Customer Reviews

Voices of Other Times

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Let's see....no new album available in the US in years, and this one comes out with no promo whatsoever.....the only way you'd see it is by lucking out walking down the store aisle. Well, that's how I saw it, and boy am I glad I took a chance. This is a very strong CD. Excellent musicianship from Brian, his talented offspring and two young lions on guitar and bass. Very well produced by his son (also very tasty on drums). I recently saw a quote saying Brian is the "Grandfather of Acid Jazz." Listening to this CD gives real credence to the argument (along with remembering all his excellent 70s recordings). Brian's sound has modernized very well--nothing dated here. The remake of "Isola Natale" is smooth with just the right amount of grease. On "Soul Glow", Brian's daugher turns in an excellent vocal performance, with one tricky passage deftly sung that really makes it hard to believe how young she is. Auger has never gotten the credit or notariety he deserves, and it sure would be nice if this one took off. Tell your friends! (and buy "Second Wind" while you're at it--I notice that Amazon just got it!

Finally Brian is back with an album worthy of his name. Classic Auger - Great songs - Jazz, Rock, Soul, Funk and most of all that Auger sound and feeling. Brian still plays the Hammond and the Rhodes Electric Piano so it retains the sound and feel of the classic stuff. At the same time, the CD sounds very contemporary and seems influenced by modern jazz-soul-rock Euro sounds. The lyrics still reflect that Zen-like, life affirming attitude that Brian always has had. You won't here his voice however, his daughter Savannah sings all the vocals and handles them perfectly.

Things have come full circle... Auger and kin hopped on it, and this is a great CD... elements of classic Auger, meets the 90's and Y2K groove music. OK, I'll admit, I'm still bumpin' to vintage grooves like COMPARED TO WHAT, WHENEVER YOU'RE READY,BUMPIN ON SUNSET etc. etc. but this new stuff is crisp and funky. While other performers of that era clearly seem to be stuck in the past or struggling for an identity, Auger has put out an album with a groove adequate not only for his old fans, but danceably sensible and groovin' for the club generation (especially with that crisp funkin' family affair rhythm section.) Niacin, MMW and all yuh' pseudo Hammond B-3/retro synth wannerbe's - - eat this ! - - and by the way, if you dig this kind of organic funk, check out the CHARLES KYNARD reissue floating around Amazon !

There are some less-than-enthusiastic reviews out there and to some extent they are right. Auger has done better, more exciting things. But that doesn't mean you can't enjoy this one. In fact, it's a very enjoyable outing, if not a challenging one. Brian Auger's signature is all over the music, if you love that sound, it's there, but he's not out to steal the show. I didn't expect to like the vocals (for me, Oblivion Express has always been about the music), but her voice fits in, relaxed, never straining, pushing or lagging.
I've been listening to this CD off and on for a couple years now. It holds up well. Frankly, what makes this CD stand out for me as much as Auger's keyboard is Dan Lutz on bass. He's solid, grooving, great tone and driving. From the opening cut his bass defines most of the tunes.

In any case, it's not going to be around long, better grab one now.

Being a fan of brian auger from the early years i felt a need to write my first ever comments to benefit anyone out there who loves great music. This cd is shall i say 'a groove' from start to finish. The musicians have a karma that truly shines through in this music. Being a musician for over 30 years i can hear the results of people who work well together. If you like artists such as some of the earlier rippingtons ect you will love this disc. My thanks to brian and his great band for publishing quality music in a day that sadly offers us very little with the exception of public radio late night broadcasts. Jazz fans- enjoy this one!

I can sum up this CD in just a few phrases: superior production, spectacular musicianship, radically hip. Not a bad cut on the whole thing. Brian Auger was the master 25 years ago. (Remember The Trinity?) He lives up to the legend on this CD.

This is Brian Auger's best. Involved is Auger's son and daughter. These guys are all very talented. Brian couldn't have chosen a better band to play with for his latest release. I own all Oblivion Express's CDs. "Voices of Other Times" is his best. Another very recommended CD for the group is "Second Wind"

Oblivion Express: Voices Of Other Times showcases the undeniable talents of Brian Auger who combines classic musical ingredients of jazz, rock, and funkey R&B into his own special hybrid. Featured on this latest album of his accomplishments are It Burns Me Up; Isola Natale: Voices of Other Times; Splatch; Indian Rope Man; Soul Glow; Victor's Delight; Circles; Never Gonna Come Down; and Jam Side Down. Oblivion Express is a "must" for all Auger fans everywhere.

Rock is a young person's music, as tired nostalgia radio programming makes clear. Not that young people necessarily can play it right, as today's dearth of inspired music also suggests. And then along comes an act like Brian Auger and company, managing the neat trick of making roots rock new again. Whispy-voiced Savannah Auger is no blues shouter, but effective nonetheless, especially with the dreamier grooves. Drummer Karma Auger never overplays. And father Brian lays down the freshest keyboards around. He organ work isn't in debt to the Jimmy Smith school, doing without the traditional Leslie effect and showboating mannerisms; he also is inspired on electric piano. Catch them live if you can.

For a few seconds on this new CD, Streetnoise reappears as Auger teases us with a scratchy LP recording dubbed onto the beginning of the cut "Indian Rope Man." After a few seconds of this, it goes into the 1999 version of the song, but the singer (Auger's daughter, Savannah) is no Julie Driscoll, alas. Her voice is adequate on some of the cuts, but on this one, which requires some panache to bring off successfully, she falls flat. Savannah is not the only Auger child to appear on this recording; her brother Karma plays drums, helped with the mixing, and is listed as the producer. I certainly mean no disrespect to the Auger family when I say that I found the drumming (and the sound of the drums, which seemed a bit tinny, to use a highly technical audiophile term) to be one of the weaker points of the recording.

My reservations notwithstanding, this is still an enjoyable recording, well worth an audition. Brian Auger has still got it -- the great B-3 sound, a knack for working a jazz sound into a rock format, and the ability to get into a good groove. The end result is a refreshing and entertaining recording that whets my appetite even more to hear Streetnoise once again.