Brian Auger

The music of "Bumpin' on Sunset" perambulates throughout our household, casting a relaxing, hypnotic spell on everybody and everything as my brother blasts Straight Ahead again and again in the Fall of 1974. Thus, Brian Auger became absorbed into me, helping to reveal to me my innate preferences--the stuff that was conditioned in my DNA for future choice. I did not, however, ever even think to explore other albums of Mr. Auger's creation--until very recently. And now, having heard and integrated Mr. Auger's discography from the 1960s to the end of the 1970s I am so glad for it! I have enjoyed the amazing journey of growth and experimentation that Brian traveled from his start in blues through all of his experiments with folk, jazz, funk and pop-oriented in their purest forms as well as in their most "fused" versions. Why his collaborators rarely get cited for their significant talents and contributions to the evolution of blues, blues-rock, rock, folk, jazz-pop, pop, Jazz-Rock Fusion, and Funk Jazz I will never understand. Brian is one of those leaders who was open to other peoples' ideas, open to a constantly-revolving door of collaborators, easily-adaptable to the instincts and inputs of his collaborators. I really admire (and enjoy) the path of his evolution: rarely sticking to one sound or style for more than one album, always curious to see where he could take his music, what sounds and styles he could create, absorb, and adapt to, always excited to fully commit to the "style/sound of the day."

BRIAN AUGER, JULIE DRISCOLL & THE TRINITY Street Noise (1969)

The Julie Driscoll/Brian Auger Trinity collaboration comes to an end with this double album: which is a perfect testament to an amazing singer and her wonderful support crew musicians. I think it only just that this "support crew" is given their due: their own Side (Three); time to shine on their own.

Line-up / Musicians:
- Brian "Auge" Auger / organ, piano, electric piano, vocals
- Julie "Jools" Driscoll / vocals, acoustic guitar
- Clive "Toli" Thacker / drums & percussion
- David "Lobs" Ambrose / 4- & 6-string electric bass, acoustic guitar, vocals

LP Side One:
1. "Tropic of Capricorn" (5:32) syncopated cymbal play with matching organ, piano and bass notes leads into the establishment of a kind of ELP/"Take Five" jazzy blues-rock motif, which then smooths out with vocals into what sounds very much like something from THE SOFT MACHINE's second album. The ensuing instrumental section adds some Ray Manzarek-style organ soloing while Clive Thacker and David Ambrose keep the rhythm section very interesting yet very tight. This is really cool stuff--including a really impressive (and so well-recorded) drum solo in the fifth minute! (9.5/10)

2. "Czechoslovakia" (6:21) rockin' music that sounds like both a Sandy Denny-led JEFFERSON AIRPLANE and a pissed-off Grace Slick-led RENAISSANCE (and even Canterbury bands like EGG and The Soft Machine). This Julie Driscoll is a force! The stripped down guitar + Julie center passage is so powerful--so much like the very best of the strong-Mama female singers of the second half of the 1960s. It's important to remember the Czechoslovakian uprising of 1968 that was so brutally suppressed by the Soviet army. (9.25/10)

3. "Take Me to the Water" (4:17) the "Negro spiritual" (that must surely have influenced Al Green's "Take Me to the River") here done in a fairly standard (for the time) gospel blues style in which it opens as a dirge before shifting into gear as a wake-like celebration. Very powerfully rendered. As I said above, this Julie Driscoll is a force! (This is really my first fully-focused exposure to her singing.) (8.875/10)

4. "Word About Colour" (1:38) Julie's anguished voice, here accompanied by a lone acoustic guitar, delivers another very powerful vocal. More bluesy folk than jazz-rock but that's okay. (4.625/5)

LP Side Two:
5. "Light My Fire" (4:21) Yep, The Trinity did a cover of the Doors' monster hit. Stripped down, bluesy, with some awesome funk/R&B bass from David Ambrose and virtuosic blues organ from the band leader. Julie gives a very passionate rendering and interpretation to the Jim Morrison vocal and Clive Thacker is rock solid. (9/10)

6. "Indian Rope Man" (3:22) here The Trinity take on a rather obscure Richie Havens song and give it the SPENCER DAVIS GROUP treatment. Stevie Winwood could not have done it better. The band is so tight! And what an organ solo by Brian! (9.125/10)

