For reasons I could not articulate back to anyone, I didn't care for this album much when it first hit the CD circuit in 1989. My stance softened about 10 years later, and it has grown in stature since then. To me it definitely earns the Excellent rating.

Personal collection
CD: 1991 Witch and Warlock
LP: 2000 Akarma (Italy)

As mentioned above, the story of the album itself is interesting. Popsike lists precisely one copy that has sold with the original cover (in 2012 - photo #1). It went for a cool $2300 and change (not shown on RYM as I write this). Most original copies out there in the wild did not have an album cover, and go for a much cheaper $1k (smirk) (photo #2). Sometime in the late 1980s, the album was released on vinyl in very limited quantities with paste on custom green or orange covers (photos #3 & #4), but weren't widely distributed at the time (at least that I can remember). In 1989, the German label Witch & Warlock debuted their catalog with a CD reissue of the album (with yet another different cover - photo #5). Ah, but you say, I know Witch & Warlock is a pirate concern right? Perhaps they ended up making poor decisions, but they didn't start out that way. Witch & Warlock are in fact the same guys behind the German Oak album. And I think we can safely presume they did not bootleg their own privately released album (though another story emerged in 2018 about this). The next CD on the label was Dom's Edge of Time, and while I later upgraded to the Second Battle versions (LP and CD), it's pretty apparent from the short notes on the CD that the members knew each other. Most everyone accepts this version as legit (though the sound wasn't improved upon at all). This was followed by an archival German Oak album, and then finally they decided to try their hand at needle drops and foregoing obtaining legal permission. (Confession: I still own their CD version of Diabolus and patiently await for a legit version to surface). They also issued two other albums from Scotland: Soho Orange and Tentacle - both of these being archival releases. Most websites consider these to be legit. And it makes sense, when you consider the German connection to the Bodkin album, as mentioned above. In any case, the CD was repressed multiple times, and it was many years later I picked it up again - mine being one of those reissues (originals are numbered with a different backplate).

Next up was the Akarma release (of course they'd get involved with something like this). And now we have our 5th unique cover (last photo)! This time it's quite extraordinary as the LP opens up as a multi part cross (similar to Necronomicon or Heaven's Brass Rock 1). This most assuredly is the definitive edition right? Wrong! What an utter disaster of a reissue. A needle drop (fine), but with skips and scratches (in the mastering!). C'mon, really? How stoned do you have to be? I eventually parted with it...

There is a legit LP that recently surfaced from England on the Acme label (and replicates the orange paste-on cover). I wouldn't have high hopes for a sonic revelation at this point.

Originally reviewed: June 20, 2014

Chasar ~ Scotland

Chasar / Gypsy Roller (1983)

Yes, this. This is exactly the type of NWOBHM music I'm looking for. Ambitious, yet amateurish. A clear product of the early 80s cassette culture. Some lads from Scotland get together in a room, listen to Rush's Permanent Waves, and decide on the spot to create a band in the spirit of Iron Maiden, Saxon, et al, but with a bit more creativity and free flow of ideas. 

Perhaps a label like Neat took a sniff, but couldn't comprehend the complexity of the music, and politely declined (in the vernacular "No fookin' way you bloody wankers"). And so the band went about releasing it on cassette, where it made a name for itself among the trading set of the day. This was then picked up by the confusingly named UK based American Phonograph for LP - except they had no metal history, and less distribution skills. Finally, now four years later, the ultimate bottom feeder Mausoleum decides to release it, but with a new cover and title (Gypsy Roller). And then... off into the mists of obscurity it went. And has yet to be discovered 35 years later, awaiting a proper reissue of some kind - any kind.

As noted about the music above, it definitely wears its Rush patch proudly, as well as adding some metal crunch. Nothing too heavy mind you, and there's plenty of guitar solos in the 70s hard rock tradition. One can hear the same embryonic steps that Manilla Road were taking at a similar time, different place. Another reference would be the obscure Florida based group UHF. Easy recommendation for those predisposed to these kind of sounds. And we know who we are - don't we?

