Focus
III

A singular group, the Focus, apart from the fact that they hail from the Netherlands. The singer (namely the esteemed organist, pianist, and flutist Thijs Van Leer) almost... never sang! In this album, lasting seventy minutes and therefore originally released as a double LP, he steps up to the microphone only once, specifically in the opening track "Round Goes The Gossip," whose lyrics are mostly taken from a passage of Virgil’s Aeneid! Additionally, the vocals are mixed very low... perhaps Van Leer had serious issues with English, who knows.

This unusual quartet managed incredibly to enjoy a season of great commercial success (the years 1972/73, more or less), even though, as mentioned, they performed primarily instrumental music, between rock, progressive, and fusion. Beyond their remarkable technical skill (all members graduated from the conservatory of Amsterdam), their success is due to their ability to create singles (one per album, no more) with strong melodic impact and well-deserved success.

In their debut album "In And Out Of Focus," this characteristic was the prerogative of "House Of The King," a compact, gritty, and captivating flute theme on a rock rhythm, rendered entirely in the style of Jethro Tull so much so that, both then and even today, any not well-informed listener cannot help but attribute it to Jan Anderson and company.

In the following, second album "Moving Waves," the standout track was a completely different kind of piece: "Hocus Pocus" is an invigorating powerhouse driven by a powerful hard rock riff from Jan Akkerman’s virtuous guitar, upon which Van Leer adds, reminiscent of classical music rondos, a series of variations played on the flute, organ, guitar, and especially voice, alternating between Bavarian yodels(!), nonsensical verses, and various grimaces. Not a single word of lyrics, mind you, but the overall effect is highly engaging: each guitar round halts during a drum break, which then stops, upon which the boisterous improvisations of the pyrotechnic Van Leer pounce: a classic, unique in its genre, a must-know hard-rock/extravaganza blend.

The leading and commercially successful track of "Focus III" (obviously their third album, the year is 1972) is titled "Sylvia": it is a delightful instrumental (and then...) structured in a baroque manner, with a theme played by the organ (and bass), crossed by a counterpoint from the solo guitar of crystalline inspiration. The celebrated Akkerman first delivers marvelous funky chords and then launches into an ultra-melodious and rich solo, occasionally adorned with rapid flourishes. Van Leer's Hammond organ, full and superbly aggressive, is a real delight for the ears of seventies rock enthusiasts.

From this point of view, all the album conveys this pleasant d'antan feeling, that of a band recorded in the studio while playing together, with well-mic'd instruments and very natural and authentic timbres, without excessive overdubs, even with small errors and intonation slips left without issues, respecting the impact and groove of the whole.

Beyond this virtue, the work however suffers from a lack of compositional consistency. Much of it is actually made up of two very long tracks that are merely jam sessions in the studio. "Answers..." and "Anonymus II" kick off with enthusiasm with a theme that then, in jazz fashion, evolves into lengthy solos by all the musicians in turn, finally recomposing for the closing finale: a situation no doubt enjoyable in concert... but sitting through a seven-minute bass solo by Bert Ruiter and shortly after another five of drums and cymbals by Pierre Van Der Linden while comfortably at home or in your car is quite dispersive. The album could have been released as a single, without these two extended self-indulgences, thus increasing compactness and consistency.

None of the other tracks, however, although all pleasant, manage to rise to the excellence of "Sylvia."

The already mentioned "Round Goes The Gossip" is among the most successful nevertheless: a lively theme between progressive and fusion, reminiscent of Gentle Giant. "Love Remembered" instead consists of a flute/classical guitar duet, reinforced by the rhythm section only towards the end. "Carnival Fugue" opens with Van Leer on the grand piano, shamelessly alluding to Bach, then a progressive and curious evolution towards Calypso driven by Akkerman's guitar, to which the joyful sound of the piccolo is added.

The track that gives the album its title is a minor-key melody hinted at by the guitar with the volume gradually increasing, then shifts to a major key, coming to life in the refrains, with the song of Akkerman’s Gibson coming very close to the style of Carlos Santana. Finally, "Elspeth Of Nottingham" is a showcase of classical guitar that fully displays our subject's sublime concert-level touch on nylon strings, supported by the usual flute in creating an exquisitely Elizabethan atmosphere.  

A must-listen if you are a fan of seventies rock.