7. "When I Was a Young Girl" (7:03) droning organ softly cushions and floats Julie's plaintive vocals on their version of this 1952 Tex Galdden song that had been made famous by Feist and, more recently, Nina Simone. Tom's and gentle arpeggiated bass chords are added as the song goes on. Man! I find it hard to imagine anyone recording/performing this song better than Julie does here. Incredible! Makes Grace Slick's most impassioned vocals pale in comparison. Still, these amazingly emotional vocal performances do not help make either Jazz-Rock Fusion or Progressive Rock music launch. (14/15)

8. "Flesh Failures (Let the Sunshine In)" (3:04) a version of this song far more attuned to the stage performance from Hair than any of the pop versions that had been made by the likes of The Fifth Dimension and The Spencer Davis Group in the first years of its existence. Great performance from Julie but also from Brian's loud organ. (8.875/10)

     (Hair premiered on Broadway on April 11, 1968. It had premiered the year before [on October 17] Off Broadway [at Joseph Papp's Public Theater] but was such an immediate hit that it was moved to Broadway within six months. Its first soundtrack recording was released on May 6, 1968, as performed by the original Broadway cast. Within the first two years of its existence, the song was covered by other artists on vinyl recordings no less than 20 times. Hair was, by the way, the first rock musical to play on Broadway.)

LP Side Three (the "no Julie" side):
9. "Ellis Island" (4:10) a flat-out crazy display of solo organ play over a tight blues-rock motif. And the organ is recorded so cleanly! I have to reward the band, and especially Brian, for this one. (9.125/10)

  
10. "In Search of the Sun" (4:22) gentle-yet-insistent psychedelic blues-rock with Brian singing the lead vocal. He's really good! Not unlike Spurogyra's Martin Cockerham. Solid if unspectacular song. It's just so solid, so mature and well-polished that I have to reward it. (9/10) 

11. "Finally Found You Out" (4:12) more great blues-rock with great organ play--not as up-front in-your-face as his work on "Ellis Island" but definitely more dynamic and passionate. The guy is massively good! Piano and a more laid back background motif provided by the "cool" rhythm section. Song fades out. Apparently, there "wasn't time" to add the vocal/singing track before the song/album had to go to press.  (9.25/10)

12. "Looking in the Eye of the World" (5:02) a real "old"feeling blues piano-and-voice tune that sounds like something right out of Mark Isham and Charlélie Couture's music from the 1988 film, The Moderns. (One of my all-time favorite soundtracks.) (9/10)

LP Side Four:
13. "Vauxhall to Lambeth Bridge" (6:31) Julie is back with a more blues-folk-Americana-like performance that rivals anything Sandy Denny, Maddie Prior, Laura Nyro, Grace Slick, Karen Dalton, or even Nina Simone were doing at the time. The instrumental accompaniment is solely Dave Ambrose's MASON WILLIAMS-like acoustic guitar. Wonderful song with a vocal performance that stands out, for me, as one of the greats. (9.75/10) 

14. "All Blues Davis" (5:41) piano, bass, and drums launch into a unified march through a MILES DAVIS song with Julie Driscoll providing a true blues vocal over the top (something that is not present in Miles' original version from the 1959 masterpiece, Kind of Blue). Julie's performance sounds very much like the kind of highly-individualistic take Nina Simone would put on a classic song like this. Brian's piano work is great though the way the piano's sound is rendered on the record leaves a lot to be desired. (9/10)

15. "I've Got Life" (4:28) the weirdest and weakest song on the album, sounding far too much like an aberrant white Baptist corruption of a Negro Spiritual. The organ and other instrumental performances are awesome; it's just Julie's misfitted performance that grates. Too bad. I hate to see this amazing album with so many incredible Julie performances maligned and diminished. (8.375/10)

16. "Save the Country" (3:58) Julie's cover of Laura Nyro's peacenik anthem. The blues-jazz bent that Dave and Brian give the song is awesome. Julie's vocal seems a little loose and haphazard--not as well versed or invested as her other performances. Plus, it's poorly recorded. Then there's the unfortunate circumstance of giving little room or for the voices of the instrumentalists--other than David's excellent electric bass. Brian and Clive seem relegated to orchestra pit musicians for a rock musical. (8.5/10)

Total Time: 74:02

Though this album is by no means a straight up jazz-rock fusion, prog, or even jazz-rock album, it has many elements throughout the album that would make strong representation to all three of the newly-emerging musical genres. Where the album's music clearly stands out is in the stunningly powerful performances by singer Julie Driscoll, the dynamic organ play of Brian Auger (both in support and in lead capacities) as well as the near-virtuosic performances of the rhythm section performers, Clive Thacker and David Ambrose. Too bad about the album's final two songs.

