Better Land
Brian Auger's Oblivion Express
A Better Land is the second studio album by Brian Auger’s Oblivion Express, recorded for RCA Victor and first released in 1971 as a mellower, song‑oriented follow-up to their more overtly jazz‑rock debut. Built around Auger’s Hammond organ and electric piano, the record runs about 38 minutes across nine tracks—Dawn of Another Day, Marai’s Wedding, Trouble, Women of the Seasons, Fill Your Head with Laughter, A Better Land, On Thinking It Over, Tomorrow City, and All the Time There Is—performed by the core quartet of Auger (keys, vocals), Jim Mullen (guitar, co‑lead vocals), Barry Dean (bass, vocals), and Robbie McIntosh (drums, percussion). Compared with the group’s debut, A Better Land shifts decisively toward warmer, more melodic compositions that blur jazz fusion with pop, folk-rock, and soft psych, echoing some of the more reflective moods of Auger’s earlier Trinity album Befour.
Musically and lyrically, the album centers on simple pleasures, cautious optimism, and a grounded, humanist outlook. Songs like Dawn of Another Day and Women of the Seasons unfold slowly and spaciously, with acoustic guitars, three-part vocal harmonies, and gently hypnotic grooves that suggest making the most of everyday life while keeping a wary eye on the future. Mullen co-wrote seven of the nine pieces, often with Alan Gorrie (later of Average White Band), and the sophisticated songwriting attracted the attention of Sarah Vaughan, who covered Trouble, On Thinking It Over, and Tomorrow City on her 1972 album A Time in My Life. Key moments include the groove-driven title track A Better Land, the sparse, sample‑friendly Dawn of Another Day, and Fill Your Head with Laughter, which briefly returns to Auger’s driving Hammond‑led sound reminiscent of early Traffic. Long regarded by devotees as a “little‑known masterpiece,” the album has been newly remastered from the original tapes for Strut/Soul Bank’s 2026 vinyl reissue, affirming its status as one of the most enduring and emotionally generous pop‑fusion records of its era.
Better Land
Brian Auger's Oblivion Express
A Better Land is the second studio album by Brian Auger’s Oblivion Express, recorded for RCA Victor and first released in 1971 as a mellower, song‑oriented follow-up to their more overtly jazz‑rock debut. Built around Auger’s Hammond organ and electric piano, the record runs about 38 minutes across nine tracks—Dawn of Another Day, Marai’s Wedding, Trouble, Women of the Seasons, Fill Your Head with Laughter, A Better Land, On Thinking It Over, Tomorrow City, and All the Time There Is—performed by the core quartet of Auger (keys, vocals), Jim Mullen (guitar, co‑lead vocals), Barry Dean (bass, vocals), and Robbie McIntosh (drums, percussion). Compared with the group’s debut, A Better Land shifts decisively toward warmer, more melodic compositions that blur jazz fusion with pop, folk-rock, and soft psych, echoing some of the more reflective moods of Auger’s earlier Trinity album Befour.
Musically and lyrically, the album centers on simple pleasures, cautious optimism, and a grounded, humanist outlook. Songs like Dawn of Another Day and Women of the Seasons unfold slowly and spaciously, with acoustic guitars, three-part vocal harmonies, and gently hypnotic grooves that suggest making the most of everyday life while keeping a wary eye on the future. Mullen co-wrote seven of the nine pieces, often with Alan Gorrie (later of Average White Band), and the sophisticated songwriting attracted the attention of Sarah Vaughan, who covered Trouble, On Thinking It Over, and Tomorrow City on her 1972 album A Time in My Life. Key moments include the groove-driven title track A Better Land, the sparse, sample‑friendly Dawn of Another Day, and Fill Your Head with Laughter, which briefly returns to Auger’s driving Hammond‑led sound reminiscent of early Traffic. Long regarded by devotees as a “little‑known masterpiece,” the album has been newly remastered from the original tapes for Strut/Soul Bank’s 2026 vinyl reissue, affirming its status as one of the most enduring and emotionally generous pop‑fusion records of its era.