Ownership: 1987 Mausoleum (LP) 

Not reissued as I update this post (9/15/25)

4/10/18 (review / new entry)

Light of Darkness. 1971 Scotland

Light of Darkness were Scottish exiles enjoying the Germany hard rock scene of 1971. Black Sabbath's debut is the first reference that comes to mind (blues based heavy fuzz guitar w/harmonica), and the vocals have a passing resemblance to Ozzy - check out 'Ain't No Place Where I Belong' as one prime example. But with a bit more energy, perhaps recalling Elias Hulk in the process. There's definitely a late era psych vibe here too, especially in the melodic/harmonic aspect of each composition. The album was not well received upon release, and thus its rarity today. But a revisionist look displays many rewards for fans of the 1971 Krautrock and UK Vertigo sound.

Personal collection
LP: 2014 Long Hair (Germany)

A rare album in original form (on Philips). The reissue comes in a fine gatefold (like the original) with a short history insert. It appears the two CD reissues on Second Battle have become difficult to source.

Caedmon. 1978 Scotland

Caedmon are a Christian folk rock band from Scotland, with a psychedelic streak that comes many years past others of this sound. Perhaps Mellow Candle, Agincourt, and Spirogyra are good guideposts here, and the music is clearly anachronistic for 1978. Crystal clear female vocals, acoustic guitar, String Synthesizer, cello, and a fuzz tone guitar define this fine work. A very pleasant, breezy, somewhat harmless psychedelic album. Its reputation is well deserved for the style, though it's very much inside the rails, so not one likely to wow anyone but the most dedicated progressive folk rock collector.

Personal collection

CD: 1995 Nices/Si-Wan (Korea)

The original LP is incredibly rare and sought after (as in 4 digits). The original also includes an additional 45 single. Funny to read the Discogs sales history for the original LP. Median price: $24.55. Yea. Of course, if you drill down on the sales history, you'll see that they are all commented as reissues, and simply placed there incorrectly. Unfortunately, Discogs has a lot of bad data like that which needs cleaning up. 

It appears I first picked up this CD in the mid 90s. And that CD is a co-production of Nices and Si-Wan. The former is a division of manufacturing giant Samsung, and the high quality CD is pressed by them. In effect, though, it's simply a repress of the Kissing Spell release from England, and is credited as such.

Kissing Spell, apparently, have issues with Christianity. They don't have the balls to say it as such, but that's exactly what it is. They hide behind the following phrase: "Kissing Spell is opposed to all forms of mysticism/religion - the sentiments expressed on this record in no way reflect those of K. Spell." Do you really think this would have been appended were the album representing Shinto, Hindu, Norse Mythology, or Islam? You know the answer already. I do tire of this kind of disguised hypocrisy. They even titled the final track simply as 'Give Me....' leaving out Jesus as originally presented. That's just pathetic. If it was 'Give me Thor', you think they would have changed it? Accept the music as it was presented and let others do the judging on their own. Leaves me with a bad taste for the label.

Under the Dome ~ Scotland

The Demon Haunted World (1998)

No country took more to the classic 1970s Tangerine Dream trio than did the United Kingdom. Especially during the Berlin School renaissance of the 1990s, when a flood of bands came onto the horizon. Under the Dome weren't one of the headliners, though they most certainly held their own against some of the bigger names of the era like Radio Massacre International, Redshift, and AirSculpture. Neu Harmony was the CD arm for premier electronic music mail-order house Synth Music Direct and were one of the leading lights of the day.