90.78 on the Fishscales = A-/five stars; a masterpiece of folk- and psychedelic-tinged jazzy blues rock that happens to present some of the finest female vocal performances of the 1960s.

BRIAN AUGER & THE TRINITY Befour (1969)

Gone is power singer Julie Driscoll (soon to be known as "Julie Tippett" after marrying jazz and prog pianist Keith Tippett), joining Brian, bassist Dave Ambrose, and drummer Clive Thacker is guitarist Gary Boyle (future leader of acclaimed British fusion band, ISOTOPE). 

     This is another of those remarkably creative albums that was coincidentally being recorded before the world ever heard (or knew of) Miles Davis' expanded lineups used for In a Silent Way and Bitches Brew.

Line-up / Musicians:
- Brian Auger / vocals, keyboards
- Gary Boyle / guitar
- Dave Ambrose / bass guitar
- Clive Thacker / drums, percussion
additional musicians on track 5:
- Roger Sutton / bass
- Mickey Waller / drums
- Barry Reeves / drums
- Colin Allen / drums

1. "I Wanna Take You Higher" (5:08) a cover of the Sly Stone classic. Brian can sing! (And, of course, play a mean organ.) I love Gary Boyle's work. (8.875/10)

2. "Pavane" (3:49) the cover of Gabriel Fauré's famous Impressionistic piece. A bit too rocked-up for me but it definitely helps reinforce a precedent that's being set by jazz and prog artists wanting to modernize favorite classical music standards. Still, impressive organ play from Brian as well as tight control of the rhythm track beneath coming from Dave Ambrose, Clive Thacker, and Gary Boyle. (8.875/10)

3. "No Time to Live" (5:27) a cover of the Traffic (Capaldi & Winwood) song. It must be in the lyrics, cuz musically this is nothing so very special. (8.75/10)

4. "Maiden Voyage" (5:02) a cover of the classic Herbie Hancock song. Great jazz guitar work from Gary Boyle. Has there ever been a bad cover of this song? (9/10)

5. "Listen Here" (9:25) a cover of an Eddie Harris song. I love the additional musicians helping out in the percussion and rhythm areas. Another song that must be asked, "Has there ever been a bad cover of this song?" On this one Gary goes more into the rock and blues realm of lead guitar play than is typical. He's really good! Did Brian have any knowledge of those expanded lineups of multiple rhythmatists being pioneered by Don Ellis and Miles Davis? Not quite "amazing" enough to hold my interest for over nine minutes. (17.75/20)

6. "Adagio per Archi e Organo" (3:30) piano, organ, bass, timpani, and electric guitar used to define this cover of Albinoni's classic. Actually a pretty cool rendition. (9/10)

7. "Just You, Just Me" (6:26) the only Brian Auger original here; it's decent tune based in a classic blues-rock form and highlighting Brian's voice. His performance and melody choices as a singer are very, very similar to those used on Straight Ahead. (8.75/10)

Total time: 33:47

As always, I am soured by Brian (and any artist's) choice to use other people's compositions to cover instead of producing one's own--even when the compositions are "classic" or, in this case, "classical."

88.75 on the Fishscales = B/four stars; a very interesting and skillful collection of performances of covers of other famous songs from the realms of classical, jazz, and pop music.

BRIAN AUGER'S OBLIVION EXPRESS (1970)

An album that puts on display how seriously the mercurial keyboard wiz had been affected by the music coming from Jimi Hendrix, Tony Williams, John McLaughlin, and even Jeff Beck; gone are Julie Driscoll and Brian's Doors-style keyboard melody making; abandoned are The Trinity and the "Wassenaur Arrangement" Dutch musical commune experiment; here are the heavy bass and drums, searing sound effects on guitars and keys.  

