FINALLY someone get's into what the band can do beyond Hocus Pocus! They are Mostly an instrumental band but so very talented and still putting out great albums. Even though they have had many members they still have that "Focus" sound thanks to founding member Thijs van Leer still being at the helm.
CTTE 2017? I was there. He was just a regular guy walking around with his yellow bag. Bumming cigarettes and hanging around with all of us regular peeps. And always happy to belt out a yodel on request.
@@bradhernandez5823 actually 2018, first night at sea, he walked into the sushi bar, we invited him to join us. We shared each others sushi and shared a bottle of sake. Talked for an hour and a half. I had a picture taken of us which I had blown up and took on CTTE 2019 and he signed it for me! It was a real pleasure hanging with him for a little while.
@@bradhernandez5823 I was booked for this year (would have been my 3rd) and will be keeping my reservation for March 2022. I already re-started packing!
Too many folks see Hocus Focus as what they do--but they were so much more than that. Oh, and those who suggest Hamburger Concerto---LISTEN TO THEM! Ooooh..
When the single came out I bought it (when I still bought singles), I thought it was the coolest thing ever. I still quite like it today. Jan (pronounced with a y) Akkerman is very well respected in rock circles. Thijs is approximately pronounced Tace. Nice one JP, good to hear it again.
Back in 1973, Focus released a live album ("At The Rainbow") and during 'Sylvia' Jan Akkerman plays a really duff note. Strangely though, it doesn't take anything away from the performance (he got away with it!) In fact it makes that version unique and actually adds to it, and lets those of us who couldn't be there at the Rainbow performance, feel as though we at least experienced something that those who were there were present for (and possibly even missed on the night!) If I want to hear 'Sylvia' played pristine and perfectly, I can always put on 'Focus 3'. Listening to the Rainbow performance, faults and all, is a different experience.
Thijs van leer Made great music. This song is know by most people of my age in the Netherlands. His solo work Introspection is also great. You can also see him play the flute in the Ayreon live concert: The electric castle live and other tales.
Focus are great. I recommended Eruption by them on the Hocus pocus video. On this one I'll recommend their Hamburger Concerto album. The whole of side 2 is the title track. It flows, is jazzy, is classical, is enjoyable. Side 1 is 5 shorter tracks. Each one is a little nugget of gold. Birth is beautiful, La Cathedral de Strasburg is majestic. Harum Scarum is a little wild. Delitiea music is sweet little piece which is far too short. It's all wonderful. Give your ears a treat.
Thank you! Focus were where it all started for me. I had no real interest in music until I heard Sylvia and Hocus Pocus when they became hit singles. They ignited my love for music, and for prog in particular, and went onto have a big impact on my life and my bank balance. Please react to more. Moving Waves, Focus 3, and Hamburger Concerto are considered their best albums, but you might want to check out Anonymous from their first album In And Out Of Focus. They would revisit it in a much extended format on 3 but I've always had a soft spot for the original. Keep up the great work, Peter.
Same! This was the song that started it all for me. My dad played keyboards in a trio with my uncle on guitar and a friend on drums - nothing fancy, just playing weddings and functions - and Sylvia was a regular on their setlist. I used to BEG them to play it again and again when they were rehearsing in our house. A couple of years later we moved house and my Dad dug out his record player, and I finally got to hear the original for the first time. It just unlocked music for me. I got into the rest of Focus 3, and from there it was a hop and a skip to Yes, Jethro Tull, Mike Oldfield, Gentle Giant... These days I listen to so much besides prog, but you can trace it all back to this one gorgeous little instrumental tune.
Classic melody. No showing off from Akkerman or ‘Comedy’ from Van Leer, just a memorable instrumental that was a deserved Top 10 hit in the UK. For Focus epics try Eruption or the wonderful Hamburger Concerto 👍 Oh and also Round Goes the Gossip...that one has operatic vocals, jazzy guitar licks, powerhouse drumming...the lot!
