Hamburger Concerto...

Me too, I bought it a few months ago. The best sounding Focus´album I´ve heard thus far. The compositions on Moving Waves and Focus II have more highlights for me, but Hamburger Concerto (the track) is a much more coherent epic than the ones on the other albums I mentioned.

It´s very good, especially Hamburger Concerto (the track). I´m glad I bought it. 

I'm not Focus' biggest fan, but this is a good 'un, for sure

Moogtron III wrote: Ricochet wrote: My dad has it somewhere in the stack of music albums and vinyls...he says it's good stuff... You should listen to your dad, and get yourself a Hamburger

Who knows,maybe some day I will give it a spin...
 

"Hamburger Concerto" is probably the best album Focus has made. The title track is one of the greatest epics of all prog-rock scene. Focus made a promising epic at the "Moving Waves" album - "Eruption" - but "Hamburger Concerto" is more interesting.

Those who like this album, get the DVD named Focus: Masters fron the Vault.

There you can watch and listen a full version of the Hamburger Concerto Suite, plus some other songs of this album played by the golden era Focus including of course Ian Akkerman.

Iván

Yep Jan Akkerman

"La Cathédral De Strasbourg" is for sure one of those songs that could be pretty cool on my funeral...

I had it on an 8-track for dozens of years...(Clicks, fades amd interurtions included) the melody always remained fresh in my mind for many years, last year I bought it on CD.....

Indeed a masterpiece!

I agree, I love Hamburger Concerto; it's their best meld of classical and jazz elements. Though is it just me or does the Moving Waves title track sound like an essay being recited? (dumb song)

I'm a huge Focus fan - they were the first prog band I got into. IMHO although Hamburger Concerto is good, it is not my favorite. I loved Van der Linden's drumming and was sad the whole rhythmic side moved to a sraighter backbeat. Also I find the title track less colourful than Eruption - Akkerman's work on Moving Waves is more unrestrained and  flamboyant. You can see the joins a little more: this is Van Leer on vocals, now organ, now flute. Oh yes, now it's Akkerman's turn. However the last section (following the Carol) is epic music at it's best.

Side one starts beautifully with the little renaissance tune. Harem Scarem is less rock, more funk/jazz (a direction Focus continued in with subsequent albums). La Cathedrale even more jazz, even dangerously MOR, but some jaw-dropping whistling! Birth is a great track - nice to hear some harpsichord. Overall though, I would rate the previous two albums as preferable, but I have sympathy with those who see this as the pinnacle of their work.