Brian Auger's Oblivion Express - A Better Land

Brian Auger's Oblivion Express — A Better Land

Sophisticated second album showcasing a warmer, more melodic shift from their prog-leaning debut

Standout fusion of organ-led funk jazz, psych, pop and rock features highlights such as "Fill Your Head With Laughter"

Newly remastered reissue, curated with the Auger family and presented as a high-quality single LP replica edition

Strut presents the second studio album from Brian Auger's Oblivion Express and a firm favorite with Auger aficionados, the "little known masterpiece" A Better Land from 1971.

Marking a clear evolution from their more jazz-rock leaning debut, the band shifts into a mellower direction on these tracks, echoing the feel of Befour released in the Trinity's later years. A Better Land embraces warmer, more melodic and understated compositions, primarily written by guitarist Jim Mullen.

With its languid and spacious approach, the album brings an grounded message to make the most of the simple pleasures in life with a hopeful, but wary, eye to the future. Musically, Auger brings acoustic guitars, country rock melodies and three-part vocal harmonies into his musical palette. Key tracks include the groove-driven title track "A Better Land," the sparse "Dawn of Another Day," (sampled by Air and Black Milk among others) while "Fill Your Head With Laughter" returns to Auger's trademark driving Hammond-led sound, akin to early Traffic.

The record features the Brian Auger's unique sound on organ and electric piano, joined by Jim Mullen on guitar, Barry Dean on bass and Robbie McIntosh on drums and percussion, with Auger, Mullen and Dean all contributing vocals. Mullen co-wrote seven of the album's nine tracks, with additional contributions from Alan Gorrie (later of Average White Band). These songwriters should take immense pride in their work as Auger's favorite singer of all time, Sarah Vaughan, recognised the quality of these compositions by covering three of them; "Trouble," "Thinking It Over," and "Tomorrow City" for her 1972 album A Time in My Life.

This new official Strut reissue is curated by Greg Boraman of Impressive Collective in collaboration with Brian and Karma Auger. Fully remastered by Cosmic Audio, it is presented as a high-quality single LP replica edition.

 

Side A

1. Dawn Of Another Day

2. Marai's Wedding

3. Trouble

4. Women Of The Seasons

Side B

1. Fill Your Head With Laughter

2. On Thinking It Over

3. Tomorrow City

4. All The Time There Is

5. A Better Land

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