Thijs Van Leer quì mette in risalto le sue doti migliori che lo contraddistingueranno nel corso degli anni con la band : eclettismo , polistrumentismo , follia e magia. Jan Akkerman's Segovia like "Le Clochard" provides a mellower contrast before the multi-tracked flute lead ballad "Janis" which adorned the B side of the "Hocus Pocus" single. Tommy , come buona parte della suite del resto , raggiunge dei picchi molto elevati a livello artistico e musicale in questa esplosione (o eruzione come titolo della suite vuole) di crude emozioni , musica e assoluto godimento sonoro per la gioia dell'ascoltatore che nonostante si fosse approcciato alla band con un po di scetticismo (vuoi perché non sono inglesi , vuoi perché ci si senta già sicuri di aver ascoltato il meglio del panorama prog con i giganti del genere) ne uscirà con un'opinione del tutto diversa , ammesso che questo ascoltatore non avesse il cerume nelle orecchie per tutto il tempo. Eruption” includes tributes to classical composers and other Dutch fusion acts, and an intense drum solo by Buddy Rich disciple van der Linden.

Within the framework of a kick-ass rock song you’ll find a killer hook, a pair of whizz-bang guitars solos, “yodeling gnomes” (thanks for the phraseology go out to my Dutch pal, Martijn de Vries), non-lexicable vocals, whistling, tasty jazz flute, and to quote Martijn again, “a drummer who makes me want to head butt the Eiffel Tower. But proof that Focus was capable of bending the time-space continuum can be found in the album’s opener—also the band’s biggest hit.The too winsome by far instrumental “Le Clochard (Bread)” is moldy guitar strum; on follow-up instrumental “Janis” the flute does the heavy lifting. It is the fate of a select few bands to conquer the world with one song of brilliant Hieronymus Bosch weirdness, then go on to become yet another cult band. You come out of the adrenaline rush of Hocus Pocus to the gentle acoustic guitar of Le Clochard, so perhaps this was not the best way to start an album; play your ace first. The vinyl is in excellent condition, minor spindle marks, the usually back ground noise in places and minor superficial surface marks on vinyl, not played much.

Proof that Focus was capable of pulling off pretty much anything in those days can be found in “Eruption,” a 22-minute hard rock rendering of Jacopo Peri’s opera Euridice that canvases the record’s second side. It’s worth noting that most Focus “greatest hits” compilations are larded with tracks from Moving Waves ; pound for pound, it’s the group’s deepest collection of memorable cuts. According to BBC Radio DJ Bob Harris, demand was so great for Focus LPs by 1972 that the band’s British label, Polydor, simultaneously ran vinyl at all five of its record plants around the clock. presented the inverse, with Akkerman assembling a new rhythm section of drummer Pierre van der Linden (a childhood friend and former bandmate) and younger bassist Cyril Havermans.

Please remember it can take some time for your bank or credit card company to process and post the refund too. After a bit of reflection most of us realised that there was far more depth and genuinely great music on this album.

But if “Hocus Pocus” isn’t the greatest song ever, I never hear it without an admixture of mirth, awe and admiration. Moving Waves", a piano and vocal solo by van Leer, features lyrics by Sufi singer, poet, and teacher Inayat Khan. Tommy" features a guitar solo and was named and written by Tom Barlage of the Dutch fusion band Solution. Moving Waves” is a Keith Emerson doppelganger right down to its pseudo-classical piano and portentous vocals by resident genius Thijs van Leer. Moving Waves, also known as Focus II, is their second full-length record, and includes the group's most successful single “Hocus Pocus”.

Vote up content that is on-topic, within the rules/guidelines, and will likely stay relevant long-term. The side’s closing track is “Focus II,” an exact replica in miniature of “Hocus Pocus,” Focus’ theory being (I can only assume) that there’s no sin in flogging a dead horse so long as the horse in question won the Kentucky Derby while alive. Hocus Pocus" was released as a single in the Netherlands in July 1971, followed by its international release in 1973, where it reached No. Having recently seen the new incarnation of Focus in a recent gig (with Thijs and Pierre), I promptly bought a stack of Focus CDs and would recommend this to any Focus and indeed non-Focus fan as it simply exudes fantastic musicianship.

Focus II was released to a mostly positive response and remains one of their most commercially successful albums, reaching No. The grim specter of Keith Emerson hangs over the proceedings, but you also get, amongst other things, Pink Floyd atmospherics, an unconscionably long drum solo, lush easy listening choral hokum, one extended (and very cool) guitar solo that would have sounded right at home on an early Steely Dan LP, some Gregorian chanting, an amazing jam, and a section Elton John may or may not have lifted for “Funeral for a Friend/Loves Lie Bleeding. Focus was formed in Amsterdam in 1969 by keyboardist, vocalist, and flautist Thijs van Leer, bassist Martin Dresden, drummer Hans Cleuver, and guitarist Jan Akkerman. My pal Martijn informs me that “If “Sad-Eyed Lady of the Lowlands” didn’t exist, “Hocus Pocus” would be the greatest song ever. Moving Waves è il loro primo grande album (sebbene non il loro primo in assoluto , quello è In and Out of Focus) che li attestò come una delle realtà della scena progressiva e che dimostrò (e che dimostra ancora alla gente che vi si approccia per la prima volta) all'Inghilterra come la musica tradizionale europea non è una loro esclusiva terra di conquista e che anche avendo ascoltato decine di album di band più importanti nel panorama si può sempre rimanere stupiti davanti a piccole gemme incastonate nel posto giusto e dove meno te lo aspetti.Side two contains the 22-minute track "Eruption", a loose rock adaptation of the tale of Orpheus and Euridice from the opera Euridice by Italian composer Jacopo Peri. It went on to peak at number 2 on the UK Albums Chart, [6] number 8 on the US Billboard 200, [7] and number 4 on the Dutch Album Top 100 chart.