Under the Dome on their debut The Demon Haunted World combine haunting and desolate atmospheric tones with crunchy and wedgy sequences. Each of the four tracks navigate through a variety of moods and textures, and in that way, are almost progressive rock like. I found the shorter tracks (short being a relative term here) to work best, like the thumping Moog Modulater (simulated) opener 'Flüssiger Vier-Takter' (8:34). The third piece 'The Bridge' (13:35) starts off in tranquility mode, but eventually the sequencers arrive to ensure this isn't going to be a waltz in the park. The appropriately named closer, 'Hell' (24:00), has some of the darkest textures since Klaus Schulze's Cyborg. I was hoping for a sequencer blitzkrieg to burst out of the depths, but they stayed mostly subdued and mid-tempo throughout. Worth noting there is quite a bit of guitar here (no real soloing though), adding much needed color to the usual barrage of electronic keyboard equipment. All in, The Demon Haunted World is a finely crafted Berlin School album.

Ownership: 1998 Neu Harmony (CD). Booklet with recording details. Acquired in 2004.

2//04; 8/30/12; 7/22/16 (review); 10/24/25

Wot No Colin? (2003)

---Jul 2005

Wot No Colin?, which came near the end of Under the Dome's recording career, is a high energy sequencer fest with some very fine electric guitar leads. If you drew a straight line from Tangerine Dream’s Encore to Pergamon, rather than traverse through the rock era that was Cyclone and Force Majeure, you would encounter this particular Under the Dome album. Fitting then, that this is a live album too. Look for some unexpected experimental sections with heavy echo on the sequences. Under the Dome were one of the best of the retro EM bands coming from the United Kingdom during this time, and Wot No Colin? is a good representation as to why.

Ownership: 2003 Neu Harmony (CD). Acquired in 2005.

7//05 (review); 6/21/06

Also own Bellorophon.
 

7/22/16 (new entry)

Dominic Woosey - Straylight. 1992 Scotland

Before getting to the review of the album, I have to say the background for Mr. Woosey is quite interesting. I thought this to be one of the more obscure albums in my collection, the perfect definition of my Under the Radar blog. RYM has only 3 ratings and 4 cataloged. Only two of us on Gnosis have it rated. And yet on Discogs a massive 240 claim ownership, and up to 5 pressings exist. Most of these are from the 1994 repress, which is what I own as well. Recycle or Die is not a small private label, but rather an imprint for none other than WEA Musik of Germany. The CD comes in a fine professionally made digi-pak. If the below review sounds interesting to you, the CD is available at low prices from dealers on Discogs. I saw a couple on Amazon as well. I first learned of this album from Audion magazine, and since the Freeman's are major contributors to the Discogs site, they have added a lot more data surrounding Dominic Woosey. But it does appear his fame has been short lived, as I didn't find anything modern from him, including any kind of web presence. Strange really.

Straylight is a really fine work from Scotsman Woosey. In the Berlin School tradition, with sequencers and electric guitar, operating more or less in the same territory as Cosmic Hoffmann. Much of this could have been a long lost electronique album from France or Germany circa 1976. Last track is a bit of a departure and features female narration, with shades of 'Jenseits' era Ash Ra Tempel, though clearly a product of the late 80s sound, perhaps more like Steve Roach during this era. Well worth seeking out for fans of the genre.

Spyros adds: "Hello Dominic Woosey was more a house/techno artist with little interest to my ears. I originally listened to him in the "Brand-X Series" compilation (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sDMMc1-tMz0) and cannot say I liked what I've heard. That's why I haven't paid an attention to any particular release of his."

Ownership: CD: 1992 Recycle or Die.

1999; 7/5/15 (new entry)

Iron Claw ~ Scotland

Iron Claw (1970-1974 / 2009)

Where to even start? So the deal with Iron Claw is they have four different historical Marks similar to Deep Purple in that way. The first Mark (1970) demonstrates Iron Claw emulating Black Sabbath's early style of crushing heavy blues rock, and this is the sound most associated with the band. The material - and sound - is very raw and distorted. It's good stuff, but not devastating. The first five tracks on the CD are from this era. The second Mark (1971) contains only one song and is very similar in sound and scope to Mark I. I found that the real revelation on this CD is Mark III (1971-72), which begins to add in more sophistication and introduces a broad palette of tones including woodwinds. The sound quality is excellent on these tracks, differentiating it greatly from the prior material. Fortunately this stage of the band has a strong presence on the disc - and no less than eight tracks are presented here. Mark IV (1973-74) sees Iron Claw going full throttle towards complex progressive rock territory. Unfortunately there's only two tracks from this period and the sound isn't ideal, but the music is quite brilliant and demonstrates a band that is really starting to fire on all cylinders. It's a pity they never were able to release a proper studio album. So all in all, an excellent archival collection. It's worth noting that the music is presented chronologically, so this isn't a title that works well in "random play" mode.

