Anybody Dig Brian Auger?

[mikeweil]

JPC in Germany sells this for € 32.99 - only a buck more than the Bandcamp site and free shipping. I will probably go for it. I prefer Auger's early albums and have only a cheap reissue of Open and the double LP Street noise on vinyl.

Edited January 2, 2023 by mikeweil

[Ed S]

Guess I missed this thread 15 years ago, but boy did it bring a smile to my face.  Back in 1975 or 76, I saw Brian Auger and the Oblivion Express in a place called the Outside Inn in the Sunset Beach area on Lake Erie south of Buffalo.  Back then and still today, there were lots of summer cottages and party bars and this was one of them.

Given the year, I would have been 18 or 19 year old at the time.  Several friends and I made the trek down there to check them out.  It was a hot summer weekend night and one of those shows that started at 10 PM or so - so it was a vibe to which I had never been exposed.  I'd seen a jazz concert about 6 months earlier - at Fredonia State College, about 45 minutes from Buffalo, in a concert hall.  I didn't have my drivers license, so my parents drove me and my younger brother to the show. 

THIS was totally different - it was a bar, it was me - on my own - with friends, and an experience I have never forgotten.  It was simply an electrifying and exciting performance.  I'd never heard anything like this live and remember just being blown away.  This was the Oblivion Express with Alex Ligertwood on vocals  - who I thought was excellent - and Jack Mills on guitar.  Long jams, total groove, the Fender Rhodes, the organ, long improvisation.....call it whatever you want to call it, but for this 18 or 19 year old kid - it was jazz and jazz is where I leaning with my listening. This show was a major push in that direction and in that sense was life altering - at least to me and my musical tastes at age 18.

The live music and feel of this event was captured on the two volumes of Live Oblivion.  I picked up the LP shortly after the show.  Some time later, volume 2 was released.  I still have the LPs and now also the CDs - which I am playing as I write this.  The current song playing is "Maiden Voyage".  Outstanding.

 

[T.D.]

9 hours ago, mikeweil said:

JPC in Germany sells this for € 32.99 - only a buck more than the Bandcamp site and free shipping. I will probably go for it. I prefer Auger's early albums and have only a cheap reissue of Open and the double LP Street noise on vinyl.

 

Various US shops have it. I liked what I heard sufficiently to order  from importcds, the cheapest vendor I could find. I like the bandcamp site because I can listen to (often all) the music, but shipping from UK or Europe can be a deal-breaker.

[Bluesnik]

On 12/16/2007 at 1:01 AM, porcy62 said:

I hated them personally.

I also disliked them deeply (ELP). But there's one song from them, From the beginning, that's one of my favorites ever.

[felser]

On the Auger set, if I already have the old CD's on Atco and One Way, is there any updgrade features in this set, either packaging or sound quality?  Have to assume an Oblivion Express box will follow if this does well enough.  'Streetnoise' alone justifies the cost of this set if you don't have it already.

[T.D.]

7 minutes ago, felser said:

On the Auger set, if I already have the old CD's on Atco and One Way, is there any updgrade features in this set, either packaging or sound quality?  Have to assume an Oblivion Express box will follow if this does well enough.  'Streetnoise' alone justifies the cost of this set if you don't have it already.

It's hard to say, the label doesn't seem to be forthcoming with much info.

Looking at

https://soulbank.k7store.com/release/318010-brian-auger-the-trinity-far-horizons-the-trinity-box-set?lang=en_US

I see no indications of extra tracks, but there's a vague quote "fully remastered, in a beautiful box set that includes Lois Wilson's exclusive interview with Brian and glorious images from the Auger archive in a booklet."

Can't tell much about the claimed remastering. The LP booklet looks deluxe indeed, but not sure about the CD version (how good could the "glorious images" look at just under 5"x5"?).

In your situation, I'd stick with the 4 old CDs, but I'm really cheap and generally pass on sonic upgrades.

