FOCUS

This sounds like the work of a much younger outfit, with Gootjes blasting away with some stunning leads, daring the others to stay with him, yet Linden is still as powerful and dynamic as he was when playing on the stunning "Hocus Pocus" all the way back in 1971 and shows no sign whatsoever of slowing down. Thijs van Leer has always been the master of the organ, in many ways reminiscent of Jon Lord in that he always puts a huge amount of himself into the playing, becoming part of the instrument in a way which is much more than being "just" a player. But here is often lets the guitar take the lead, strident and impactful while he plays more of a supporting role. This feels very much like a much younger Focus, and with Roger Dean yet again providing the artwork it really does feel as we are back fifty years. This album is a delight from beginning to end, one which progheads will do well to look out for.

The opening track jumps straight into business, with asymmetric rythm underpinned by great syncopated figures, courtesy of the keyboardist Van Leer, who then changes gracefully to transverse flute, and intertwines sparkles of melody in between the dense instrumental weaving. The second track is the customary "Focus #" of each Focus album, where they alternate from a calm and melodic section to another one , faster and rather pyrothecnical in style and execution. No problem with that, I just can´t get enough of that old (but still tasty) trick.

There are two tracks paying hommage to two giant figures in contemporary music: (Bela) Bartok begins with a restrained piano motiv, so moody and full of nostalgia, and then mutates in a quintessential Focus melody by the electric guitar, an impeccable exercise of taste, articulated on ample intervals that balance right on the fence between jazz fusion and progressive rock. (David) Bowie is a more intimate affair, a piano solo commencing in the low and middle register, and belating the jump to the high keys. I think I can feel the evocation of the loss, without any sense of depression or sadness.

Anyway, I have to say that the only track that made me feel in the true presence of the formidable outfit that Focus were in their halcyon days, is the fourth one, Meta Indefinita. There the whole band approaches the greatness that lies in their legacy, and one still wishes to hear so many years later. Special mention to drummer Van Der Linden, who holds the tension necessary for the group to shine, and goes for the rhythmic throat of this amazing piece, insuflating a higher sense of density and purpose that I cannot hear anywhere else on the rest of this album.

Tracks 5 and 10, I find them rather mellifluos, self-indulgent perhaps. Nura promises more than it delivers, with a nice keyboard intro, that segues into a somewhat incongruent outburst by the band, with a way too loud guitar contributing almost nothing to the musical substance of the piece. Postiano is another case of good start and not much more after that.

Don´t worry, I think one can possibly listen to the entire album and enjoy it as a whole, but hardly avoiding mixed feelings. There are moments of awe, but also others not so spectacular. Never less than good, however.

"The Ultimate Anthology" is a DVD of Focus and was released in 2004. This DVD is the ultimate and a perfect guide to the music of Focus, the pioneers of the progressive rock in Netherlands and one of the most innovative and creative progressive rock bands to emerge from the 70's. So, this is an impressive and essential live document of the band.

Focus is a Dutch rock band which was founded by the classical trained organist and flutist Thijs Van Leer in 1969. So, initially, Focus comprised the keyboardist and flutist Thijs Van Leer, the guitarist Jan Akkerman, the bassist Martin Dresden and the drummer Hans Cleuver. The band had several changes in the line up all over the years. Thijs Van Leer and Jan Akkerman were the real driving force behind Focus all over the years, and together they produced some of the greatest instrumental rock music ever created. They were responsible for spreading the progressive rock besides UK.

The DVD "The Ultimate Anthology" features some rare footage of many different incarnations of Focus, including the classic 70's line up featuring Jan Akkerman. "The Ultimate Anthology" includes a complete live performance of "Hambuger Concerto" and a stunning footage of Thijs Van Leer leading the band on the triumphant and astonishing come back live tour of Focus in USA in 2002. So, this Focus DVD contains excellent material from the 70's and the addition of some 2002 live material is also very good, and where the new line up is close to their classic 70's sound.

"The Ultimate Anthology" has nine tracks. At the time where "The Ultimate Anthology" was recorded, Focus had four studio albums, "Focus Plays Focus [Aka: In And Out Of Focus]" which was released in 1970, "Focus II [Aka: Moving Waves]" released in 1971, "3" released in 1973 and "Hamburger Concerto" released in 1974. So, the material on "The Ultimate Anthology" belongs to all these four studio albums, which is usually considered the golden era of Focus. Thus, from "Focus Plays Focus [Aka: In And Out Of Focus]" we have only one track, "House Of The King". From "Focus II [Aka: Moving Waves]" we have two tracks, "Hocus Pocus" and "Eruption". From "3" we have three tracks, "Anonymous II", "Focus III" and "Sylvia". From "Hamburger Concerto" we have only one track, "Hamburger Concerto". But, beyond these seven tracks we have also more two tracks. "Focus Medley", as its name indicates, is a medley of several themes from the band's best known musical period. "Hocus Pocus (Reprise)", as its name indicates, is a live reprise of the original song released on their second studio album "Focus II [Aka: Moving Waves]" that opens the DVD.

