Focus, the band that made yodelling fashionable thanks to barking mad band leader, Thijs Van Leer. Focus are another band from my youth, thanks to their singles Sylvia and Hocus Pocus. They both made the British charts and had had appearances on Top Of The Pops, where a very impressionable me was transfixed. Although Dutch natives, this was recorded in England at Olympic Studios in ’73. They have a very distinct sound that his theirs, and theirs alone, no one sounds like Focus.
As far as instrumental albums go, this is a very diverse album of styles. The album starts with a serious jazz/prog workout, which is mainly instrumental apart from a fairly inaudible vocal. Love Remembered is next and features Van Leer’s flute playing to the max. The aforementioned single, Sylvia, follows. The main groove of the song is Akkerman’s guitar, which plays what would be the vocal line. Side 1 ends with Carnival Fugue, and has the patented Focus jazz/prog vibe throughout- apart from the lounge lizard section.
Over to Side 2, which has just the two tracks. The title track, Focus 3, is a very slow piece that gives way to the Answers? Questions! Questions? Answers! 14 minutes of prog instrumental heaven. A very seventies sounding piece, but I really like it. Just to say, vocals are the last thing I focus on when listening to a record for the first time. The music always comes first.
Over to Side 3 and the longest track, Anonymous 2 Part 1, which clocks in at 19 minutes. Lots of organ and flute playing start the piece off, and if I’m honest, is probably a tad over indulgent.
Over to Side 4 we go, and Anonymous 2 the conclusion, which is mostly a drum solo. Very weird. The last two songs are short(er) Ackerman pieces, Elspeth Of Nottingham and House Of The King. The first of which is a baroque folk mandolin driven piece. The last track was chosen as a theme song to an ITV programme called Don’t Ask Me, and Saxondale with Steve Coogan.
That’s that, and another great 70’s Prog album.
7.5/10 from The Grooveman.