Wow I'm so excited and kinda nervous at the same time!!! I hope you really enjoy it!!! ROUND AND ROUND AND THE HERO AND HEROINE ARE A MUST TOO SO YOU GET THE FULL ASPECT OF THEIR PROG "ROCK" SIDE NOT JUST THEIR BALLADS!!! THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR RESPONDING!! YOU JUST MADE MY DAY!!😊😊😊😊
Takes me right back to being 11 years old again when my older brother bought the single. It always gives me a lift. As someone else suggested below try out "House Of The King", it was used as the theme music to a program called "Don't Ask Me" here in the UK in the 70's and has a lot of flute content!! I think it was also used as the theme on a comedy series called "Saxondale" with Steve Coogan.
Great song to start the day! Very happy and upbeat. The last song on Focus 3, "House of the King", also maintains that bright optimistic feel. Also, I noticed this song appears on two albums - In and Out of Focus, and Focus 3.
Hey Justin, I thought I'd have to put the record straight re: the chart success of 'Sylvia'. In the UK, the single reached no. 4, in the charts in February, 73. 'Hocus Pocus' was also in the top 20, at no. 20. If my memory serves me well, I'm pretty sure that Focus were the first band since The Beatles, to have two singles in the top 20 at the same time - I'm sure this has been bettered since, but not in 1973. I'm sure it did even better in other European countries. Comparisons are always idiosyncratic, as no one has heard every guitarist, but Jan's peers are Al Di Meola and Jeff Beck, but to me, Jan betters both of them, as he has the technique and more 'soul'. In the Melody Maker poll of 1973, Jan was voted the best International Guitarist, beating Clapton, Page, John McLaughlin and Steve Howe. I still think that result holds up, as proof, I can imagine Jan playing anything the others could throw at him, but I think they would fail reciprocating. There's an interesting TV 1975 show (from Denmark I think) with Jan, Bert Jansch, Stefan Grossman, and Ralph McTell. They chat and play guitar, Jan is in a different league to the others. It's worth searching UA-cam for the clip.
Hit single? Hmm, hadn’t heard it before. Very anthemic, as you said, from the great country Sylviania. S’good, not mind altering for me, Hocus Pocus was mind altering for me... scibbibie boo zan babbleby doo doo doo doo. Glad I heard this hit song finally. Enjoy your email replies. Take care everyone, mask up, change them out or wash them good, don’t touch them, much love, Peace and scibbibie boo zan babbleby doo doo doo doo Music
You have to take another listen and check that chord progression, which really takes the song to it's hights. Great stuff. Another song where Jan Akkerman shines is Focus II from their album Moving Waves. And only 1K to go before Thick as a Brick :)
Their first 4 albums are really great. Here is the link for their composition 'Focus III' ( ua-cam.com/video/xCqDZMqd4XY/v-deo.html ), from the album Focus 3. Next is 'Tommy' from their 2nd album, Moving Waves ( ua-cam.com/video/U_Hpf3rTudQ/v-deo.html ). And the last one is their very first hit, 'House of the King' ( ua-cam.com/video/4lv8YR68vcA/v-deo.html ); it's a fun instrumental piece.
I've heard both Focus and The Nice since my adolescence, but this is the first time that I realized how much the first riff of this reminds me of The Nice's version of America
Oh you'll hear much more of the bass and drums as you dive further into the Focus catalog. Tommy (part of the bigger Eruption suite) is another great anthemic guitar piece which Steve Hackett does a great cover version of.
You really ought to listen to Delitiae Musicae and Harem Scarem, two melodies that really (according to me ) belong together. The opening numbers from the album "Hamburger Concerto".
Can't fault a bit of Focus - it's one of my favourite bands. But Sylvia I'm a bit blase about. I like it, sure - who would not like it given the virtuoso status of van Leer, Akkerman, Ruiter and van der Linden - but it's a bit too familiar, a bit conventional. Perhaps Round Goes the Gossip would be an interesting review though: it even has lyrics, albeit Latin ones. Why Dream and Happy Nightmare are sung in English, however.
Dutch prog is great. I hope you’ll get to Ekseption. Yes, they did mostly versions of classical pieces but their arrangements and their own tracks are so good. Begin with ”Bottle Mind” and ”On sunday they will kill the world”
Love deep tracks that, for whatever frustrating reason, don't get the attention they so richly deserve, especially on albums from the 70's. I was a penny pincher even back then, and I would never buy an album for just one song (Hocus Pocus), so this one sold me.
You are missing one more for a triptych "Focus - house of the king". In this piece of music, rock meets the Middle Ages. Hopefully you will respond to this fantastic piece of music. Thijs van Leer on flute!
