BRIAN AUGER

Despite some future weak LP's or mainstream/cashing machine approximations, there's no way to ignore the fact that Brian Auger is a master groover and one of the first to have successfully plunged in Fusion (taken in its wider meaning) waters; on the other hand Julie Driscoll appears as having always functioned as a creative/inspirational muse for Auger, in that all their collaborations bore tasteful fruits; that said this album is in my opinion here to prove it! Backed by Clive Thacker on drums/percussion and Dave Ambrose on basses, guitars and vocal help, BA and JD lend their keyboards and vocals energetic, soulful and unmistakably personal skills to an interesting and varied batch of songs ] The four tracks written by B.A are pulsating Jazz infected grooves with a classic theme in an Emerson vein (Tropic?), full instrumentals with flashy organ work, Motown infected swinging Jazz (Ellis Is?) or Funky grooves (Finally found?), or have our man singing behind his acoustic piano in melancholic ways (Looking in the Eye?); On her own tracks J.D strums or plucks her acoustic guitar in a poignant, three parted, politically charged manifesto against "Czechoslovakia" invasion, in a piercing short solo piece (Word about colour) or with ravishing, long and complex vocal performances, either solely backed by the organ (on the traditional tune arranged by her, "When I was young") or by her acoustic guitar. A similar high level is obtained in the other half of the tracks, all very personalized covers ( a topic where they excel), of almost as many songwriters/artists: in short, there's a 2 speeds piano driven Gospel rendition of Nina Simone's "Take me to?", a peculiar, tension mounting version of the Doors "Light my Fire" with a classy, glassy organ work, a Jazz infected R&B cover of Richie Havens's "Indian?", which asserts it self as a template for much of the sound of bands like Affinity and Gospel and Soul tinged treatments, filled with stunning organ work, of the Rado/Ragni/mcDermot songwriters trio "Let the sunshine in" (yes the one from Woodstock) and "I've got Life; Written by Ambrose, who's in charge of the lead vocal too, "In search of the Sun" is fascinatingly reminiscent of Pete Brown's Piblokto style, where as the band and singer are strongly engaged on the mid tempo acoustic version of Miles's "All Blues" and close the album with an heartfelt, punchy rendition of Laura Nyro's "Save the Country" which is better than the original in my opinion. 5.0 this is one of Brian Auger and Julie Driscoll's best.

Brian's second venture into serious Jazz-Rock Fusion with his Oblivion Express lineup and it represents quite a new era in his artistry in that every single song here is the product of one or more members of the Oblivion Express!

1. "Dawn of Another Day" (4:18) opens exactly like José Féliciano's version of The Doors' "Light My Fire" but then piano, electric bass and vocals enter to give it its own identity. It still feels very founded in and reflective of the idealistic hippie 1960s--with lyrics sounding all flowers and rainbows. A very likable, enjoyable song. I especially like the spaciousness of the song as well as the inventive vamp for the finish. (9/10)

2. "Marai's Wedding" (4:22) two acoustic guitars, one soloing dynamically, the other providing some colorful rhythm guitar support. Piano, bass, and drums joins in after about 30 seconds, establishing a very folk-flavored rock song in the vein of The Band (the music) or perhaps Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young (the harmonized choral vocals). This traditional Scottish folk song (originally titled "Mairi's Wedding" not "Marai's") is here re-arranged by Jim Mullen. (8.785/10)

3. "Trouble" (3:12) again I am only hearing The Band when I listen to this song: blues rock foundation with lots of acoustic and twangy Southern fried electric instrumentation. A solid song with more whole-group choral singing, but, despite meaningful words, not my cup of tea. (8.75/10)

4. "Women of the Seasons" (5:00) this one has the sound palette of one of the OZARK MOUNTAIN DAREDEVILS' prettier songs--like the ones composed by Larry Lee. (8.875/10)

5. "Fill Your Head with Laughter" (3:49) this one sounds like something by RARE EARTH, THREE DOG NIGHT or Don Brewer-singing GRAND FUNK RAILROAD or one of the late 60s' love and positivity Broadway musicals. A nice pop- radio-friendly rock song. (8.875/10)

6. "On Thinking It Over" (5:23) yet another group harmony vocal presented pop song that really is crying out for the same crowds as The Association, Godspell, The Cowsills, Hair, and The Rascals. Nice melodies sending out those positive vibes. (Remember when the USA was a place of hope and optimism for the rest of the world?) (8.75/10)

7. "Tomorrow City" (3:30) the group choral vocal approach is really settling in: they're actually quite good. The melodies and stylings here (including the use of congas) for the first time bear some resemblance to the music presented on their 1974 masterpiece, Straight Ahead, just grounded a lot more in the music and zeitgeist of the 1960s: this is a great song though it is still not jazz much less jazz-rock fusion. (9/10)

8. "All the Time There Is" (3:29) back to the Doors chords and sound palette, the group vocal presentation this time is less harmonized, more multiple voices/tracks presenting the same melody notes. This is a very likable tune with several earworm-like riffs, hooks, and moments--and a Brian Auger electric piano solo (though the e.piano is treated with a kind of odd effect--making it sound more like that of Ray Manzarek's "Riders on the Storm" sound). (9/10)

9. "A Better Land" (5:30) at least they're trying to get back to some jazzier and/or bluesier sounds and stylings here: Brian's first and only time perched behind his organ renders it automatically more likable and interesting. Nice bass play from Barry Dean. (8.875/10)

Total Time 38:33

There is very little on this album to indicate Brian Auger's skill and former-propensity for keyboard-dominated music. As a matter of fact, the appearances of Brian's legendary Hammond organ or smooth electric piano play is something you have to actually look for--actively search!--on this album. I guess the Oblivion Express is truly a collaborative unit with a democratic approach to song-making and this is their final push for the positive/optimistic output of politically- motivated artists like Marvin Gaye and The Band.