"The Ultimate Anthology" covers small parts of three different sets taken from two different places in the 70's with Jan Akkerman as still a band's member and footage of Thijs Van Leer leading a completely different band on a comeback live tour to the USA in 2002. "Hocus Pocus" and "Focus Medley" were taken from a 70's TV live performance with the classic Focus line up featuring Jan Akkerman, Thijs Van Leer, Bert Ruiter and Pierre Van Der Linden. They represent two great moments with the hilarious moment of "Hocus Pocus" and with a rare medley of some classic Focus songs with Akkerman leading a jam session that ends with a frantic version of "Hocus Pocus". "Hamburger Concerto" was also taken from a live TV performance. It's brilliantly performed and represents their most famous and elaborated epic. It was also performed by their classic line up but with Collin Allen on drums instead of Pierre Van Der Linden. "Anonymous II" and "Sylvia" were taken apparently in the same place of "Hocus Pocus" and "Focus Medley" were recorded, but in other occasion. They represent another great moment and the performance has the same classic line up. "Eruption", "House Of The King", "Focus III" and "Hocus Pocus (Reprise)" are great tracks which were taken from the USA live tour of 2002. They were wonderfully performed by an entire new support band of Thijs Van Leer featuring Jan Dumee on vocals and guitars, Bobby Jacobs on bass and Bert Smaak on drums, doing almost forget the original Focus line up. The variable video images as would be expected from a compilation with three decades of difference are acceptable and good. In what concerns to the video, considering the varied sources, the sound is remarkably good too.

Conclusion: Any album or video that proclaims to be the "ultimate" of anything has much to live up to and we must be suspicious of that. Here, despite the two completely different periods, at last, is a DVD that lives up to the hype. I'm sure that the devoted Focus' fans will want to buy this DVD immediately, and for those, like me, that remember Focus with a fond nostalgic glow, there is much to recommend on it. So, this is certainly a DVD that will bear repeated viewings and listenings. Thus, this is a nice DVD that shows the magic of the rock music at the time. It's highly recommended, really.

Prog is my Ferrari. Jem Godfrey (Frost*)

A work lavished with atmospheres of diverse dimensions through an instrumentation that flows soberly, from the medieval character that Akkerman's lute accompanied by van Leer's gentle flute conveys in the brief and crystalline "Delitae Musicae" (an adaptation of the 16th century Dutch composer Joachim van den Hove), the folk reminiscences of the spirited "Harem Scarem" and van Leer's unmistakably Tyrolean vocal registers bordering on the burlesque, the heavenly airs emanating from organs and synthesizers in the ecclesiastical "La Cathedrale de Strasbourg", to the renaissance-rock intensity of "Birth" which, after the incandescent harpsichord intro and the wandering flute, delivers Akkerman's excellent guitar solo.

But the ultimate gem comes with the suite "Hamburger Concerto", a huge and superlative piece divided in six parts that condenses the classical, jazz and progressive influences that Focus uses to build it. The epic keyboard opening is joined by a forceful guitar riff, similar to the one later developed by Rush in "In the End" from their "Fly by Night", the sober bass of Bert Ruiter and the correct percussion of Colin Allen, to gradually create hypnotic and solid sound carpets that allow both the virtuoso showcasing of van Leer with his artillery of pianos, organs and mellotrons (iii. Medium I), as well as Akkerman's electric guitar, at times elegant, at times harsh, coupled with van Leer's sung verses borrowed from the Dutch carol "O Kerstnacht, schoner dan de dagen" (iv. Medium II). The final section finds the suite at its instrumental peak, with the opening guitar riff reappearing, complemented by a luminous synthesiser to conclude the piece majestically. Undoubtedly one of the Dutchman's finest compositions.

"Hamburger Concerto" brings the band's most splendid and renowned period to a brilliant close. Unfortunately, the constant disagreements between van Leer and Akkerman regarding the paths to follow and the musicians who should accompany them on the journey, would end up affecting Focus' musical proposal for the second part of the 70's.

Excellent

4/4,5 stars

Maybe the band members had ran out of ideas? Maybe that's why the next album is in the genre of fusion muzak?