Just as an aside. Van Leer explained in an interview that "Sylvia" was originally a vocal tune but the title was so long that it occupied four bars of music. Enter, Jan Akkerman.
There's a "shower solo" in Focus' Hamburger Concerto concept album, I believe on side 2 in the song Medium. Van Leer casually rips into a baritone riff of extreme silliness which reminds me of loofahs, before haring off into the falsetto stratosphere and thence, organ heaven. It's been a while since I listened to HC, but perhaps it then goes into a hymn, sung in Dutch, before hitting an almost beautifully dramatic, orgasmic finale which ends in the quarter chimes of Big Ben.
I have always felt Jan Akkerman played the most 'lyrical' guitar among his peers... He gives the guitar 'voice', carrying such emotion and reaching the hearts of all who listen. Thijs van Leer is a master of fusing classical, rock and jazz into unique soul-filling compositions, and be it Martijn Dresden or Bert Ruiter on bass, Hans Cleuver or Pierre van der Linden on drums... the group's early magic is classic. Thank you all for the journey!!
Hey Justin My Man!! Focus! Never heard any of their music besides hocus pocus! This was okay. My favorite part was the loud ending. Hardly any drums. Nothing I would listen to on my own either. How about some more Joni or Karen?! My favs are Joni- THE CIRCLE GAME!! And KAREN- BLESS THE BEASTS AND THE CHILDREN!! Also CARLY SIMON- THATS THE WAY IVE ALWAYS HEARD IT SHOULD BE!! Im so glad to here how you are so appreciated by so many people here on this channel!! I definitely appreciate your awesome in depth breakdowns of songs!!! GREAT JOB JP!!! DONT FORGET: STRAWBS- GRACE DARLING!! HAS SOME NICE ORGAN IN IT AND GREAT VOCALS WITH AN AWESOME TRUE BACKSTORY!!! PLEASE PLAY THAT SOON!!! YOUR #1AZ FAN MICHAEL😽😸😊😊
OK. I confess. "Hocus Pocus" was the only 'Focus' song I've listened to ( off and on for nearly 50 years ). But this was really good! FYI: I think it is 'Yan' Ackerman, like Jan Garbarek, or Jan (Miami Vice) Hammer., not Jan like Jan-Michael Vincent). Anyway, I'll need to focus and stream some more Focus. Thank, Justin.
It's a good Focus song - popularity notwithstanding, they have better material. My absolute favourite by them is BIRTH from the album Hamburger Concerto.
Keep up it up Justin! This is one of their top forty songs, can't go wrong with that riff, very listenable. Dig deeper, so many long proggy classics available in their library. Saw you hit some Kansas, good move. Now sample some Uriah Heep, "Easy Living," is probably their most famous top forty tune and it's a good organ driven, rocker.
lol, just fyi, it's "Tice" and "Yon"... dutch pronunciation is tricky. There's a lot more goodness from this band... Eruption and Hamburger Concerto are two excellent epic length tracks. Round Goes the Gossip is another really fun one, and La Cathedrale de Strasbourg is really beautiful. Oddly, my most exciting encounter with Thijs was right after meeting up with Robert Heckman on the 2019 cruise. I was well prepared for Thijs going mariachi on everyone :)
JN Akkerman was considered to be one of the best guitarists around at this time- which must be true as he later collaborated with Paco De Lucia. If you don’t know Paco, he was a Spanish flamenco guitarist, considered by a lot of top guitarists to be the the best in the world, in any genre.
Hi @JustJP, two things. First, in your description, could you add a link to a list of songs that you have reacted already (with links to the videos would be awesome)? After each new video, you could add it to the list. That way people could easely know if they want to suggest something already done. Also, speaking of Focus, have you already heard "Hamberger Concerto"?
Pretty close, as long as you say "yawn" in most US accents, and not a UK-based one. To get the speed of the AW right, though, you'd have to say something that sounds closer to the non-word "Yun" (rhyming with "fun"). It's not a long vowel.
