Dawn of another day (Brian Auger's Oblivion Express) (LP 4113 - 4117)

Brian Auger's Oblivion Express  A Better Land (Vinyl, RCA Records, 1971) ****  

Joan Baez  Speaking of Dreams (CD, Gold Castle Records, 1989) *** 

Donovan  Sutras (CD, American Recordings, 1996) *** 

Jan Hammer Group  Oh Yeah? (Vinyl, Nemperor Records, 1976) **** 

Aldous Harding  Warm Chris (Vinyl, Flying Nun Records, 2022) **** 

Genre: Jazz fusion, folk rock, Nemperor Records

Places I remember: Real Groovy Records (all except Joan Baez - charity shop, Aldous Harding - JB Hi Fi)

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: Magical Dog (Oh Yeah?)

Gear costume: Tick Tock (Warm Chris)

They loom large in his legend (The Album Collection playlists): Part 1; Part 2; Part 3; Part 4; Part 5; Part 6

Active compensatory factors: Recent acquisition catch up: A Better Land by Brian Auger's Oblivion Express is dominated in a good way by guitarist Jim Mullen. He composes or co-composes most of the songs and his fluid guitar lines create a beautiful sound. I can't think of a bad record associated with Brian Auger - the man is all class!!

So too is Joan Baez. I was delighted to find a copy of Speaking of Dreams at a charity shop for $2. It's on Virgin Vault - their budget line, but there's nothing budget about the music from Joan. She writes a few songs (they are always special - I wish she'd write more) and there are some heavy guests appearing on the album - Paul Simon, Jackson Brown and The Gypsy Kings. 

It's not as good as Gone From Danger but that's a really high bar. She still successfully manages to combine her love of traditional music, a concern for topical political issues and an international flavour.  

I've been after a copy of Donovan's Sutras for ages. I used to own a copy but stupidly sold it off many years ago before I really got into a new appreciation for his art. So I'm thrilled to get a new CD copy from Real Groovy.

Beyond that thrill - it's a long way from being my favourite Donovan album. Producer Rick Rubin brings his austerity/ stripped back aesthetic to play and normally that would suit Donovan but this leans more towards a clinical exercise that removes some of his warmth and humour from the delivery of songs (which are uneven on Sutras).  It's good, but it could have been great!

Same deal with Jan Hammer in terms of being a long-term member of my wants list. It's on Nemperor Records and I collect that label. Sadly, the label on the record is Atlantic but it's still a Nemperor catalogue item - NE 437. Only one more Jan Hammer album on Nemperor to collect - Melodies. Oh - and the music? Good jazz fusion with a funkiness that is appealing.

Final album - Aldous Harding's latest - Warm Chris, was in the sale bins at JB Hi Fi, so a no-brainer. She has a variety of voices and swaps them around to suit the material quite magnificently. I've now heard two of her four albums and I'm intrigued enough to search out the other two.

Where do they all belong? All for now - I did buy an album by The Youngbloods with those above so we'll get to that one eventually.