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Rank the Focus albums

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Sacro_Porgo View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (1) Thanks(1)   Quote Sacro_Porgo Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Topic: Rank the Focus albums
    Posted: December 27 2021 at 19:47
How would you rank the Focus discography?
Porg for short. My love of music doesn't end with prog! Feel free to discuss all sorts of music with me. Odds are I'll give it a chance if I haven't already! :)
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Logan Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: December 27 2021 at 20:17
No definitive ranking from me, although Focus 3, Focus II and Hamburger Concerto would top my list. I also really like the debut as well as the commonly lower rated Ship of Memories and the often low-rated Mother Focus (Bennie Helder!)

Hamburger Concerto is the most important to me, a meaty masterpiece, and I guess Focus 3 would be second with the second third and the first fourth.... In my collection I only have the albums up to 9.

Focus and Gryphon may have been my first Prog loves.

Despite placing the most personal significance on Hamburger Concerto, I do miss the drumming of Pierre van der Linden on it and for that reason have sometimes ranked it lower than earlier ones (Focus 3 as well as II).

Edited by Logan - December 27 2021 at 20:21
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote David_D Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: December 28 2021 at 06:56

1. Moving Waves / Focus II (1971)
2. Hamburger Concerto (1974)
3. Focus 3 (1972)
                      quality over quantity, and all kind of PopcoRn almost beyond
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Sean Trane Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: December 28 2021 at 07:14
Hamburger Concerto

Focus 3
Moving Waves
Rainbow (live)



Ship of Memories
In & Out Of (FPF)

Con Proby




Mother
The rest




.


Edited by Sean Trane - December 28 2021 at 07:14
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Progishness Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: December 28 2021 at 08:01
Moving Waves (aka Focus II)
Focus III
Hamburger Concerto
Live at the Rainbow
In and Out of Focus (aka Focus)

Are the albums that I'm able to listen to over and over, pretty much the rest of their discography I can take or leave.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote AFlowerKingCrimson Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: December 28 2021 at 13:21
Hamburger Concerto is the most important to me, a meaty masterpiece....


I see what you did there! Wink
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote enigmatic Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: December 28 2021 at 14:14
1. Moving Waves (aka Focus II)
2. Focus III
3. Hamburger Concerto
4. Live at the Rainbow
5. In and Out of Focus
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote irrelevant Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: December 28 2021 at 21:13
Ship of Memories
III
Mother Focus
II
Hamburger Concerto
Con Proby
In and Out of Focus
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Man With Hat Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: December 28 2021 at 22:40
Originally posted by David_D David_D wrote:


1. Moving Waves / Focus II (1971)
2. Hamburger Concerto (1974)
3. Focus 3 (1972)

same for me

the rest I can take or leave 
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote SouthSideoftheSky Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: December 29 2021 at 04:38

If the recent Completely Focussed album will be released separately (it was only part of the Focus 50 set), I would rate it with five stars - it is fantastic! Highly recommended!

Will return will a full ranking later.

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Dellinger Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: December 31 2021 at 00:51
First Hamburger Concerto, then Moving Waves, then the others before Hamburger Concerto.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote SouthSideoftheSky Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: January 01 2022 at 08:47

I'm surprised noboby so far has included the more recent Focus albums: 8, 9, 10, & 11. These are all good albums if you ask me, and I would rank them higher than some of the 70's albums.

The gossip is going around that Focus 12 will come out this year!
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote someone_else Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: January 01 2022 at 08:56
1. Focus II
2. Hamburger Concerto
3. Focus 8
4. Focus 3.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Psychedelic Paul Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: January 01 2022 at 09:07
 1. Golden Oldies (2014)
 2. Moving Waves (1971)
 3. Hamburger Concerto (1974)
 4. Focus 3 (1972)


4 stars 1970: Focus - In and Out of Focus - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o34Hftlard4
5 stars 1971: Focus - Moving Waves - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cCBMPdqDAS0
5 stars 1974: Focus - Hamburger Concerto - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yl8RbU1hXuQ
3 stars 1985: Jan Akkerman & Thijs van Leer - Focus - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLC8ao1-JpsqNhBg7mEYbc5TraqAOO4o-P
4 stars 2006: Focus - Focus 9 / New Skin - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GObrMhsmqYg
5 stars 2014: Focus - Golden Oldies - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BuGrGFkNxGM
4 stars 2016: Focus & Friends - Focus 8.5 / Beyond the Horizon -  https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_llmzo08kuLBSxn4ZDWKXQ3x66Ppy1PAOw
4 stars 2021: Focus - Focus 50: Live in Rio / Completely Focused - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_l72j_QYARhHUH1yUz4OaidXvMC6G1WPOo


Edited by Psychedelic Paul - January 01 2022 at 09:09
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote SouthSideoftheSky Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: January 01 2022 at 09:28

Another great release is the live album/video Live In England recorded in 2009.

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote WJA-K Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 30 2022 at 03:18
1. Hamburger Concerto
2. Focus III
3. Moving Waves (aka Focus II)
4. In and out of Focus

The rest I don't know well enough to judge.


Edited by WJA-K - March 30 2022 at 03:26
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Cactus Choir Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 30 2022 at 03:55
Hamburger Concerto
Moving Waves
Focus 3
Ship of Memories
In and Out of Focus
Focus (1985). I always regard this as an unofficial Focus album as Akkerman and van Leer are both on it.
Mother Focus
"And now...on the drums...Mick Underwooooooooood!!!"

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