Another little bit of pronunciation (not that it's the most important part of a music reaction). Thijs would be pronounced somewhere between "Tace" and "Tice" (with a longish ice-i, not a short one). In Afrikaans (daughter of Dutch) the name Thys (pron: "tace") is not uncommon. It basically comes from Matthys - Matthew. It's a simplification of the Dutch "ij" syllable (which sounds more like "eye" than "ay" )
Love Focus. But now when u been in focus, why not travel from Netherlands over to Germany? And the band Out Of Focus? Their album "Out Of Focus" from 1971,and the song "Blue Sunday Morning" is a slow paced organ driven NOT instrumental song. Out of focus is their second album. Their 2 first albums is great. Greets from the Swede !
Please react to "Eruption" by Focus it is a 23 minute long instrumental that is one of the finest pieces of prog music recorded in the 20th century. I am not exaggerating. I feel if you had heard it you would have played it by now. Every reactor on UA-cam reacts to "Hocus Pocus" which is a fun, novelty song which shows off the skills of the band. "Eruption" on the other hand is a masterpiece. You have shown yourself in the past to not being averse to tackling longer pieces of music so please give yourself and your subscribers/listeners a treat and do this one. You will not be sorry.
Sorry to keep beating the drum but its appropos since you're listening to Focus. Please listen to another Dutch band named Earth & Fire, not Earth, Wind & Fire, the song is "Storm and Thunder". I think you'll enjoy it.
@@JustJP Actually true in a couple ways...it was from the Beat Club sub that I first heard of them a few weeks back. Been listening to them ever since. Good stuff from 1970 to about 1975 then they went a bit pop.
FINALLY someone get's into what the band can do beyond Hocus Pocus! They are Mostly an instrumental band but so very talented and still putting out great albums. Even though they have had many members they still have that "Focus" sound thanks to founding member Thijs van Leer still being at the helm.
what a beautifully melodic song. I've heard it since it came out, and still play it on radio and sing it to myself.
Focus are the kings of instrumental progressive tunes with a classical touch. Eruption is their masterpiece.
Id say Anonymus Two takes the cake, but surely two amazing songs made by amazing people!
Ekseption was another Dutch band with classical curve. :)
I had dinner with Thijs van Leer (Focus leader) 3 years ago on a progressive rock cruise. Highlight of my life!
CTTE 2017? I was there. He was just a regular guy walking around with his yellow bag. Bumming cigarettes and hanging around with all of us regular peeps. And always happy to belt out a yodel on request.
@@bradhernandez5823 actually 2018, first night at sea, he walked into the sushi bar, we invited him to join us. We shared each others sushi and shared a bottle of sake. Talked for an hour and a half. I had a picture taken of us which I had blown up and took on CTTE 2019 and he signed it for me! It was a real pleasure hanging with him for a little while.
@@robertheckman8013 Nice!!! I am looking forward to 2022 cruise.
Jan=Yon. His greatest playing is on Moving Waves on Eruption which is a sidelong suite.
@@bradhernandez5823 I was booked for this year (would have been my 3rd) and will be keeping my reservation for March 2022. I already re-started packing!
Sylvia - the girl you can spend the whole day with, talking, laughing, smiling and not remember a thing either of you said. And it doesn't matter.
I can say with a significant level of pride that this was the first single I ever bought as a 10year old..
Answers?Questions!Questions?Answers! from the same album is an absolute killer track
Yes. That is my favorite track as well. Heard them LIVE in 1973 and it was very impressive.
I've always loved this song from a small boy onwards. It sounds like a theme of a TV show, that didn't exist.
Jan Akkerman’s finest hour - beautiful 🤩
Phenomenal musicians, every one of them!
PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE do more Focus songs! I highly recommend the rest of the Focus III album or the 20+ minutes epics they made
Nothing I can say.Perfection.As is Sylvia, whoever she is.Thanks for her inspiration.Pure.Just found this btw.
Too many folks see Hocus Focus as what they do--but they were so much more than that. Oh, and those who suggest Hamburger Concerto---LISTEN TO THEM! Ooooh..
When the single came out I bought it (when I still bought singles), I thought it was the coolest thing ever. I still quite like it today. Jan (pronounced with a y) Akkerman is very well respected in rock circles. Thijs is approximately pronounced Tace. Nice one JP, good to hear it again.
