This was a recent charity shop purchase, of an album I'd never previously owned, but for some reason know quite well.
I saw Focus about four years ago in Canterbury, and they gave a fantastic show, even if Thijs Van Leer can no longer hit the high notes when yodelling!
The album opens with the international hit, yodelling primer and fantastic rock parody Hocus Pocus, a tune I loved at the time and still do, their Old Grey Whistle Test performance being a formative pomp rock experience - so over the top and silly! But it is a masterpiece of guitar heroism, over drumming and prog rack pomposity, with a tongue firmly in cheek.
So, how to follow such a high energy burst of joy? Unfortunately, with Le Clochard, a pleasant but uninspiring little acoustic guitar piece, which segues into Janis, a flute led tune which is similarly inoffensive but dull. Moving Waves is another slower number, with airy-fairy worthy vocals which fails to engage, and the slow mood continues into Focus II (the album's original title). This is a little brighter, with a fine electric guitar melody driving the tune along in a very proggy manner.
The second half of the album is the 23 minute piece Eruption, a rock adaptation of the tale of Orpheus and Euridice (not that I'd have known without Wikipedia). On paper this sounds dreadful, but it does contain some catchy themes, great organ/keyboard work fro Van Leer, some fine guitaring from Jan Akkerman, and some good old bluesy rock in parts. Sadly, it also finds time for a drum solo.
But it's very listenable and enjoyable.
So, how does this half-century old piece of prog history stand up? Surprisingly well, to be fair. Even the slower songs, while less than exciting are listenable, and there's enough very good moments to draw me back in at regular intervals.
4* - It just gets that fourth star, the better bits are great, and the lesser tunes aren't too bad. And who doesn't love a bit of yodelling?
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