Aura

AMG Review of Aura

Stephen Cook
All Music Guide

The third and last of Ade's breakthrough Mango releases from the early '80s, Aura features more of the juju master's infectious blend of talking drum beats and multi-guitar weaves. Though not as strong as his earlier Juju Music and Synchro System albums, Aura still includes six high-quality originals with some drum machine and Clavinet flourishes added for good measure. Once again, Ade and a battery of guitarists are particularly impressive, laying down a wealth of nicely integrated solos; as with earlier Ade recordings, the pedal steel work is especially stunning. And, adding star power to this already spectacular material, Stevie Wonder contributes some typically playful harmonica lines to the title track opener. Coming on the heels of a slew of incredible releases that date back to the late '60s, Aura may not represent one of the peaks of Ade's career, but it certainly qualifies as a must for fans of the master guitarist.