BRIAN AUGER — Second Wind (as Brian Auger's Oblivion Express) (review)

BRIAN AUGER — Second Wind (as Brian Auger's Oblivion Express) album cover Album · 1972 · Fusion Buy this album from MMA partners
4/5 ·
FunkFreak75
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.)

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

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

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