Customer Reviews

Greatest Hits

5 star:		(0)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

Other than Van Leer...who are the guys playing on this 2 CD Set ?? Disc One is old songs Re-done and Disc Two is Live !!! Buyers Beware this is NOT the group you learned to love !!! The best rating I can give it is 1 Star.....and then wave my magic wand....HOCUS POCUS...GONE !!!

I read the reviews for this CD, but unfortunately went ahead and ordered this CD set. I should've paid attention to the last review listed, the one from Canada. I wasted my money on this CD. It is just as bad as he said it was. Next time I will pay attention to the negative reviews.

Beware: this music is available on several other CD's with different names. This is a 2 CD set. It was previously released with the title, Live Legends. The second CD was released by itself as Live In America.

This is the 2002 to 2003 version of Focus. It is Thijs Van Leer plus 3 unknowns. Rumor has it that they were a Focus tribute band that Van Leer heard, liked and began to tour with (Keith Emerson has done a similar thing). They also did a studio album called Focus 8.

The first CD is just under 60 minutes long, and apparently comes from several different live performances. The sound quality varies across the CD from marginal to OK. The second CD comes from one concert, is over 70 minutes long and has fairly good sound quality, although, I don't think the mix is that good.

This CD set basically consists of all the classic Focus compositions (except Questions? Answers! Answers! Questions?). It focuses on the progressive, artrock portion of Focus's career. There are no vocals (other than yodelling and whistling), or the jazz or blues compositions from Mother Focus or Focus con Proby. There are two new, but short tracks at the end of the first CD.

It is just a very nice 2 hours of nonstop progressive music. Van Leer is great as always, with wonderful keyboard and flute solos.

The back up band is OK. Unlike the original Focus line ups, the drums and bass just form a background rhythm section and never really come up front. The guitarist is adequate, but is not Jan Akkerman or Philip Catherine. He does have some very nice solos and is the main driver on a number of the tracks. But, there are parts where it appears as if he can't keep up with Van Leer.

Is this CD just another sad attempt of one member of a classic band trying to milk some money out of long time fans, by forming dinosaur relic of its past glories? Maybe so, but this CD is very enjoyable. The music is played differently than on the original albums. It is interesting and energetic. I would give it between 3 and 4 stars.

Is it fair for Van Leer to call this band Focus without Jan Akkerman? Akkerman was not in the original Focus line up, but did join before the first album was recorded. Akkerman did leave after the 5th studio album and Focus did record one more album without him.

Other than Van Leer....who are the guys playing on this 2 CD Set ?? Disc One is old songs Re-done and Disc Two is Live !!! Buyers Beware...this is NOT the group you learned to love !!! The best rating I can give it is a 1 Star... and then wave my magic wand....HOCUS POCUS....GONE !!!

this is nowhere near an official greatest hits. this should have been instead titled "a collection". disc 1 includes what is essentially the soundtrack to the focus dvd "masters from the vault". van leer, akkerman and company are here in alternate versions of some of focus' better known selections. on disc 2 the "new" focus takes over and does nothing to tarnish the focus name but nothing to add to it's legacy. if you are a fan of focus you'll be interested in hearing the alternate versions on disc one. the philip catherine era band shines on angel wings (from the ogwt). the focus medley is loose and playful and even though akkerman and van leer aren't on the same page on the ending it shows a band in it's prime that was one to be reckoned with.

Concur with 'kireviewer'... I'd go further in condemnation, though with some hesitation. Hesitation because, analagous to the sports bar lard-butts who yell criticism at athletes on TV, most of whom have never done a thing since they left high school (assuming there ever were any achievements),as one with minimal musical talents, I have enough understanding of my own limitations to discriminate the good from the awful.
I bought this despite posted lousy reviews, because I figured that on a 2 CD set, there had to be something worthwhile, no ? Pero no estaba.
There are some moments where, if you didn't know who this purported to be, you might assume you were listening to a bunch of guys who seem promising and have some capability : a fusion group at a local bar, popular by word of mouth, heavily promoted by girlfriends and hangers-on. Sure, Thijs can play, but folks already know that.
Nobody, no group, has a body of work that is uniformly excellent,even allowing for beauty being in the eye of the beholder. As such, Focus had some really duff output, but also some stuff that is truly excellent,memorable,inspirational... for which they should be remembered and even today remains definitive.
The renditions of 'the good stuff' here are abysmal, adding insult to injury. The lousy recording/mix is the least of the problem.
It appears this compilation is out of production ; no surprise. I am doing my part for the legacy of the original guys (the unique lead and rythmn guitar runs, the perfect bass phrasings and inspired drumming) by autonomously destroying my copies.

Alot of people bash this release. In actuality it is not that bad. If you are looking for a greatest hits collection of the songs on their studio albums, get "The Best Of Focus: Hocus Pocus" If you want a rarities set, this is for you!

Disc one IS THE ORIGINAL BAND! Tracks 1-4 are alternate takes of the songs listed. (Focus Medley is Tommy/The Bridge and Hocus Pocus) Track 5 is a rare studio run through of Sneezing Bull and Angel Wings is from Old Grey Whistle Test.

Disc 2 is a concert from the newly reformed focus. Sure it isn't Akkerman/Van Der Linden and Ruiter but Thijs Van Leer is there! Plus Jan Dumee is comparable to Akkerman!

Again, if you want the originals, buy the best of. If you love Focus and want a rarities/live collection, BUY THIS CD!

Although this only features Van Leer from the old band, the other performers do not try to influence the recording with there own individual styles. Some nice tunes and good playing.