Line-up / Musicians:
- Brian Auger / keyboards, vocals
- Jim Mullen / guitar
- Barry Dean / bass
- Robbie McIntosh / drums

1. "Dragon Song" (4:30) power Jazz-Rock with every bit as much heaviness as anything John McLaughlin or Tony Williams were doing at the same time. The bass, drums, organ, and searing electric guitar work scream "Hendrix Lifetime Devotion"! An incredible song! (9.75/10)

2. "Total Eclipse" (11:38) more heavy instrumental jazz-rock, though at least a little slower and steadier than the album's opener. Great guitar and experimental (for Brian) keyboard play. Engaging as Brian seemed to have a gift for making. (18/20)

3. "The Light" (4:24) the first song with any vocals here shows Brian trying to engage the hippy-trippin' culture but with a high-speed ride rather than some dreamy peacenik stuff. Despite great performances from Brian and bassist Barry Dean, the melodies and hooks just miss the mark. (8.75/10)

4. "On the Road" (5:28) a song whose music is stylistically more oriented toward American blues-rock or even Southern rock of the Band/Allman type. Multiple voices are used to choral sing the lyrics. Nice instrumental performances but just not my kind of music. (8.6667/10)

5. "The Sword" (6:36) more rock that has that Americana or American Rock base and feel--sounding a lot like early Grand Funk Railroad at its base though with much more impressive instrumental performances. (8.6667/10)

6. "Oblivion Express" (7:45) sounding more like Don Brewer-led GRAND FUNK Railroad and the heavier rock 'n' roll from EMERSON LAKE & PALMER. (13.25/15)

Total Time 40:21

A lot of male energy was expended in the creation of these songs! Those were the times! 

89.43 on the Fishscales = B+/four stars; an excellent foray into the heavier rock-oriented side of Jazz-Rock Fusion that was being pioneered at the time by Cream, Jimi Hendrix, Tony Williams, and John McLaughlin.

BRIAN AUGER's OBLIVION EXPRESS Second Wind (1972)

Continuing to reinforce new patterns, Brian and the Express use only Oblivion Express original compositions to populate this entire album. (Many thanks to newcomer Alex Ligertwood, formerly of the Jeff Beck Group.) 

Line-up / Musicians:
- Brian Auger / organ, electric piano, piano
- Alex Ligertwood / vocals, tambourine
- Jim Mullen / guitar
- Barry Dean / bass
- Robbie McIntosh / drums & percussion

A1. "Truth (7:46) an Alex Ligertwood original, there is a pretty awesome organ, guitar, and bass sequence that hooks the listener in for the verses. Nice work with the b vox as the song develops and deepens. (8.875/10)

A2. "Don't Look Away (6:01) a Ligertwood, Mullen, and Dean composition that starts out sounding very much like something from the 60s jazz pop--exploring some "hooks" that might make listeners get locked in. Unfortunately, the rather loose and blues-Southern-rocky vocal detracts and sidetracks from the goal or objective. (8.75/10)

A3. "Somebody Help Us (6:29) an uptempo cruise-mobile with some awesome rhythm guitar play. Sounds like all that will come out on STEVE MILLER BAND's great 1976 album, Fly Like an Eagle. Nice song with nice performances that all work well together despite sounding like the sound engineers are stuck in the 1960s. (9/10)

B1. "Freedom Jazz Dance (5:25) written by Brian, Alex, and Eddie Harris slows it down, even roots it in some soulful funk-R&B (Jim Mullen's guitar play sounding like B.B. King!) I like the shifts and twists and turns it takes--even stylistically--though the vocal sounds so much like Jeff Beck Group's Bobby Tench (Alex's successor in that band). Great bass play from Barry Dean. Fun Keith Emerson-like organ play from Brian. (9/10)

B2. "Just You, Just Me (6:15) a favorite of mine, this is all Brian. I like Alex's less aggressive vocal approach and the band's concentration on the Jazz-Rock Fusion side of their musical expression. Great bass play, awesome electric piano, and solid time-keeping from Robbie MacIntosh.  (9.25/10)

B3. "Second Wind (6:39) another Brian Auger exclusive, it opens with awesome interplay between Jim's guitar and Barry's bass over some straight time-keeping from Robbie and some supportive organ chord play from Brian. (It sounds a lot, to my ears, like the concurrent work of The Soft Machine.) (8.875/10)

Total Time 32:06

89.58 on the Fishscales = B+/4.5 stars; a near-masterpiece of bluesy rock that has enough J-R F elements to be included therein.

BRIAN AUGER'S OBLIVION EXPRESS Closer to It! (1973)

Gone is singer Alex Ligertwoood and here are the Latin percussives of Lennox Laington. (Praise be to the SANTANA-infused era of Jazz-Rock Fusion.)

