Focus 3 [Import, Original recording remastered]

Focus | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (February 19, 2001)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Import, Original recording remastered
• Label: Red Bullet
• ASIN: B00005B362
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (22 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #37,228 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #21 in Music > World Music > Europe > Continental Europe > Netherlands

Editorial Reviews

Reissue of 1972 album for Dutch progressive rock act best known for their 1973 hit single 'Hocus Pocus'. 2001 release. Standard jewelcase.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

28 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Differences over the LP version, March 2, 2003

By 

Herb Atlas "herb_atlas" (Chicago IL) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Focus 3 (Audio CD)

Suprised no one pointed this out, but there's some differences between the vinyl issue and the CD. On the plus side, Anonymous II is edited whole (it spanned sides 3 & 4 on the LP) and Answers? Questions! Questions? Answers! is almost 6 minutes longer than the LP version (14.03 vs 19.54). The CD omits House Of The King; but remember that was a re-recording from 1972 and NOT the version that was a single (from the first LP) and the running order is different.
At any rate, this was a great album from Focus, on par with Moving Waves and Hamburger Concerto. Round Goes the Gossip is one of their best "vocal" efforts, while Questions... and Anonymous II are great sprawling jams, with some of Akkerman's hotest guitar work.

21 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars FOCUS 3, February 24, 2003

By 

Keith Bridgeman (London, England) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Focus 3 (Audio CD)

Musicians : Jan Akkerman (electric guitar, acoustic guitar, lute), Thijs Van Leer (vocals, keyboards, flute, piccolo, recorder), Bert Ruiter (bass guitar), Pierre Van Der Linden (drums), Martin Dresden (bass guitar on House of the king), Hans Cleuver (drums on House of the king),

Focus 3 was recorded in 1972. In early 1973 it became a top ten album, and in Sylvia produced a top ten single. Focus were then at their peak of popularity, with their earlier album Moving Waves also being a top ten album, and Hocus Pocus taken from Moving Waves being a hit single. Each of the musicians were voted as top ten musicians in each of their categories. Jan Akkerman was voted world's best guitarist.

Focus 3 is an entirely instrumental album, apart from one track. All of the longer tracks have a very live feel to them because they were recorded without any overdubs.

Round goes the gossip is an odd vocal track to start an otherwise instrumental album with. The only words sung are "Round goes the gossip", apart from a slow middle section in which Thijs Van Leer sings part of Virgil's Aeneid in latin !

In stark contrast, the melodic Love remembered has a gentle flute lead with acoustic guitar backing.

The success of the single Sylvia at the time made Focus known all over the world. The memorable guitar led instrumental is a bit reminiscent of The Shadows at their best. This track will probably be appreciated by just about anyone.

Carnival Fugue is far more jazz than rock. Its slow piano intro in part Baroque, part Jazz style eventually becomes faster and ends with Thijs Van Leer playing a piccolo solo with the rest of Focus backing him.

The title track Focus 3 is in a similar style to other Focus tracks with Focus in the title. After the solemn organ intro, and gentle guitar lead, the pace gradually speeds up, until the track goes straight in to Answers Questions Questions Answers. Although Answers Questions Questions Answers lacks a distinct or memorable melody, parts of it contain some of the most sensitive guitar playing on the whole album.

Anonymous 2 was originally recorded as Anonymous on the first Focus album "In and out of Focus". However, Anonymous 2 is faster and musically far superior than the original, and at nearly thirty minutes is much longer. In live performances it served as a showpiece for their considerable musical abilities. After the initial guitar led melody of Anonymous 2, each of the musicians is given the opportunity to solo : Thijs Van Leer on flute, Bert Ruiter with a bass solo which is probably one of the longest on any recording, Jan Akkerman on guitar, and Pierre van Der Linden with a lengthy drum solo. They eventually return to the main melody of Anonymous 2. Given the amount of improvisation this is really jazz rather than rock music.

Although known for his abilities on electric guitar, Jan Akkerman had a considerable collection of lutes. He plays lute on Elspeth of Nottingham. He is backed by Thijs Van Leer on recorder. Elspeth of Nottingham is in the renaissance style of 16th century lutenist John Dowland, and is as good or better than anything that John Dowland wrote.

House of the King was the B side of the hit single Sylvia. It would have made a very good single itself, and in some countries was released as a single. The chords of the acoustic guitar intro leads in to a fast and memorable melody played on the flute, with the bridge played at remarkable speed by Jan Akkerman on electric guitar. House of the king is actually taken directly from Focus's first album "In and out of Focus". It was not even rerecorded for this album. Although they are not credited, Martin Dresden plays bass and Hans Cleuver plays drums. Around the same time, Jan Akkerman recorded a "fluteless" version for his solo album Tabernakel, on which he plays guitar lead throughout.

Focus split up after a few more albums. Jan Akkerman has had a very prolific and successful solo career since then. Thijs Van Leer eventually reformed Focus by joining what was going to be a Focus tribute band. They recorded Focus 8, although it does not contain any of the other previous members of Focus apart from him.

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great prog from the Netherlands, November 25, 2005

By 

Jeffrey J.Park (Massachusetts, USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Focus 3 (Audio CD)

Released in 1972, this mostly instrumental recording by the Dutch proggers Focus continues the wonderful blend of staggering virtuosity, classical-structure (one obvious example is a fugue), jazz, hard rock, reflective and haunting moments, and silliness developed on Moving Waves (1971), although in a somewhat more even fashion. Specifically, although there are hard rock and soft, classically-influenced pieces one right after the other, the transition between songs is not terribly jarring. In addition, different sections are integrated better within individual pieces. The eight pieces presented on Focus III range from the quiet, 2'50" "Love Remembering" to the epic, 26'24" quasi-jam session "Anonymous Two", which was originally presented as "Anonymous" on the 1970 debut "In and Out of Focus". Other continuations of earlier pieces include Focus III. The highlight of the album for me is the 13'48" "Answers? Questions! Questions? Answers!", which works very well from both a composition and arrangement perspective. Although there are lengthy solos in this piece, they are incorporated into the arrangement and do not seem gratuitous. Jan Akkerman is an incredible guitarist and creates an infinite number of moods and textures with both the acoustic guitar and clean, undistorted tones on his electric, while the Hammond organ and flute work of Thijs van Leer is something to behold. These two musicians perform on the medieval flavored piece Elspeth of Nottingham, which features just the lute and the flute. Drummer Pierre van der Linden does a great job on this album and continues the excellent work presented on Moving Waves, although this was his last performance with the group and left Focus in 1973 (he would turn up in the prog bands Group 1850 and Trace in 1974). The bassist slot opened up again on Focus III and was filled by Bert Ruiter, who lays down some solid parts. Although this album is quite good, the 26'24" Anonymous Two" is a bit too long and needlessly so. Specifically, the bass and drum solos seem to go on for just a bit too long, don't contribute much to the piece overall, and should have been omitted or severely edited. Apart from this minor complaint, Focus III is a great recording and one that is recommended to all fans of prog rock along with Moving Waves (1971), and the 1974 debut by the Dutch prog group Trace.