B/four stars; a collection of very enjoyable, pop-and-radio-oriented songs that begins to show signs of future Oblivion Express with the material on Side Two. Though this is not the music we generally associate with either Brian Auger or The Oblivion Express, it is still finely-crafted music.

Today is officially one month for me being a member on PA, So I decide to review some Brian Auger (as Oblivion Express) .Straight Ahead is the 5th album from Brian Auger's jazz funk fusion group Oblivion Express. It's a solid follow up to their breakout album Closer To It, and musically very similar. This was not by accident as the album was clearly patterned after it, and its primary purpose was to have an album to tour the States with. Straight Ahead catches a groove early and never quits , especially the tracks longer than 5 minutes. Auger leads the way with organ, electric piano, and vocals. The latter is not something he's known for, but I quite like his vocal style myself its Smooth and expressive. Better than some of the professional vocalists he'd brought in on other albums. My personal highlight is the 9 minute opening track "Beginning Again" some of Brians best musical motifs are shown in this track with His vocals that don't take from the impressive music. The title track is also phenomenal. 4 stars easily jazz fusion is awesome.

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.)

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 (I actually quite like Brian's voice), 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).

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

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.

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.

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.

I did not expect that an album full of covers would work so well for me. There is one original though and it's the closer and one of my favourites on here. And while I want to say this is my number one Brian Auger album, I need to here the followup to this "Oblivion Express" which sounds more like what I'm into, but for now this is the Auger album I prefer.

And what a lineup with Gary Boyle on guitar and he would have his own band ISOTOPE plus he played live with SOFT MACHINE. Clive Thacker on drums and he would replace John Marshall in NUCLEUS. David Ambrose on bass from THE JEFF BECK GROUP. So we have some players with Auger playing the organ here and being the most prominent sound. And he sounds amazing. It's just such a warm and melodic tone much of the time bringing Marc Moulin from PALCEBO/ COS to mind.

This doesn't all work in my opinion like the TRAFFIC cover "No Time To Live" but I love that he went old school Jazz covering an Eddie Harris tune "Listen Here" and Boyle keeps busy on this one. Also "Maiden Voyage" by Herbie Hancock and it's a rare mid 60's Jazz album that I can handle and this is a shortened version of the title track from that one and it's great! There's a couple of Classical numbers they cover plus SLY's "I Want To Take You Higher" to open the album with vocals and energy.

It's the original track though "Just You Just Me" that makes me sad only because this is such an incredible song and more original numbers would have been appreciated. The organ sounds beautiful on here when the song goes instrumental, and the guitar deserves a mention as well. Just such an uplifting piece. The first 2 minutes are vocals, drums and bass leading the way then the vocals step aside for the guitar which is then replaced by Auger's handy work.

I'm glad to own this but it's not the cream of the crop when it comes to my Jazz and related music. A solid 4 stars for this 1970 release.

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.

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!

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.

My first exposure to the melodic and keyboard genius of one of rock/Jazz-Rock's all-time great musicians.

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 supports 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)

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

3.5 stars. It was fun going through Auger's solo stuff several years ago despite not being very impressed. It just seemed like he just wanted to be popular and that was the goal. So yes commercial, light music infiltrates pretty much everything he did and "Second Wind" is no exception. While I do like "Streetnoise", "Closer To It!", "Second Wind" and "Befour" only the latter hits the 4 star plateau in my opinion. Maybe Gary Boyle being on that 1970 release had a lot to do with that.

There's a few Scottish musicians on here including singer Alex Ligertwood who was in THE JEFF BECK GROUP and would later join SANTANA in 1979, so he was obviously talented but I really don't like the way he seems to yell the lyrics at times. Interesting that on one of Auger's later albums, a live one from 2015, he has Alex singing on it so that friendship obviously stood the test of time. The drummer here would go on to play in the AVERAGE WHITE BAND.

Another inconsistent album from Auger in my opinion with two tracks bringing this down in "Somebody Help Us" and "Freedom Jazz Dance" being two examples where the vocals disappoint. Highlights though include the opener "Truth", the closer, which is the title track and my favourite "Just Me, Just You" where it just sounds good to my ears and I like that 1 1/2 minute piano solo too.

One of Brian's better efforts in my opinion but check out that 1970 release "Befour". I like that we have all of Auger's albums lumped together on the site here instead of broken down into the solo stuff, the Oblivion Express stuff and the Trinty era. Nice to look at both lists to be honest.

Keyboardist Brian Auger seemed to be endlessly searching for the right musicians to bring forth his musical visions which always seemed to be directed by what others were doing at the time. I just find that there always seems to be that commercial aspect to his albums making most of his records hit and miss for me. I prefer the previous album of his called "Second Wind" as this the followup "Closer To It!" treads that Latin music style that SANTANA just unleashed upon the world called "Caravanserai".

This recording may embrace what Carlos and crew were doing at the time but this pales in a huge way to that legendary album. Mind you to be fair I feel SANTANA also couldn't live up to "Caravanserai" themselves in what they created after that one. So wholesale changes after "Second Wind" leaving only Auger and his bass player. Auger sings here and the new guitarist while trying to emulate Carlos Santana fails in that regard, and the fact they mixed Brian's vocals and the guitarists work low in the mix says a lot.

Again we get covers which Auger loved to do and the highlight for me is Marvin Gaye's "Inner City Blues" where we even get some brief mellotron. I do like the closer as well that to my ears just sounds good like Gaye's tune. On the other hand we get "Happiness Is Just Around The Corner" with the awful sounding synths as well as "Compared To What" with the bad lyrics. A mixed bag like most Auger records.