Brian Auger's Oblivion Express

Brian Auger's Oblivion Express - Live Oblivion - Volume 1 1974 & Volume 2 1976 - RCA

As a retrospective collection, this two-disc set provides an excellent introduction to the Oblivion Express's music of the early '70s. Brian Auger's distinctive organ and percussive electric piano attack lead the way, defining the group's sound. Guitarist Jack Mills may lean a little too heavily on the wah-wah effect popular at the time, and Alex Ligertwood's vocals may be an acquired taste, but the total package is very strong, a potent mix of jazz and rock. Mixing covers of funky jazz classics like Herbie Hancock's "Maiden Voyage" and Eddie Harris' "Freedom Jazz Dance" with "Happiness is Just Around the Bend" and other originals, this recording captures Auger and cohorts at the peak of their powers, stretching out at the Whisky a Go Go in 1974. Throughout, these guys really cook, taking the music into new directions only hinted at on earlier studio efforts, showing how exciting the jazz-rock blend could be. © Jim Newsom © 2011 Rovi Corporation. All Rights Reserved http://www.allmusic.com/album/complete-live-oblivion-r223437

Brian Auger, the "Grandfather of Acid Jazz", came out of the British Blues scene playing with artists like John Mayall. He was strongly influenced by organ players like Groove Holmes, Charles Earland, Jimmy Smith, Jack McDuff, Don Patterson, and many others. However, in his own right, Brian is equally as talented as any of these artists. In his early career, during the mid '60's in England, Brian was a "straight up jazz player". Later in his career he was accused by many music critics and fans of selling out, after he veered his music in a more R&B/jazz direction. At various times, he played with artists like Passport, Average White Band & Les McCann and Eddie Harris. "Brian Auger is one of the best B-3 artists I have ever heard in my life. His technique is awesome and the amount of energy he generates is unparalleled and relentless. He is a tremendous talent with a wonderfully warm and compassionate personality, a combination that is hard to beat. He deserves all the accolades."- Herbie Hancock: "My Favorite rock artists are Van Morrison, Bonnie Raitt, Brian Auger and Loudon Wainwright."- Mose Allison. "Live Oblivion" is a great contemporary live soul jazz rock album. The tracks were recorded live at The Whisky a Go Go, Sunset Strip, Hollywood, Ca. in 1974 with Alex Ligertwood on lead vocals.The tracks have been released on several labels with different track sequencing. The two albums were released on CD in 1995 on One Way Records as "Brian Auger's Oblivion Express' The Complete Live Oblivion". The tracks posted here are the same track listings as the original separate RCA LP's from 1974 and 1976. Both rar files are separate albums. They are also very large files @ 320 Kbps. Listen to Julie Driscoll/Brian Auger & The Trinity's "Streetnoise" album, Brian Auger's Oblivion Express' "Reinforcements" album, and Karma Auger's great "Blue Groove" album. "Live Oblivion" is HR by A.O.O.F.C. N.B: A little note for Steely Dan fans. Some of the music on Brian Auger's "Voices Of Other Times" album is very reminiscent of Walter Becker's (Steely Dan) jazz rock style. One of Brian's favourite musicians is the late English multi-instrumentalist, Victor Feldman, who played on at least five Steely Dan albums, and one of Brian's favourite albums is Steely Dan's "Aja".

TRACKS / COMPOSERS

A1 Beginning Again - Brian Auger
A2 Don't Look Away - Ligertwood, Dean, Mullen
B1 Bumpin' On Sunset - Wes Montgomery
B2 Truth - Alex Ligertwood

MUSICIANS

Lead Vocals, Percussion – Alex Ligertwood
Organ, Electric Piano, Backing Vocals – Brian Auger
Lead Guitar – Jack Mills
Bass – Barry Dean
Drums – Stephen Ferrone

TRACKS / COMPOSERS

A1 Freedom Jazz Dance - Eddie Harris
A2 Happiness Is Just Around The Bend - Brian Auger
B1 Maiden Voyage - Herbie Hancock
B2 Second Wind - Brian Auger
C1 Whenever Your Ready - Brian Auger, Barry Dean
C2 Inner City Blues - Marvin Gaye
D1 Straight Ahead - Barry Dean
D2 Compared To What - Gene Mcdaniels

