Focus
Focus 3

Focus 3, Focus Drie in Dutch.

From the very first notes, the atmosphere of this cornerstone of Dutch (and worldwide) progressive rock is foretold. "Round Goes The Gossip", sung in Latin in the verse, along with the chorus in English, showcases the musicians in top form: the excellent drummer Pierre Van Der Linden, who stands out right from the intro, Bert Ruiter with a solid rhythm on bass, the monumental Jan Akkerman, and the genius behind the Focus project with him, Thijs Van Leer, singer, keyboardist, and flutist. "Love Remembered", the second track, evokes oriental and romantic atmospheres, mixed with classical music played by the flute. "Sylvia" is one of the best instrumentals ever composed by the band. It starts with a guitar halfway between funky and rock, joined by the Hammond organ played by Thijs Van Leer, whose subsequent phrasing forms the riff of this sublime track, where the melody stands out first and foremost. "Sylvia" is dedicated to a singer from one of the first bands Thijs Van Leer played in, and indeed it takes a playful jab at her singing style, mimicking her vocalizations. In "Carnival Fugue", a grand piano along the same classically poetic line as Chopin then leads us to a more baroque theme, transitioning to an almost jazz phase and finishing with folk from an organ and piccolo transverse flute. The moment of greatest introspection arrives with the splendid "Focus III", an airy, fantastic instrumental infused with an ethereal atmosphere. A brilliant organ arpeggio and the classical guitar form a rock symphony, played softly, and then suddenly loudly in the sublime chorus, where Jan Akkerman demonstrates his tasteful and harmonious guitar mastery. It's impossible not to be amazed.

A mini-suite of 13 minutes with the unique nickname "Answers? Questions! Questions? Answers!" directly follows "Focus 3". Bert Ruiter performs the first riff with his Fender Jazz Bass, alternating immediately with organ and guitar solos. The passages are intricate and mix various genres, predominantly jazz and rock. Then the slow passages where the transverse flute reemerges, played gently. "Elspeth Of Nottingham", like "Love Remembered", represents another perfect blend of classical music and progressive rock. The guitar is played as if by a 16th-century merrymaker, the flute is renaissance. Beautiful. The grandeur of the album and the musicians shines clearly through in the concluding mega-suite of 26 minutes, "Anonymus Two", a worthy, if not improved, follow-up to the song "Anonymus" featured on the first album. It’s nothing less than an extended and faster version of "Anonymus", a great virtuosity, a kind of colossal Jam. This is the only track on the record where we hear the flute played "à la Jethro Tull", right after the very fast intro. Thijs Van Leer doesn’t have time to set the flute down before we find him behind the Hammond interpreting a solo. Then a moment with the main riff, the usual damned and brilliant 3 chords and a stop: Bert Ruiter starts with his bass solo which I consider one of the most beautiful in the history of rock because it’s so compelling that it makes you want to play this sublime rhythm instrument!!! It starts slowly, climbing ever higher to involve the whole band. From Jan Akkerman's guitar solo, we then move on to the drum solo of the grand virtuoso Pierre Van Der Linden, whose sound has been recorded absolutely superbly. Then the grand finale with the main riff.

In short, this is the album with which everyone should approach Focus and Dutch Rock in general. The level is excellent and the content is incredible. This album undoubtedly represents the pinnacle of their entire career and a perfect meeting point between the desire to showcase their technical skills, having fun with challenging virtuosity, and the ability to compose and write tracks of the highest level. A true classic 100%. Long live the Netherlands!