Line-up / Musicians:
- Brian Auger/ organ, piano, electric piano, Moog, Mellotron, vocals
- Jack Mills /guitar
- Barry Dean / bass
- Godfrey MacLean/ drums, cowbell
- Lennox Laington / congas

1. "Whenever You're Ready" (6:20) Lennos Laington's conga play leads the way to open this song (and album) while drummer Godfrey MacLean and bassist Barry Dean slowly join in before Brian's Hammond leaps into the spotlight. At the end of the second minute Brian jumps into the fray with his voice--which is mixed oddly into the background--behind all of the other instruments! As always, Brian has a very nice voice, but it's his dynamic organ play that raises smiles and eyebrows. The rest of the band is so nicely tight! Experimental echoed-keyboard "hits" occupy the sixth minute and lead the band to its fadeout conclusion. (9/10)

  
2. "Happiness Is Just Around The Bend" (6:31) Fender Rhodes and Moog weirdities front this laid back Latinized groove song while Brian continues singing from the next room over. (8.875/10)

3. "Light On The Path" (4:56) starts out sounding as if I were actually listening to Santana's Caravanserai, but then Brian's Hammond defines it and then I'm relegated to thinking it's music from the cutting room floor of Caravanserai : almost deserving of having been included in that amazing album. The lead guitar work of Jack Mills is awesome: very much in the Carlos, Neal Schon, Doug Rodriguez style and sound. I really like this song despite the fact that it's just a vamp set up for instrumental solos. Nice original composition by the collective. (9/10)

4. "Compared To What" (7:53) opening with a cool, relaxed groove from guitar, bass, drums, and congas that is enhanced by Brian's bluesy Hammond, this 1935 penned Eugene McDaniels classic receives a nice blues-rock update. Brian doesn't start adding vocals (sounding like Grand Funk Railroad's Don Brewer) until the 3:00 mark, noodling and jiving along on his organ in the meantime. Godfrey MacLean, Barry Dean, and Lennox Laington do a most excellent job holding down the rhythm section while Jack Mills' guitar is a bit lame as a soloist. And a real ending (no fadeout)! (13.375/15)

5. "Inner City Blues" (4:31) from the very start this sounds like it's going to be a tightly similar rendition of the Marvin Gaye song, but then Brian's doubled-up vocal "Da-das" and organ enter to give it a very different angle. Brian's performances are very good--as are those of the entire rhythm section (especially Jack Mills' interesting rhythm guitar play)--but it's so hard to stand up to a song that is already a classic, "perfect." (8.875/10)

6. "Voices Of Other Times" (5:56) an Auger-Dean composition that works really well as a follow-up to the Marvin Gaye song: flows straight from "Inner City Blues" the way that Marvin's (and Carlos') songs all flow so seamlessly throughout the two classic LPs that Brian is drawing so much inspiration from. I actually like this song quite a bit: It's melodic, it grooves, it's funky, the instrumental performances are flawless, the lyrics are engaging, even Jack Mills' Carlos Santana-imitative guitar solo works. (9.125/10)

Total Time: 36:15 

As my esteemed prog reviewer emeritus Rollie Anderson (Chicapah) writes, Mr. Auger was obviously very inspired by hearing Santana's ground-breaking Caravanserai release near the end of the previous year. His new band hires and results from their March 1973 recording sessions confirm this emphatically!

Though I can't help but agree with Brian's vocals often standing out as the "weak link" it's not because he has a bad voice or sings out of tune, it's mostly cuz he's taken on singing on covers of classic tunes that often have a very distinctive, iconic vocal. What really means is that Brian has some rather big cajones! And he never butchers a song, just makes it his own (when perhaps it never really needed that).

89.62 on the Fishscales = B+/4.5 stars; a near-masterpiece of Caravanserai- and What's Going On-like Jazz-Rock Fusion. An eminently enjoyable listen! 

BRIAN AUGER'S OBLIVION EXPRESS Straight Ahead (1974)

My first exposure to the melodic and keyboard genius of one of rock/Jazz-Rock's all-time great musicians, this was Brian Auger's fifth release with his Oblivion Express sidemen. Recorded at CBS Studios, Whitfield Street, London, England and at RCA’s Music Center of the World, Hollywood, California, Straight Ahead was released by RCA Records in March (or May) of 1974. Gone are singer Alex Lingertwood, guitarist Jim Mullen, and drummer Robbie MacIntosh (to form The Average White Band); here are Steve Ferrone (drums), percussionist Lennox Laington, and guitarist Jack Mills to join Brian and Barry Dean. (My favorite lineup.)