[felser]

Thanks, the packaging does look nice (and I hate the One Way packaging).  I know from reading elsewhere that there are no bonus cuts, which in this case is a big problem because you're missing "This Wheel's On Fire", a huge UK hit cover version of the great Dylan song.  But I have that on other comps.  I remain on the fence on this one.

[T.D.]

I received the box today. It's a nice package, quality definitely better than the norm. The booklet is impressive with many excellent photos, but would look more "glorious" in the LP version (I got CDs). Sturdy clamshell box containing 4 digipacks (rather than cardboard sleeves) with facsimiles of original album art. Two of the digipacks (Definitely What! and Streetnoise) have additional inserts with better cover art reproductions plus (respectively) extra notes and lyrics.

Listening to first disc now, and sound quality is really good. Don't have earlier versions to compare, but I believe the "fully remastered" claim.

Edited January 10, 2023 by T.D.

[clifford_thornton]

I only have the stuff with Driscoll -- I love it, but of course a lot of that is because of her.

[mikeweil]

I will order the CD version next month.

[T.D.]

I contacted the Far Horizons record company (Soul Bank Music) to inquire about the possibility of an Oblivion Express box set.

Received this response:

"...that's already been manufactured and we are just sorting out the release date for late spring/early summer!"

[felser]

2 hours ago, T.D. said:

I contacted the Far Horizons record company (Soul Bank Music) to inquire about the possibility of an Oblivion Express box set.

Received this response:

"...that's already been manufactured and we are just sorting out the release date for late spring/early summer!"

Great news, though not unexpected (makes perfect sense).  I'm in.  The 'Far Horizons' set is down to $35.60 with free prime shipping on Amazon now, so I ordered it.  I wonder if they will break the Oblivion Express material into multiple sets since there are so many albums involved (10 discs just from the 70's).  

[T.D.]

The Oblivion Express (studio albums) box (6-LP or 6-CD) is coming out in October (20th or so).

https://www.facebook.com/soulbankmusic

Edited October 3, 2023 by T.D.

[felser]

28 minutes ago, T.D. said:

The Oblivion Express box (6-LP or 6-CD) is coming out in October (20th or so).

https://www.facebook.com/soulbankmusic

I'm in, eventually.  I own these already, but like the mastering and packaging on these sets.

[T.D.]

On 9/30/2023 at 9:21 PM, felser said:

I'm in, eventually.  I own these already, but like the mastering and packaging on these sets.

Me too. I may preorder through importcds this weekend. Amazon only shows LPs, DG is taking preorders at higher price.

[Added] I didn't make it clear above that the box is 6 studio albums.

Edited October 3, 2023 by T.D.

[BFrank]

This live album is pretty excellent. A lot of energy there.

[felser]

9 hours ago, BFrank said:

This live album is pretty excellent. A lot of energy there.

+1

[HWright]

Hi everyone, I just wanted to say I got a kick out of seeing this old thread resurrected. For the record, I still dig Brian Auger! 

[T.D.]

On 9/30/2023 at 9:21 PM, felser said:

I'm in, eventually.  I own these already, but like the mastering and packaging on these sets.

I finally went for this via Amazon, combining it with another (non-music) purchase. Had been bummed by the disappearance of an illusory ultra-cheap importcds "preorder" price.

[felser]

2 hours ago, T.D. said:

I finally went for this via Amazon, combining it with another (non-music) purchase. Had been bummed by the disappearance of an illusory ultra-cheap importcds "preorder" price.

It's a great set, even at the Amazon price (which is actually pretty good at the morning).  The missing gem in that series now is the 'Live Oblivion' set that was released in the 70's.  Wonder what their plans are for that.  There have also been a number of CD bonus cuts (some live) on some of the earlier reissues of the Trinity and Oblivion Express albums, so there's still more they can do, but the bulk of his seminal 60's/70's work is available on the two beautiful box sets.

[T.D.]

Reissues of Live Oblivion vol. 1 and 2 are forthcoming soon (claimed May 10).

[felser]

I like those Auger records, own the old One Way set that combined them, may be interested in upgrading to these depending on price.