First heard this as a kid on TOTP what a great band what an amazing melody
Back in 1973, Focus released a live album ("At The Rainbow") and during 'Sylvia' Jan Akkerman plays a really duff note. Strangely though, it doesn't take anything away from the performance (he got away with it!) In fact it makes that version unique and actually adds to it, and lets those of us who couldn't be there at the Rainbow performance, feel as though we at least experienced something that those who were there were present for (and possibly even missed on the night!) If I want to hear 'Sylvia' played pristine and perfectly, I can always put on 'Focus 3'. Listening to the Rainbow performance, faults and all, is a different experience.
On the infamous "4:30" version of 'Hocus Pocus", Jan hits some HORRIBLY duff notes early on, but it doesn't matter, he's on fire otherwise!
Thijs van leer Made great music. This song is know by most people of my age in the Netherlands. His solo work Introspection is also great.
You can also see him play the flute in the Ayreon live concert: The electric castle live and other tales.
Sylvia was actually a big hit in Europe. While their best stuff went unknown to many, and was very progressive. Like "Eruption".
Focus are great. I recommended Eruption by them on the Hocus pocus video. On this one I'll recommend their Hamburger Concerto album. The whole of side 2 is the title track. It flows, is jazzy, is classical, is enjoyable. Side 1 is 5 shorter tracks. Each one is a little nugget of gold. Birth is beautiful, La Cathedral de Strasburg is majestic. Harum Scarum is a little wild. Delitiea music is sweet little piece which is far too short. It's all wonderful. Give your ears a treat.
Thank you! Focus were where it all started for me. I had no real interest in music until I heard Sylvia and Hocus Pocus when they became hit singles. They ignited my love for music, and for prog in particular, and went onto have a big impact on my life and my bank balance. Please react to more. Moving Waves, Focus 3, and Hamburger Concerto are considered their best albums, but you might want to check out Anonymous from their first album In And Out Of Focus. They would revisit it in a much extended format on 3 but I've always had a soft spot for the original. Keep up the great work, Peter.
Same! This was the song that started it all for me. My dad played keyboards in a trio with my uncle on guitar and a friend on drums - nothing fancy, just playing weddings and functions - and Sylvia was a regular on their setlist. I used to BEG them to play it again and again when they were rehearsing in our house. A couple of years later we moved house and my Dad dug out his record player, and I finally got to hear the original for the first time. It just unlocked music for me. I got into the rest of Focus 3, and from there it was a hop and a skip to Yes, Jethro Tull, Mike Oldfield, Gentle Giant... These days I listen to so much besides prog, but you can trace it all back to this one gorgeous little instrumental tune.
@@runciblemoon1194 glad to know it wasn't just me! 😁
Ty Pietro!
I really like Mother Focus also
Where it started for me, too.
Classic melody. No showing off from Akkerman or ‘Comedy’ from Van Leer, just a memorable instrumental that was a deserved Top 10 hit in the UK. For Focus epics try Eruption or the wonderful Hamburger Concerto 👍 Oh and also Round Goes the Gossip...that one has operatic vocals, jazzy guitar licks, powerhouse drumming...the lot!
Wow I'm so excited and kinda nervous at the same time!!! I hope you really enjoy it!!! ROUND AND ROUND AND THE HERO AND HEROINE ARE A MUST TOO SO YOU GET THE FULL ASPECT OF THEIR PROG "ROCK" SIDE NOT JUST THEIR BALLADS!!! THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR RESPONDING!! YOU JUST MADE MY DAY!!😊😊😊😊
I've grown to love the cover version by Transatlantic but I never really knew who they were covering. Very cool to hear the original. Thanks, JP.
Takes me right back to being 11 years old again when my older brother bought the single. It always gives me a lift. As someone else suggested below try out "House Of The King", it was used as the theme music to a program called "Don't Ask Me" here in the UK in the 70's and has a lot of flute content!! I think it was also used as the theme on a comedy series called "Saxondale" with Steve Coogan.
JP, now you’ve gone and done it! I’m going to have this tune running through my brain while I try to fall asleep tonight!
Birth on Hamburger Concerto, a pearl !
Great song to start the day! Very happy and upbeat.
The last song on Focus 3, "House of the King", also maintains that bright optimistic feel. Also, I noticed this song appears on two albums - In and Out of Focus, and Focus 3.
