Befour (original Usa Cover Art)

Brian Auger & The Trinity

Brian Auger's contribution to music has been considerable, someone who has demonstrated a rare devotion and dedication and who has always been prepared to make sacrifices for what he believed was right. Today, and perhaps belatedly, he is finally acknowledged as one of the most considerable influences in the development of new musical forms, based upon the fusion of two elements, pop and jazz.

Tracklisting:

1. I Wanna Take You Higher - 5:08
2. Pavane (Auger) - 3:49
3. No Time to Live (Capaldi/Winwood) - 5:27
4. Maiden Voyage (Hancock) - 5:02
5. Listen Here (Harris) - 9:25
6. Adagio per Archi e Organo - 3:30
7. Just You, Just Me - 6:26
8. Rain Forest Talking - 4:06
9. Pavane - 3:43
+ 1 bonus track

Recorded in 1969


AMG Review:
Brian Auger and his band outdo themselves on this extraordinary album, which boasts playing that is both passionate and of virtuoso caliber, and encompasses just the right repertory. From the opening of the soaring rendition of "I Wanna Take You Higher" through the jazzy interpretation of Gabriel Fauré's Pavane, the Albinoni-based Adagio per Archi e Organo, the impassioned rendition of Traffic's "No Time to Live" (sung by lead guitarist Gary Boyle), and the smooth interpretation of Herbie Hancock's "Maiden Voyage" (featuring some elegant lead playing by Boyle before Auger's organ moves into the foreground), Befour delivers superb musicianship, crossing the lines between jazz and rock with touches of soul and even some lingering traces of psychedelia. The one fully experimental track, "Listen Here," which was cut in a single take of nine minutes and 22 seconds, is a hard, pounding piece driven by Boyle's jagged lead guitar and showing off the band augmented by three additional drummers (Mickey Waller, Barry Reeves, and Colin Allen) and an extra bassist (Gary Sutton) — it reminds one somewhat of the kinds of experiments that the Nice sometimes attempted a lot less successfully. "Just You and Me" is a worthy finale to the original album, a hard-rocking showcase for each of the players. The 2000 reissue by Disconforme includes a live cut, "Rain Forest Talking," and a rough rehearsal take of Pavane, and is remastered in 24-bit digital audio.