GET YOUR DOG OFF ME !

I can't really understand what pushed the band in delivering such a weak release. So far, they were quite consistent and offered two good and one very good (their debut) album. Symphonic music with a good dose of heavier sounds was quite a fine mix.

This album is no such work. It is filled with easy listening music. Some might seem OK like the boogie Freestyle Ladies or the rock ballad Open Letter but other ones are of the poorest vein. But some other ones are on the minus side really: the straight forward pop music oriented Morning Day for instance. It holds passionless vocals, a simple structure but at least a fine guitar solo to close (there won't be many).

While the band is proposing the awful country style Sweet Blossom Woman, the trouble is pretty serious amongst earlier hour fans. It ends up in some jazzy jam. Press next of course.

The bluesy style is not forgotten either with Turn Your Money Green: it could have been a Procol Harum song; vocals are close to Brooker. But alas, the song writing is not on par.

It seems that Beggars Opera did exactly what Strawbs will do some years later with Nomadness and Deep Cuts: to produce a rock album for American audiences and radio-friendly music. It is not the type of music that I like.

There are actually only two song that deserve a mention: the instrumental and enjoyable Classical Gas and the heavy-rock closing track Working Man. Frenetic keyboards, strong beat, solid bass play and aggressive guitar. At least a song with a good texture!

Beggars Opera is even flirting with pure hard-rock on Lady Of Hell Fire (one of the CD bonus tracks) and it sounds superior to most songs from the original album. Two stars.