{"product_id":"brian-augers-oblivion-express-straight-ahead-soul-bank-music","title":"Brian Auger's Oblivion Express - Straight Ahead [Soul Bank Music]","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003ciframe src=\"https:\/\/embed.music.apple.com\/us\/album\/straight-ahead\/1712889195\" style=\"width: 100%; max-width: 660px; overflow: hidden; border-radius: 10px;\" height=\"450\"\u003e\u003c\/iframe\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFormat: \u003c\/strong\u003eLP in printed sleeve.\u003cbr\u003eCAT: SBM020LP\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhen Straight Ahead hit stores 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 in full stride, taking jazz fusion into new and unexplored territories.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCritics took notice: Billboard hailed the album as “excellent in development and inventiveness,” and it simultaneously charted on several lists.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe journey kicks off with “Beginning Again,” a vibrant opener built on Langton’s congas and Ferrone’s muscular groove. Auger’s electric piano shines here, immediately setting the album’s adventurous tone. Next comes their take on Wes Montgomery’s “Bumpin’ On Sunset.” Darker and more atmospheric, Auger expands on the improvisation without losing Montgomery’s spirit. The performance was so impactful that, years later, Wes’s widow wrote to Auger to tell him it was her husband’s favorite version of that beloved track.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe album’s title track, “Straight Ahead,” shifts gears towards funk, showcasing the group’s ability to move fluidly between genres. “Change” goes even further, merging raw rock energy with jazz’s improvisational freedom, driven by Auger’s mastery of the Hammond organ. To close, “You’ll Stay in My Heart” slows the tempo with a tender, soulful ballad, an intimate end to an album full of bold explorations.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAt the time, critics celebrated it as a gem. One described it as “a little masterpiece of keyboard-centered jazz-rock fusion, incredibly immersive and melodic.” Another highlighted “Bumpin’ On Sunset” as “the best reason to own this recording.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHalf a century later, Straight Ahead still resonates. It captures that fertile moment in the 1970s when jazz, rock, and funk collided, and artists like Auger were redrawing the map. To this day, it stands as proof of Auger’s intrepid curiosity and his talent for breaking boundaries: music that looked to the future then, and still sounds ahead of its time now.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Tenampa Record Shop","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47378434818211,"sku":null,"price":480.0,"currency_code":"MXN","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0583\/1239\/2867\/files\/image_615b917b-200a-4c19-9bba-1ecc6c6f3b94.jpg?v=1772495381","url":"https:\/\/tenampa.mx\/en\/products\/brian-augers-oblivion-express-straight-ahead-soul-bank-music","provider":"Tenampa","version":"1.0","type":"link"}