BRIAN AUGER — Happiness Heartaches (as Brian Auger's Oblivion Express) (review)

BRIAN AUGER — Happiness Heartaches (as Brian Auger's Oblivion Express) album cover Album · 1977 · Fusion Buy this album from MMA partners
1/5 ·
Sean Trane
Clearly BA’sOE’s “album de trop”, HH is one of the most insipid and syrupy album that manages to almost destroy the previous works. Indeed the MkII line-up of OE had never risen to the power of the first line-up (Mullen/McIntosh), but they had managed to score an excellent album in Closer To It, but it was all the way downhill from that moment onwards; something that even the release of two live albums in a row wasn’t able to slow or hide. Part of the explanation comes from the OE reinforcements: in comes Lenny White, returning percussionist Laington, and Litgerwood’s irritating “soul” vocals (a sub-sub-sub Winwood), while ex-Jeff Beck Group Chaman takes over from the last original member (bar our fave Ogre) Barry Dean.

If anything, the album’s artwork should already give you a hint as to what to expect musically, but it can’t tell you how uninspired the songs are. Even in the 9-mins Spice Island, the spaces for instrumental interplay are without energy, lame, tired, soft and lacklustre. Yes, Brian has a few decent solos (rather incredibly, he’s still Hamm(ond)ering away on his organ although this was 78) around the album, but you have to suffer lots of insipid music between them, and I’m not sure most listeners are up to such a “challenge”. Clearly the commercial side of affairs had to be considered as well; the group probably having trouble managing to stay relevant to the industry’s eyes in a rapidly changing music scene. Not sure Brian’s troupe managed this (most likely not). Musically, you’d believe in a poor man’s Steely Dan. If it wasn’t for the closing Paging Mr McCoy (not sure he was aiming at Trane’s pianist), finally some real energy, this album would be close to hypothermia, despite its Latin feel

To be a bit fairer, this album is not as bad as I make it out to be in the previous paragraph and fans of this type of music might even like it: let’s face it the rhythm section has a very funky-latin feel that is not suiting me, and if you like Litgerwood’s insufferably mainstream vocals, this could be a fine album, aiming at a different market. Brian’s original rock fans having by now mostly turned away, this album probably accelerating the process.

Definitely not Brian’s best moment in his lengthy career, this album is his trial at finding a new escape door, but as long as Litgerwood was around… Although the album is not really bad per se, it’s best to avoid it. You’ll probably thank me for this.
Share this review
more

Review Comments

Post a public comment below | Send private message to the reviewer
Please login to post a shout
No shouts posted yet. Be the first member to do so above!

Review Index

Member Zone

Username:
Password:
Stay signed in

Jazz Subgenres

Artists Alpha-index

JMA TOP 5 Jazz ALBUMS

Rating by members, ranked by custom algorithm
Albums with 30 ratings and more
A Love Supreme Post Bop
JOHN COLTRANE
Buy this album from our partners
Kind of Blue Cool Jazz
MILES DAVIS
Buy this album from our partners
The Black Saint and the Sinner Lady Progressive Big Band
CHARLES MINGUS
Buy this album from our partners
Blue Train Hard Bop
JOHN COLTRANE
Buy this album from our partners
My Favorite Things Hard Bop
JOHN COLTRANE
Buy this album from our partners

New Jazz Artists

New Jazz Releases

6 Eclectic Fusion
KROKOFANT
Buy this album from MMA partners
Spring In Stockholm Live At Konserthuset, 1959 Cool Jazz
GERRY MULLIGAN
Buy this album from MMA partners
Mikolaj Trzaska, Ingebrigt Haker Flaten, Paal Nilssen-Love : The Last Temple vol.3 Avant-Garde Jazz
MIKOŁAJ TRZASKA
Buy this album from MMA partners
Mikolaj Trzaska, Ingebrigt Haker Flaten, Paal Nilssen-Love : The Last Temple, Vol.1 Avant-Garde Jazz
MIKOŁAJ TRZASKA
Buy this album from MMA partners
Mikołaj Trzaska / Ingebrigt Håker Flaten / Paal Nilssen-Love : The Last Temple Vol.2 Avant-Garde Jazz
MIKOŁAJ TRZASKA
Buy this album from MMA partners
More new releases

New Jazz Online Videos

FASCINATING RHYTHM - The Amazing Keystone Big Band feat. Neima Naouri
THE AMAZING KEYSTONE BIG BAND
snobb· 1 day ago
Alicante
RENAUD GARCIA-FONS
js· 1 day ago
She's Forty with Me
WILTON CRAWLEY
js· 1 day ago
Tall Tillie's Too Tight
WILTON CRAWLEY
js· 1 day ago
Rhoda Scott Ladies and Gentlemen - special guest : David Linx
RHODA SCOTT
snobb· 1 day ago
More videos

New JMA Jazz Forum Topics

More in the forums

New Site interactions

More...

Latest Jazz News

members-submitted

More in the forums

Social Media

Follow us
Follow us on Twitter Become a Facebook fan RSS Feed