3

The Dutch progressive rock band Focus was formed in Amsterdam in 1969 by vocalist/keyboardist/flutist Thijs Van Leer, bassist Martin Dresden, and drummer Hans Cleuver. With the subsequent addition of guitarist Jan Akkerman, the group released their debut album, "In And Out Of Focus", in 1970. Later, Dresden and Cleuver were replaced by bassist Cyril Havermanns and drummer Pierre Van Der Linden. The band released their next album, "Moving Waves", in 1971.

"Focus 3" is the third studio album of Focus and was released in 1973. Shortly before the band went on the live tour to support their previous studio album "Moving Waves", the bassist Cyril Havermans quit the band and was replaced by the new bassist, Bert Ruiter. The departure of Cyril Havermans was amicable. It came about, in part, as the result of his desire of includes more vocal parts on the music of Focus. As we know, Focus is primarily an instrumental rock band.

So, the line up on the album is Thijs Van Leer (vocals, keyboards, flute, piccolo and recorder), Jan Akkerman (electric guitar, acoustic guitar and lute), Bert Ruiter (bass guitar) and Pierre Van Der Linden (drums).

"Focus 3" has eight tracks. The first track "Round Goes The Gossip" written by Thijs Van Leer is a good progressive song to start the album. It's a well humoured song with a curious and strange consecutive repetition of the title song, by Thijs Van Leer, as if it was a lyrical song. It's a very catchy track, a kind of a jazz-fusion song, with some nice instrumentation. The second track "Love Remembered" written by Jan Akkerman is a very simple and short song but very beautiful to hear and to remember. It's a very relaxing song with a soft tune and a nice pastoral and bucolic melody. This is, basically, a song with acoustic guitar, flute and keyboards, and also with bass and drums on the back. The third track "Sylvia" written by Thijs Van Leer is another very good song, probably the best known track on the all album. It became as one of the classic Focus' songs. It's a very melodic song conducted by the electric guitar performed by Jan Akkerman and with great musical performance by all other band's members, in the supporting role. This is another catchy song with an emotive melody that once more shows the other side of the band, the melodic side of Focus. The fourth track "Carnival Fugue" written by Thijs Van Leer is a song with several and varied musical sections. It's a song that begins in a calm and relaxing way and that grows and grows all over the song. This is a jazz oriented song with good instrumental playing and it's also a song more in the line of their traditional musical style. The fifth track is the title track "Focus III". It was written by Thijs Van Leer. It's a song that continues the Focus series, with good song writing and great musical performance by all band's members, as is usual. Like the other Focus' themes, it's a great piece of music, gentle, very symphonic and very emotional. The guitar and the keyboard performances are great, and this track represents, for me, one of the highest points on the album. This is Focus at their best. The sixth track "Answers? Questions! Questions? Answers!" written by Jan Akkerman and Bert Ruiter is the lengthiest track on the album. It's also a very good song that can keep the great high musical quality of the all album. This is essentially an improvised song with great keyboard, flute and guitar solos. It's another jazzy oriented song, very pleasant to hear and that reminds me the good old King Crimson's musical times. The seventh track "Elspeth Of Nottingham" written by Jan Akkerman is a very beautiful medieval madrigal very well performed by classical guitar and flute. Personally, I always loved the middle ages music, and because of that, this song is a blessing for my senses. This is another great track that keeps the high quality of the music on the all album. The eighth and last track "Anonymous Two" written by Thijs Van Leer, Jan Akkerman and Pierre Van Der Linden is the magnus opus of the album. This is a long instrumental piece of music, the lengthiest on the album, with an excellent instrumental performance. It's, essentially, another improvised song, but that seems to me most enjoyable and interesting played live than performed on a studio album. Anyway, this is a good track but i'ts far way from being as good as "Eruption", recorded on their last studio album "Moving Waves".

Conclusion: "Focus 3" is another great album of Focus. It's, without any doubt, better than "In And Out Of Focus" but, it's also definitely less good than "Hamburger Concerto". However, comparatively with "Moving Waves", I know that the opinions are divided. While the majority of fans will go for "Hamburger Concerto" as the best Focus album, relatively to their next best studio album, the opinions are divided between "Moving Waves" or "Focus 3". For me, sincerely, I don't have a clear opinion by one of them. I really love both at the same level. In my opinion, "Focus 3" hasn't great highlights and worth more as a whole. "Moving Waves" has two great highlights "Hocus Pocus" and "Eruption" but it has also a weak point, its title track "Moving Waves". So, "Focus 3" is a great album with great musical moments, very well balanced and cohesive, very well performed and produced and that essentially worth more as a cohesive piece.

Prog is my Ferrari. Jem Godfrey (Frost*)

Share this FOCUS review

Social review comments () BETA

---

---

Review related links

• Send comments to VianaProghead
• Report this review (#2544783)
• Buy FOCUS music online with PA partners
• Show all FOCUS MP3/Stream
• Go to FOCUS page for videos, full discography with ratings, reviews and much more
• Go to 3 page for more details, where to buy and ratings/reviews
• Search the Forum for FOCUS related discussions