 

Line-up / Musicians:
- Brian Auger/ vocals, piano, electric piano, organ, Moog synthesizer
- Jack Mills / guitar
- Barry Dean / bass guitar
- Steve Ferrone / drums
- Lennox Laington / congas
- Mirza Al Sharif / timbales, percussion

1. "Beginning Again" (9:22) great percussion work from Mirza Al Sharif and Lennox Laington as well as drummer Steve Ferrone opens this one. Rhtyhm guitar, Fender Rhodes, electric bass jump in at the 0:43 mark presenting a chord-based progression within which bass player Barry Dean grabs your attention despite band leader Brian Auger's singing. Barry folds his note play very easily within the fast-paced rhythm track of the three percussionists while Brian sings for about a third of this very engaging song. When he's not singing, Brian's keyboard work is excellent--even exciting (which, in my mind, is very rare for a keyboard player). BTW, Brian has a very pleasant voice. Guitarist Jack Mills gets a brief solo (between 4:25 and 5:15) which amounts to nothing very exciting; it's the rhythmatists' work that really earns the bulk of the praise, in my opinion. (18.5/20)

2. "Bumpin' On Sunset" (10:51) one of the greatest three chord foundational riffs of Jazz-Rock Fusion's history come from a Wes Montgomery classic. At the same time they help to inspire some iconic organ play that is supported by some very solid band play and strings. It's only weird that nobody--and I do mean nobody--else gets a moment of solo time. (18/20)

3. "Straight Ahead" (5:04) another song with some very catchy vocals that is made ten times better by some great, rich funk from the rhythm section as well as some great Fender Rhodes play from Brian. (9.5/10)

4. "Change" (8:10) guitar, bass, drums, percussion, and organ gradually, one instrument at a time, build a great foundation over which guitarist Jack Mills and singer Brian Auger get significant front time. Yet another catchy vocal melody (and lyric). Unfortunately, the great rhythm track occasionally gets a little monotonous. But, Brian finally gives some time in the spotlight to his other band members! (13.5/15)

5. "You'll Stay In My Heart" (3:44) a very catchy earworm of a love song that I've always felt deserved radio play (yes, even AM!). (8.875/10)

91.167 on the Fishscales = A-/five stars; a minor masterpiece of incredibly engaging and melodic keyboard-centric Jazz-Rock Fusion. 

BRIAN AUGER's OBLIVION EXPRESS Reinforcements (1976)

Recorded in 1975, Brian and the gang jump full-on into the world of the funky Pop R&B!

Line-up / Musicians:
- Brian Auger / organ, electric piano, piano, Moog synthesizer, Freeman string machine
- Alex Ligertwood / vocals, guitar, percussion
- Jack Mills / guitar
- Clive Chaman / bass, flute
- Dave Dowle / drums
- Lennox Langton / percussion, congas

1. "Brain Damage" (8:01) grooves in a funky way similar to DEODATO's "Superstrut" for the opening minute, but then it deviates into more of a Kool and the Gang "Hollywood Swingin'" funk/R&B groove. Lots of fun funk play for the first two minutes, then Brian enters with his lead Fender Rhodes, then Jack Mills takes over on his hard-plucked electric guitar with a surprisingly fine guitar solo. Brian's organ is next, distorted and dirty, he drives home the cognitive dissonance alluded to in the song's title. Lennox Langton next on congas then back to Brian's Fender Rhodes. Excellent and surprisingly laid-back tune despite the dynamic play of virtually everyone involved. Just happy fun. (14.125/15)

2. "Thoughts from Afar" (6:28) nice melodic weave of reverbed Fender Rhodes, guitars, and bass joined by Alex Ligertwood on vocals before the end of the first minute. Brian's Moog gets some action alongside Alex's wordless vocalese before the smooth bass and drums float Brian's sparkling Fender Rhodes in quite the beautiful solo in the fourth minute. Alex returns with his voice locked into the feeling of the lyrics he's singing in a most beautiful and powerful way. (9/10) 

3. "Foolish Girl" (6:02) funky blues-rock meant to be pop rock, not prog or J-R F. Fine musicianship and really excellent performances from Alex and the two guitars but not really my cup of tea. (8.875/10)