Ownership: 2009 Rockadrome (CD). Informative historical notes and photos. 

3/20/14 (acquired / review / new entry)

The Cosmic Dead ~ Scotland

The Exalted King (2012)

The Cosmic Dead are a Scottish quartet who've been around a couple of years, and whose raison d'etre is improvised space rock. The Cosmic Dead are yet another one of these new bands who seem to be content to issue their albums via download, along with the archaic cassette format (which, to be fair, does allow for 90 and 120 minute albums). They have 6 albums to date but only two are on the more durable and desirable formats like the LP and CD. 

The Exalted King is a sprawling 2 LP set of droning keys, echoed guitars, and pounding rhythms. Hawkwind and the more cosmic moments of Amon Duul II are the obvious comparisons. This is music to turn the lights off, sit back / lay down, and take in the aural kaleidoscope provided. Wake up, turn the vinyl over, and repeat. By the end of Side 4 you're ready for a blissful sleep.

Ownership: 2013 Cosmic Eye (2xLP). Gatefold. Acquired in 2013.

6/1/13 (new entry)

The Human Beast - Volume 1. 1970 Scotland

On the surface, it would seem The Human Beast's sole album to be typical of the era, given the guitar-bass-drums trio format. But these guys aren’t Cream plagiarists, nor did they go the Led Zeppelin, Ashkan, Elias Hulk psychedelic power variation of the blues. No, we’re moving towards the freaky, to the astral zone of Clear Blue Sky, but even beyond. The lyrical concept and overall acid feel gives the feeling that Vangelis may have stumbled onto the album before launching into 666 for his Aphrodite’s Child group. And yes, I’m sure Human Beast digested plenty of Saucerful of Secrets and Ummagumma before heading into the studio. One of the most creative of the UK power trios, no doubt.

Ownership: CD: 2007 Decca (Japan). Papersleeve. Acquired new upon release. This was my introduction to the album.

LP: 2008 Sunbeam. Gatefold with historical liner notes. A mint UK original can set you back 4 figures (one sold recently for over $2,000), so that's a tough option. I'm up for trying to get the German original though.

7/21/07; 3/7/10 (new entry); 9/14/23 

Captain Marryat. 1974 Scotland

I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of this album, considering some of the hype surrounding its excessive value in original LP form. I really thought it would be average at best. But not so. It screams the era in which it was released. It's naive, it's honest, it's well played, and it's memorable. Nice melodies, and surprisingly strong vocals. Long sections are set aside for guitar (nice fuzz tone) and organ jams. And they are also very well executed. Very much a UK styled rock / progressive album from 1974.

Ownership: CD: 2009 Shadoks (Germany)

This album was about as mythical as they come in collecting circles. For years, it was only whispered about and many decried its very existence. But then a couple of copies popped on ebay in early 2009, each securing well over $4,000 each and many collectors (including me) became curious what all the fuss was. Shortly thereafter, the excellent Shadoks label, a reissue company whose primary focus is that of the most obscure albums, came through with both an LP and CD reissue. The turnaround on this one - going from impossible-to-find-mega-rarity to CD reissue is about as fast it will ever happen. But it's a win-win for all progressive rock fans. It's wonderful to have an artifact such as this on CD - and done the right way with the band's involvement. As is custom with a great reissue, the CD features unique liner notes and photos.

6/20/09 (review); 2/17/10 (new entry)