MUSICIANS

Organ, Electric Piano, Backing Vocals - Brian Auger
Lead Guitar - Jack Mills
Bass - Barry Dean
Drums - Andre Ceccarelli (track: D1), Stephen Ferrone (tracks: A1 to C2)
Lead Vocals, Percussion - Alex Ligertwood

BRIAN AUGER BIO

Brian Auger was raised in London, where he took up the keyboards as a child and began to hear jazz by way of the American Armed Forces Network and an older brother's record collection. By his teens, he was playing piano in clubs, and by 1962 he had formed the Brian Auger Trio with bass player Rick Laird and drummer Phil Knorra. In 1964, he won first place in the categories of "New Star" and "Jazz Piano" in a reader's poll in the Melody Maker music paper, but the same year he abandoned jazz for a more R&B-oriented approach and expanded his group to include John McLaughlin (guitar) and Glen Hughes (baritone saxophone) as the Brian Auger Trinity. This group split up at the end of 1964, and Auger moved over to Hammond B-3 organ, teaming with bass player Rick Brown and drummer Mickey Waller. After a few singles, he recorded his first LP on a session organized to spotlight blues singer Sonny Boy Williamson that featured his group, saxophonists Joe Harriott and Alan Skidmore, and guitarist Jimmy Page; it was Don't Send Me No Flowers, released in 1968. By mid-1965, Auger's band had grown to include guitarist Vic Briggs and vocalists Long John Baldry, Rod Stewart, and Julie Driscoll, and was renamed Steampacket. More a loosely organized musical revue than a group, Steampacket lasted a year before Stewart and Baldry left and the band split. Auger retained Driscoll and brought in bass player Dave Ambrose and drummer Clive Thacker to form a unit that was billed as Julie Driscoll, Brian Auger and the Trinity. Their first album, Open, was released in 1967 on Marmalade Records (owned by Auger's manager, Giorgio Gomelsky), but they didn't attract attention on record until the release of their single, "This Wheel's on Fire," (music and lyrics by Bob Dylan and Rick Danko) in the spring of 1968, which preceded the appearance of the song on the Band's Music from Big Pink album. The disc hit the top five in the U.K., after which Open belatedly reached the British charts. Auger and the Trinity recorded the instrumental album Definitely What! (1968) without Driscoll, then brought her back for the double-LP, Streetnoise (1968), which reached the U.S. charts on Atco Records shortly after a singles compilation, Jools & Brian, gave them their American debut on Capitol in 1969. Driscoll quit during a U.S. tour, but the Trinity stayed together long enough to record Befour (1970), which charted in the U.S. on RCA Records, before disbanding in July 1970. Auger put together a new band to play less commercial jazz-rock and facetiously called it the Oblivion Express, since he didn't think it would last; instead, it became his perennial band name. The initial unit was a quartet filled out by guitarist Jim Mullen, bass player Barry Dean, and drummer Robbie McIntosh. Their initial LP, Brian Auger's Oblivion Express, was released in 1971, followed later the same year by A Better Land, but their first U.S. chart LP was Second Wind in June 1972, the album that marked the debut of singer Alex Ligertwood with the band. Personnel changes occurred frequently, but the Oblivion Express continued to figure in the U.S. charts consistently over the next several years with Closer to It! (August 1973), Straight Ahead (March 1974), Live Oblivion, Vol. 1 (December 1974), Reinforcements (October 1975), and Live Oblivion, Vol. 2 (March 1976). Meanwhile, Auger had moved to the U.S. in 1975, eventually settling in the San Francisco Bay area. In the face of declining sales, he switched to Warner Bros. Records for Happiness Heartaches, which charted in February 1977. Encore, released in April 1978, was a live reunion with Julie Tippetts (née Driscoll) that marked the end of Auger's association with major record labels, after which he dissolved the Oblivion Express and recorded less often. In 1990, he teamed up with former Animals singer Eric Burdon, and the two toured together during the next four years, releasing Access All Areas together in 1993. In 1995, Auger put together a new Oblivion Express. As of 2000, the lineup consisted of his daughter, Savannah, on vocals, Chris Clermont on guitar, Dan Lutz on bass, and his son Karma on drums. This group issued the album Voices of Other Times on Miramar Records one week before Auger's 61st birthday. © William Ruhlmann © 2010 Rovi Corporation. All Rights Reserved http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=11:fpfrxqr5ldhe~T1