4. "Big Yin" (5:16) from the opening notes one can tell that this is another song intended for the Rufus/AWB/EW&F audiences. It's nice, well constructed and layered, with tight performances all over--with Brian soloing on both his organ and Moog with some awesome energy and more great vocal performance from Alex--but it's just missing something--missing the "hook" to make it memorable. (8.875/10)

5. "Plum" (4:19) very nice, even beautiful, pop R&B, with one of the Blackest vocal performances you're likely to ever hear from a white man. The engineering and mix are a little skewed with Alex's "distant" voice engineered so narrowly and mixed behind the fullness of the instrumental sounds. Another cool composition arranged so perfectly, too bad about the vocal(s). A song like this, mixed well, could've gone for a run on the R&B charts. (8.875/10)

6. "Something Out of Nothing" (5:56) a Latin-samba-like tune with flute and cool wordless skatting/vocalese from Alex (on multiple tracks?) More excellent percussion, bass, and rhythm guitar work from this tightly-knit crew topped by the flute/vocal tracks and Brian's Fender Rhodes. Such fun, joyful energy. It feels and sounds like something Michal and Ulla Urbaniak might have done around the same time. (9.125/10)

7. "Future Pilot" (7:06) slowing it down a bit, another nice funky J-R F motif steered toward the pop/R&B charts by Alex's bluesy rock vocal. The instrumental weave of this one is not nearly as tight and synchronized as the previous songs, and there is a lack of development (only one motif repeating itself over and over the entire first five minutes of the song). Still, there is a great "dirty" organ solo from Brian in the third and fourth minutes. Not quite enough to elevate the song, though. Especially with those cringy pitchy background "doo-doo" background vocals in the fifth minute. At 5:20, however, the rhythm section transitions into an awesome SANTANA-like Latin jam over which one of the two guitarists (I'm going to guess it's Alex because there is absolutely no singing/vocalizing during this passage) issues a solo (one that is, if I'm being honest, a little underwhelming--even amateurish). (13.25/15)

Total Time 38:08

While I loved the pop R&B (like this) at this time, I'm now far more interested in the albums and songs which contribute to the progress and highlights of the 70s' Jazz-Rock Fusion movement. Unfortunately, this does little in this regard--which is too bad because this band is really talented and really tight--and Alex Ligertwood is really coming into his own!

90.16 on the Fishscales = B+/4.5 stars; a very solid collection of finely-crafted and -performed Pop R&B songs that could compete with the stuff Earth, Wind & Fire, Average White Band, and Kool & The Gang were doing at this time, but this is not quite proggy or jazzy enough to earn masterpiece status.

BRIAN AUGER's OBLIVION EXPRESS Happiness Heartaches (1977)

Brian Auger's Oblivion Express with Lenny White?!! In 1976!? Man! I gotta hear this! 

Line-up / Musicians:
- Brian Auger / Hammond, electric & acoustic piano
- Alex Ligertwood / vocals, rhythm guitar
- Lennox Langton / percussion
- Lenny White / drums, percussion
- Jack Mills / lead guitar
- Clive Chaman / bass

1. "Back Street Bible Class" (5:26) Clive Chaman's funky bass sound has got me distracted despite the funk-white-boy R&B group vocals. Great rhythm guitar work from Jack Mills. Very interesting musically, kind of Southern-Rock boring from the vocal/lyrical perspective. (Not unlike Doobie Brothers or The Allman Brothers.) I'll give vocalists Alex Ligertwood credit: he definitely gives it his all! It's just a little over-the-top in that awkward/cringy way that was quite common at this time in the 1970s. Plus the engineering and final mix down are kind of shoddy. Plus, I don't like the use of acoustic piano in the mix. (It's been a long time since I've heard Brian bring an acoustic piano into his songs.) (8.75/10)

2. "Spice Island" (8:54) I find myself really looking forward to Lennox Langton's unique and unusual percussion performances--and this one is a great one. The song has quite the STEELY DAN sound and feel through the first minutes. Ligertwood even has a Donald Fagen/Stevie Wonder vibe going into his vocal performance. (Nice work, Alex!) The Oblivion Express has some amazing chameleonic powers! The instrumental passage in the fourth minute is incredibly rich (and beautiful!) with great flanged rhythm guitar, acoustic nylon-string guitar solo paired up with Brian's gorgeous Fender Rhodes play. At 5:25 Lenny switches gears with some syncopated play that triggers a slide back into the lush DAN- and WEATHER REPORT-like "Yacht Rock" (with some very strong 1976 JAN AKKERMAN overtones from Alex Ligertwood's flanged rhythm guitar). I love this section! Brian, Lenny, and whoever is playing that amazing Jan-Akkerman-guitar have got me hooked and I don't want them to let go! (19.125/20)

