When 'Straight Ahead' hit the shelves in 1974, it marked another bold chapter for Brian Auger’s Oblivion Express. The band—Steve Ferrone on drums, Barry Dean on bass, Jack Mills on guitar, and Lennox Langton on congas— was firing on all cylinders, pushing jazz fusion into fresh, uncharted territory.

Critics took notice, with Billboard praising the album as “excellent in development and inventiveness, ” and it found its way onto multiple charts at once.

The journey begins with 'Beginning Again', a lively opener built on Langton’s congas and Ferrone’s muscular groove. Auger’s electric piano sparkles here, immediately setting the album’s adventurous tone. Then comes their take on Wes Montgomery’s 'Bumpin’ On Sunset'.  Darker in mood and drenched in atmosphere, Auger stretches out into improvisation while still honoring Montgomery’s spirit. The interpretation struck such a chord that, years later, Wes’s widow wrote to Auger to tell him it was her husband’s favorite version of his much-loved tune.

The title track, 'Straight Ahead', shifts gears into funk, showcasing the group’s ability to slide effortlessly between genres. 'Change' pushes further, blending rock’s raw energy with jazz’s improvisational freedom, driven by Auger’s command of the Hammond organ. To close, 'You’ll Stay in My Heart' brings the tempo down with a tender, soulful ballad—an intimate ending to an album full of bold explorations.

At the time, reviewers hailed the record as a gem. One called it “a minor masterpiece of incredibly engaging and melodic keyboard-centric jazz-rock fusion. ” Another singled out 'Bumpin’ On Sunset' as “the best reason to own this recording.”

Half a century later, 'Straight Ahead' still resonates. It captures that fertile moment in the 1970s when jazz, rock, and funk were colliding, and artists like Auger were busy redrawing the map. To this day, it stands as proof of Auger’s fearless curiosity and his knack for breaking boundaries—music that looked forward then, and still feels ahead of its time now.

TRACK LISTING

1. Beginning Again
2. Bumpin' On Sunset
3. Straight Ahead
4. Change
5. You'll Stay In My Heart

Brian Auger formed The Oblivion Express in 1970 after the demise of his chart topping jazz & R&B combo Julie Driscoll, Brian Auger, and The Trinity. Deciding he would continue to defy creative expectations with his genre bending vision, Auger even based the groups name around this precarious anti-commercial approach; “I decided that I would like to push on and see whether I could develop that music" he recalls, "but maybe I’m headed the quickest way to oblivion!”.

Auger needn't have worried, the bands first slew of albums; the heavy, jazz rock influenced debut 'Oblivion Express', 1971s laconic, folky 'A Better Land', the proto jazz funk of 'Straight Ahead' released in 1972, all made serious inroads into the United States, which proved to particularly fertile ground for the group.

By 1973, the London born Auger felt his various American influences of jazz, R&B, funk and soul had fermented into his own brand of fusion, and upon listening to the final mixes, was confident he was approaching his original musical mission, hence naming the album 'Closer To It'.

It's predecessor, 'Straight Ahead' had hit the US charts, and awoken RCA Records to the crossover potential of this somewhat undefinable music, who stepped up their game in regards the follow up, which broke out in the Tri State area, where it received major radio and press support and billboard advertising whilst the band were touring. All these factors combined favourably and resulted in Closer To It entering the Billboard Jazz, R&B and Rock charts simultaneously!

For a British multi-racial group composed of fans of African American music, this was both creatively and commercially satisfying. This acceptance of the Oblivion Express’ sound and style also led to the band touring with Herbie Hancock's Head-hunters and Earth Wind & Fire, and Brian receiving a US Congressional Certificate of Special Recognition for his ‘contribution to the American art form of Jazz’.

Regarded as his masterpiece, 'Closer To It' features some of Augers' most inventive and beautiful Hammond Organ and Fender Rhodes playing, on tunes that become the defining tracks of his career, especially the anthemic opener Whenever You're Ready, co-written with bass player Barry Dean. Happiness Is Just Around The Bend was later covered by Cuba Gooding Snrs' band The Main Ingredient who had a major hit with their version. Auger also saluted his soul and jazz hero's with his versions of Marvin Gays Inner City Blues and Eddie Harris, Les McCann's classic Compared To What.

With an iconic cover featuring the Oblivion Express train logo designed by Auger's wife Ella. Closer To It remains a highpoint in Auger's recording career.

TRACK LISTING

1. Whenever You’re Ready
2. Happiness Is Just Around The Bend
3. Light On The Path
4. Compared To What
5. Inner City Blues
6. Voices Of Other Times

Live albums are often a ‘hit or miss’ affair but ‘Live Oblivion’ 1 & 2 buck that trend, Recorded across 2 nights in 1974 at the Hollywood venue The Whisky A Go Go. The group were finishing off a huge US tour that had roared down the east coast then across the Midwest and by the time they hit LA, as Brian recalls “we were all absolutely performing at our height. So I decided that I really needed to record the band live at that point”. Utilising the Wally Heider Mobile Truck, the scene was set for one of the greatest jazz-fusion live recordings to be made. The show opens with a hyper fast version of Beginning Again due to drummer Steve Ferrone being almost an hour late and running high on adrenaline, Brian remembers thinking “I don’t even know if I can play it that fast!” Fortunately, he and the Oblivion Express including stellar vocalist Alex Ligertwood rise to the challenge and the result is akin to some frenetic jazzy drum & bass but also pushes the group onto another level altogether for the rest of the show. Across both volumes there are no fillers and the highlights are many - Bumpin’ On Sunset, Freedom Jazz Dance, and Inner City Blues are all stunning, but especially the epic version of Maiden Voyage which Mos Def sampled on his 1997 'If You Can Huh! You Can Hear', and both DJ Mitsu in 2004 and 2017 Crimeapple both dipped into Live Oblivion to sample that fire for their own projects.

Auger, in the original liner notes opines how live recordings can often have drawbacks but "I hope that spirit shines through" Live Oblivion 1 & 2, 50 years on from being committed to tape, certainly achieve that and much more. 

TRACK LISTING

1. Freedom Jazz Dance
2. Happiness Is Just Around The Bend
3. Maiden Voyage
4. Second Wind
5. Whenever You're Ready
6. Inner City Blues
7. Straight Ahead
8. Compared To What