Hey Justin, I thought I'd have to put the record straight re: the chart success of 'Sylvia'. In the UK, the single reached no. 4, in the charts in February, 73. 'Hocus Pocus' was also in the top 20, at no. 20. If my memory serves me well, I'm pretty sure that Focus were the first band since The Beatles, to have two singles in the top 20 at the same time - I'm sure this has been bettered since, but not in 1973. I'm sure it did even better in other European countries. Comparisons are always idiosyncratic, as no one has heard every guitarist, but Jan's peers are Al Di Meola and Jeff Beck, but to me, Jan betters both of them, as he has the technique and more 'soul'. In the Melody Maker poll of 1973, Jan was voted the best International Guitarist, beating Clapton, Page, John McLaughlin and Steve Howe. I still think that result holds up, as proof, I can imagine Jan playing anything the others could throw at him, but I think they would fail reciprocating. There's an interesting TV 1975 show (from Denmark I think) with Jan, Bert Jansch, Stefan Grossman, and Ralph McTell. They chat and play guitar, Jan is in a different league to the others. It's worth searching UA-cam for the clip.
House of the King is also one of those nostalgic mellow melodic piece that I always get..well nostalgic and mellow when I hear. Focus are amazing
Try their "House Of The King" next.
Love this song and your reactions keep um coming 👍
Will do Roy! Ty
After that i always want to hear "The Snow Goose" from Camel, or maybe "Focus 2" 😉
Great review, as always. The next instrumental track you review has to be Peaches en Regalia by Zappa... it simply must be. It's time for Hot Rats.
Hit single? Hmm, hadn’t heard it before. Very anthemic, as you said, from the great country Sylviania.
S’good, not mind altering for me, Hocus Pocus was mind altering for me... scibbibie boo zan babbleby doo doo doo doo.
Glad I heard this hit song finally.
Enjoy your email replies.
Take care everyone, mask up, change them out or wash them good, don’t touch them, much love,
Peace and scibbibie boo zan babbleby doo doo doo doo Music
love what you do. much appreciated in UK.
Thank you very much Carl!
You have to take another listen and check that chord progression, which really takes the song to it's hights. Great stuff. Another song where Jan Akkerman shines is Focus II from their album Moving Waves.
And only 1K to go before Thick as a Brick :)
I've loved this track since I was a small kid. The melody captivated me, and the guitar just sang.
Hamburger Concerto. A top 5 prog epic.
That was some very cool music. Glad I listened.
Glad you enjoyed!
Their first 4 albums are really great. Here is the link for their composition 'Focus III' ( ua-cam.com/video/xCqDZMqd4XY/v-deo.html ), from the album Focus 3. Next is 'Tommy' from their 2nd album, Moving Waves ( ua-cam.com/video/U_Hpf3rTudQ/v-deo.html ). And the last one is their very first hit, 'House of the King' ( ua-cam.com/video/4lv8YR68vcA/v-deo.html ); it's a fun instrumental piece.
I've heard both Focus and The Nice since my adolescence, but this is the first time that I realized how much the first riff of this reminds me of The Nice's version of America
Fantastic song
Oh you'll hear much more of the bass and drums as you dive further into the Focus catalog. Tommy (part of the bigger Eruption suite) is another great anthemic guitar piece which Steve Hackett does a great cover version of.
You really ought to listen to Delitiae Musicae and Harem Scarem, two melodies that really (according to me ) belong together. The opening numbers from the album "Hamburger Concerto".
Can't fault a bit of Focus - it's one of my favourite bands. But Sylvia I'm a bit blase about. I like it, sure - who would not like it given the virtuoso status of van Leer, Akkerman, Ruiter and van der Linden - but it's a bit too familiar, a bit conventional. Perhaps Round Goes the Gossip would be an interesting review though: it even has lyrics, albeit Latin ones. Why Dream and Happy Nightmare are sung in English, however.
Dutch prog is great. I hope you’ll get to Ekseption. Yes, they did mostly versions of classical pieces but their arrangements and their own tracks are so good. Begin with ”Bottle Mind” and ”On sunday they will kill the world”
Love deep tracks that, for whatever frustrating reason, don't get the attention they so richly deserve, especially on albums from the 70's. I was a penny pincher even back then, and I would never buy an album for just one song (Hocus Pocus), so this one sold me.
