Hey, You There, . . . LISTEN HERE!

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AUGER RHYTHMS: Brian Auger's Musical History
by Brian Auger (& The Oblivion Express)
released: 2003
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It seems that there are some things that the majority of people do not like. For instance, the taste of brussels sprouts and fruitcake; or the smell of brand new carpeting; or the low-hanging grey of overcast skies; the cracking of knuckles; the telling of puns; the comedy of Jackie Mason; and the sound of the organ. But all of these are on my "thumb's up" list. If you side with me... on the sound of the organ, that is... then this is a "must own" 2-disc set!
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This is an excellent 28-song career retrospective of the vastly underrated keyboardist, Brian Auger. The variety of styles employed in his creative, genre-bending recorded output, which encompasses parts of 5 decades, are well represented on AUGER RHYTHMS. If the name Brian Auger doesn't mean anything to you, then sadly, you've missed out on some really exciting music. You can correct that oversight right now. LISTEN HERE. . .
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The first 5 tracks on disc 1 give us Brian's early, straightforward Jazz excursions with his piano as the lead instrument. These 5 pieces are performed by obviously accomplished musicians, and all are highly enjoyable if somewhat derivative. It's technically impressive, and it swings nicely, but it's not particularly original. This is the early phase of a gifted musician who had not yet discovered the unique, artistic "voice" dwelling in his inner being.
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It is with track #6, MOANIN' -- the Bobby Timmons composition, made into a certifiable Jazz classic by the great Art Blakey -- that Brian first plugs in his Hammond B-3 organ, and LOOK OUT! Now the sparks are flying all over the place while the scent of burnt ebony, ivory, and ozone goes wafting through the room. This is the incendiary playing that we've come here for. Not only does MOANIN' cook, but AUGER actually cuts BLAKEY on his own signature tune, and I assure you that ain't some small feat! We get more B-3 flamethrowing on the next couple of tracks.
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Beginning with I'VE GOTTA GO NOW, the set moves into Auger's stuff with vocals by Julie Driscoll. I don't find it offensive but it's not my scene. Maybe it's yours. Think in terms of the era that gave us Cream, early Doors, Go-Go Dancers and LSD.
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Disc 1 closes with a couple of gems: I know this may seem blasphemous to some of you, but I'm not real big on The Beatles. Auger's instrumental take on A DAY IN THE LIFE is a majestic and sweeping epic of fire and crescendo; the arrangement is nothing short of magnificent! The Beatles never sounded so grand or so musical. TROPIC OF CAPRICORN is another winner.
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Disc 2 opens with LISTEN HERE, the pinnacle of the collection; the supreme staging ground for Auger's mystifying fingers. The legendary funk drummer from Cork, Ireland, Yoey O'Dogherty, once famously quipped that, "If the hips ain't movin', the tune ain't groovin'!" Well, babe, LISTEN HERE is seriously groovin'! It employs 4 drummers and 2 bassists -- yeah, you might say it's got some "bottom" to it. It's a raging 9-minute rhythm monster -- a JAM thicker than PEANUT BUTTER! Don't forget to board up the windows, batten down the hatches, anchor the roof with steel cable, and make sure the kids are safe before you crank up this bad boy! And be sure to remove all nearby flammables, because this sucker is on the verge of igniting! It's an outrageous electric guitar, keyboard and drum workout. Honestly, music just DOES NOT get more exciting than this, and I would have gladly paid the full price for this collection even if LISTEN HERE were the only worthwhile cut on it -- it's THAT good!
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Most of the remaining tunes are taken from Auger's 'OBLIVION EXPRESS' days of Jazz/Rock/Funk Fusion. Very 1970s -- but in a good way... if you can overlook some of Alex Ligertwood's strained and emotionally-overwrought vocals on a couple of numbers. The last 3 songs feature Auger with his son and two daughters on contemporary recordings. They're OK.
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The only disappointments are in the enclosed booklet, which contains numerous errors in the commentary and credit listings, making it of limited value. And more importantly: Auger's most in-demand tune (which initiated my interest in Jazz in 1978) was the funky Wes Montgomery compostition, 'BUMPIN' ON SUNSET'. This became Auger's signature tune. Playing it live, the band took it at a quicker pace which enhanced the catchy, soulful groove, making it more pronounced. Thus, my favorite version of 'BUMPIN' ON SUNSET' appears on the now unavailable 'LIVE OBLIVION' album. The version included on AUGER RHYTHMS is neither the live cut, nor the original studio recording, but a previously unreleased take which is too slow and inferior to both of the others.
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Overall, this is a great collection and I dare say that if you can't find much to enjoy on this, then you need to have the authorities release an All-Points-Bulletin because somebody has absconded with your musical "soul". Hey, you there!... are you LISTENing HERE?
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~ Stephen T. McCarthy
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