3. "Gimme A Funky Beat" (4:36) a Latin-jazzy funked-up R&B tune with an awesome vocal performance from Alex. Man this band is firing on all cylinders. Great, great anthemic song that should have had a presence on the R&B charts with anything Earth, Wind & Fire, George Benson, or Gino Vannelli was making at the time. Clive Chaman is really moving! (Is it my imagination but has that dude improved his skills tenfold from the band's previous album?!) Such a great sound palette! Now this is R&B funk that is still fully within the fold of Jazz-Rock Fusion! (9.375/10)

4. "Never Gonna Come Down" (5:30) another song that conjures up associations to other musicians contemporary to this time period: particularly STEVIE WONDER's great stuff. I can definitely see from performances like this how and why Carlos Santana plucked Alex from Brian's clutches (once Brian tired of the J-R F/Funk-R&B). This clever composition is credited to the band's Trinidad-born bass player. It's strong--and incredibly well performed--but not quite memorable enough to garner top marks. (8.875/10)

5. "Happiness Heartaches" (5:09) A rich and surprisingly-sophisticated slow jam that manages to retain its full-jazziness despite Alex's bluesy pop vocal performance. (Talk about guys who have come a long way: Alex Ligertwood has become so flexible, skilled, and confident at any style he tackles. And FINALLY the engineer is recording and mixing his vocals right where they need to be: up front! Mega kudos, Neil Schwartz!) Once again there are similarities here to much of the music that established jazz artists are making at this time that are successfully crossing over into pop radio favor. (8.875/10)

6. "Got To Be Born Again" (4:12) Another great funk jam rhythm track woven together by the ensemble of Lenny White, Lennox Langton, Clive Chaman, Brian's electric piano chord play and the two amazing rhythm guitarists: Jack Mills and Alex Ligertwood. Alex's multi-track vocal performance is quite animated and dynamic, very engaging and entertaining though perhaps not quite melodic or lyrically capable of "hooking" the listener as well as one would hope. (8.875/10)

7. "Paging Mr. McCoy" (4:29) an instrumental song that is based on one motif repeating itself over and over. It falls short of the level of professionality established by the previous songs, making it sound like a last-minute filler, because of the poor engineering, mix, and lack of "finish" or development. Still, the jam is nice for its display of Lenny White's drumming prowess as well as that of Brian on the piano (and Moog). (8.75/10)

Total Time: 38:16

Other than Lenny replacing/filling in for Dave Dowle the band is the same as the one that put together their previous 1976 release, Reinforcements, but the sound engineering on this album is much more inconsistent than that of its predecessor: at times far better than anything The Oblivion Express has had since the gorgeous Straight Ahead, at others filled with "mistakes" and flaws that gives me the feel that it was rushed and/or uncared for fully. At the same time, this is definitely my second favorite Oblivion Express album!  

90.78 on the Fishscales = A-/five stars; a collection of jazz-funk-founded tunes that qualifies in my opinion as a minor masterpiece of Third Wave Jazz-Rock Fusion.

Ranking Brian's key contributions to Jazz-Rock Fusion is interesting because it generates one of the closest groupings of albums I've ever seen:

1. BRIAN AUGER'S OBLIVION EXPRESS Straight Ahead (1974) - 91.167

2. BRIAN AUGER, JULIE DRISCOLL & THE TRINITY Street Noise (1969) - (90.78)

3. BRIAN AUGER's OBLIVION EXPRESS Happiness Heartaches (1977) - (90.78)

4. BRIAN AUGER's OBLIVION EXPRESS Reinforcements (1976) - (90.16)

5. BRIAN AUGER'S OBLIVION EXPRESS Closer to It! (1973) - (89.62)

6. BRIAN AUGER's OBLIVION EXPRESS Second Wind (1972) - (89.58)

7. BRIAN AUGER'S OBLIVION EXPRESS (1970) - (89.43)

8. BRIAN AUGER & THE TRINITY Befour (1969) - (88.75)