LIVE AT THE BBC

Since this album were not at ProgArchives albums list, I've decided to add it. And this makes me its first reviewer. "Focus Live at the BBC" features a transitional line-up: David Kemper was still the drummer, Philip Catherine has already been added as guitarist, but there were no Eeef Albers or (thanks, God!!) P. J. Proby, in a concert recorded by BBC on 3/21/1976. Nine songs in more than an hour of music, but only four were released on other albums: "Maximum" (clocking at 14 minutes - studio version release on "Focus Con Proby" has 8+ minutes), "Sneezing Bull" (also from "Focus Con Proby") and the two great hits ("House of the King", "Hocus Pocus"). This is a jazz-rock effort, not progressive; it is solid but uneven - sometimes the band members seems to playing for their own delight, not to please an audience. The recording is good, but packaging is poor, with that ugly cover you can see above; there are some details about the recording, but no producer or engineer, nothing about the venue and band members are identified only by their names. Some studio photos are presented at the insert, but IMHO live pictures would be more interesting. Highlights: "Blues in D" (as far as I know, a previously unreleased song - written by Bert Ruiter) "Sonata for Flute" (which evokes memories of old days - thanx Gentle Giant! - composed by Johann Sebastian Bach and arrange by Thijs Van Leer) "House of the King" (this is always a winner) "Angel Wings" (another unreleased song, written by Philip Catherine). I'm sure that Focus fans will be pleased by this album. But a newcomer should buy "Live at the Rainbow" instead.