Yeah that was cool, enjoyed the melodies mostly. Part of guitar melody briefly reminded my of "Canon in D". Nice choice and reaction.
Great memories, thanks JP. Focus were the first prog rock band I got into aged 13 (I'm 58 now). By-the-way, they're Dutch so Jan is pronounced Yan.
You are missing one more for a triptych "Focus - house of the king". In this piece of music, rock meets the Middle Ages. Hopefully you will respond to this fantastic piece of music. Thijs van Leer on flute!
Try Eruption, Answers Questions Questions Answers, or Focus II and Focus III . Great listening. Mostly instrumental.
Just as an aside. Van Leer explained in an interview that "Sylvia" was originally a vocal tune but the title was so long that it occupied four bars of music. Enter, Jan Akkerman.
There's a "shower solo" in Focus' Hamburger Concerto concept album, I believe on side 2 in the song Medium. Van Leer casually rips into a baritone riff of extreme silliness which reminds me of loofahs, before haring off into the falsetto stratosphere and thence, organ heaven. It's been a while since I listened to HC, but perhaps it then goes into a hymn, sung in Dutch, before hitting an almost beautifully dramatic, orgasmic finale which ends in the quarter chimes of Big Ben.
I have always felt Jan Akkerman played the most 'lyrical' guitar among his peers... He gives the guitar 'voice', carrying such emotion and reaching the hearts of all who listen. Thijs van Leer is a master of fusing classical, rock and jazz into unique soul-filling compositions, and be it Martijn Dresden or Bert Ruiter on bass, Hans Cleuver or Pierre van der Linden on drums... the group's early magic is classic. Thank you all for the journey!!
Lived through this period and I've yet to hear a finer master of the art than Akkerman. He made that guitar do things nobody has matched since.
Hey Justin My Man!! Focus! Never heard any of their music besides hocus pocus! This was okay. My favorite part was the loud ending. Hardly any drums. Nothing I would listen to on my own either. How about some more Joni or Karen?! My favs are Joni- THE CIRCLE GAME!! And KAREN- BLESS THE BEASTS AND THE CHILDREN!! Also CARLY SIMON- THATS THE WAY IVE ALWAYS HEARD IT SHOULD BE!! Im so glad to here how you are so appreciated by so many people here on this channel!! I definitely appreciate your awesome in depth breakdowns of songs!!! GREAT JOB JP!!! DONT FORGET: STRAWBS- GRACE DARLING!! HAS SOME NICE ORGAN IN IT AND GREAT VOCALS WITH AN AWESOME TRUE BACKSTORY!!! PLEASE PLAY THAT SOON!!! YOUR #1AZ FAN MICHAEL😽😸😊😊
Ty MK! I got Grace on the list!
OK. I confess. "Hocus Pocus" was the only 'Focus' song I've listened to ( off and on for nearly 50 years ). But this was really good! FYI: I think it is 'Yan' Ackerman, like Jan Garbarek, or Jan (Miami Vice) Hammer., not Jan like Jan-Michael Vincent). Anyway, I'll need to focus and stream some more Focus. Thank, Justin.
It's a good Focus song - popularity notwithstanding, they have better material. My absolute favourite by them is BIRTH from the album Hamburger Concerto.
It's popular because its great.
Keep up it up Justin! This is one of their top forty songs, can't go wrong with that riff, very listenable. Dig deeper, so many long proggy classics available in their library. Saw you hit some Kansas, good move. Now sample some Uriah Heep, "Easy Living," is probably their most famous top forty tune and it's a good organ driven, rocker.
Ty Hatsbo!
A simple song which, as you say, can be good when Thijs Van Leer can give you so many pyrotechnics. I might even go so far as to say necessary.
Lots of great tracks on the Focus 3 album. And you should check out Hanburger Concerto.
Excellent stuff, consider a reaction to Elbow, one day like this, or grounds for Divorce, or one of us or Open Arms
Hey Justin, if you like call and response between guitar and keyboards, check out Firebird by Manfred Mann's Earth Band.
lol, just fyi, it's "Tice" and "Yon"... dutch pronunciation is tricky. There's a lot more goodness from this band... Eruption and Hamburger Concerto are two excellent epic length tracks. Round Goes the Gossip is another really fun one, and La Cathedrale de Strasbourg is really beautiful. Oddly, my most exciting encounter with Thijs was right after meeting up with Robert Heckman on the 2019 cruise. I was well prepared for Thijs going mariachi on everyone :)
Listen to Carnival Fugue by them. It's amazing.
JN Akkerman was considered to be one of the best guitarists around at this time- which must be true as he later collaborated with Paco De Lucia. If you don’t know Paco, he was a Spanish flamenco guitarist, considered by a lot of top guitarists to be the the best in the world, in any genre.
It would be great if you’d react to Hamburger Concerto
Yeah.. "Hocus Pocus" is great, but "Sylvia" is my favourite song from them.
Very good song
Hi @JustJP, two things. First, in your description, could you add a link to a list of songs that you have reacted already (with links to the videos would be awesome)? After each new video, you could add it to the list. That way people could easely know if they want to suggest something already done.
Also, speaking of Focus, have you already heard "Hamberger Concerto"?
Being the band is Dutch, "Jan" is pronounced as "Yawn". Great band!
"...but in the Latin alphabet, Jehovah begins with an 'I'..."
ua-cam.com/video/P8AK4fJdLKw/v-deo.html&ab_channel=OrdinaryLlama
Pretty close, as long as you say "yawn" in most US accents, and not a UK-based one.
To get the speed of the AW right, though, you'd have to say something that sounds closer to the non-word "Yun" (rhyming with "fun"). It's not a long vowel.
Ty!
The guitar is like a singer
Come on guys we need to get to The Lamb lies down on Broadway
Hamburger Concerto will be fine on your channel
Justin, try their epic Eruption and Hamburger Concerto next!!!
Another little bit of pronunciation (not that it's the most important part of a music reaction). Thijs would be pronounced somewhere between "Tace" and "Tice" (with a longish ice-i, not a short one).
In Afrikaans (daughter of Dutch) the name Thys (pron: "tace") is not uncommon. It basically comes from Matthys - Matthew. It's a simplification of the Dutch "ij" syllable (which sounds more like "eye" than "ay" )
Appreciate it😃
Okay, next up for Focus: "House Of The King" and "Anonymous" (they're connected, but very different songs). Again, no lyrics needed.
"Yahn" "Ahkermahn".
I have a suggestion for you "Nantucket Sleigh Ride" by Mountain
I used to have Focus 3 on vinyl which was a double. I really liked about 1 disc's worth, but the other was a bit ....meh! Sylvia is fantastic.
You have to get the Dutch translation to understand the lyrics! Ha ha have a good one! Peace.
🤣
You should listen to Eruption next
Love Focus.
But now when u been in focus, why not travel from Netherlands over to Germany?
And the band Out Of Focus?
Their album "Out Of Focus" from 1971,and the song "Blue Sunday Morning" is a slow paced organ driven NOT instrumental song. Out of focus is their second album. Their 2 first albums is great.
Greets from the Swede !
Please react to "Eruption" by Focus it is a 23 minute long instrumental that is one of the finest pieces of prog music recorded in the 20th century. I am not exaggerating. I feel if you had heard it you would have played it by now. Every reactor on UA-cam reacts to "Hocus Pocus" which is a fun, novelty song which shows off the skills of the band. "Eruption" on the other hand is a masterpiece. You have shown yourself in the past to not being averse to tackling longer pieces of music so please give yourself and your subscribers/listeners a treat and do this one. You will not be sorry.
Ty, I actually have that one on my list :)
@@JustJP Thanks. I look forward to it.
Sorry to keep beating the drum but its appropos since you're listening to Focus. Please listen to another Dutch band named Earth & Fire, not Earth, Wind & Fire, the song is "Storm and Thunder". I think you'll enjoy it.
Beat away! Its how ill remember lol
@@JustJP Actually true in a couple ways...it was from the Beat Club sub that I first heard of them a few weeks back. Been listening to them ever since. Good stuff from 1970 to about 1975 then they went a bit pop.
!!!!
I would get real giggly, if you do Birth....!!!!
Jan is pronounced Yan.😊
from the same album
Annonymus 2
ua-cam.com/video/AWHYiUrSZks/v-deo.html
It's a pitty that the to ego's Jan and Thijs where so stubbed , the could have made a lot more fantastic productions...