Focus - Focus II (1971) (LP) €10,00

Focus II (better known by its international title, Moving Waves) is the second studio album by Dutch progressive rock band Focus, released in October 1971 on Imperial Records. 

Following the departure of original bassist Martin Dresden and drummer Hans Cleuver in 1970, the band recruited Cyril Havermans and Pierre van der Linden, respectively, and prepared material for a new album. 

Focus recorded Focus II in London in April and May 1971 with Mike Vernon as producer. The album features "Hocus Pocus" a hard rock song featuring keyboardist Thijs van Leer's yodelling, scat singing, and whistling, and "Eruption", a 22-minute track inspired by the opera Euridice by Italian composer Jacopo Peri.

Songs

"Hocus Pocus" is a rock song that features van Leer yodelling, eefing, scat singing, and whistling. The song was written as a rock parody, and it was recorded for the album as it lacked any "outright rock" tracks at that point. 

The group wanted to incorporate an element of humour in the track because they felt it was missing in the rock genre. 

"Le Clochard" is French for "Homeless" and is fully titled "Le Clochard (Bread)". It is a melancholic classical guitar piece by Akkerman with van Leer backing on Mellotron. 

"Janis" is another Akkerman-penned ballad and features van Leer on the flute. "Moving Waves", a piano and vocal solo by van Leer, features lyrics by Sufi singer, poet, and teacher Inayat Khan. "Focus II" is a classical-jazz fusion instrumental.

Side two contains the 22-minute track "Eruption", a loose rock adaptation of the tale of Orpheus and Euridice from the opera Euridice by Italian composer Jacopo Peri. 

The track is in fifteen distinct sections, and the suite opens with an uncredited melody from the opera L'Orfeo by Monteverdi. 

"Tommy" features a guitar solo and was named and written by Tom Barlage of the Dutch fusion band Solution. "Euridice" is a classical lied which segues into the Gregorian-inspired "Dayglow" and followed by van der Linden's drum solo, "Endless Road". The suite ends with a return to its opening themes. 

Focus II was released in October 1971 to mainly positive reception. It went on to peak at number 2 on the UK Albums Chart, number 8 on the US Billboard 200, and number 4 on the Dutch Album Top 100 chart.

The album is certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America for selling 500,000 copies in the US.

The single "Hocus Pocus" peaked at number 9 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Focus II came in at number 24 in Q and Mojo's list of "40 Cosmic Rock Albums".

Side A

A1.  Hocus Pocus - 6:42
A2.  Le Clochard - 2:01
A3.  Janis - 3:09

           Written-By [Middlepart] – Thijs Van Leer

A4.  Moving Waves - 2:42

         Lyrics By – Inayat Khan
A5.  Focus II - 4:03

Side B
B1.  Eruption: - 23:04

         Concept By [Basical Idea] – Thijs Van Leer
        a.  Orfeus - 1:22
        b.  Answer - 1:35
        c.  Orfeus - 1:20
        d.  Answer - 0:52
        e.  Pupilla - 1:03
        f.  Tommy - 1:45
        g.  Pupilla - 0:34
        h.  Answer - 0:21
        i.  The Bridge - 5:20
        j.  Break - 0:24
        k.  Euridice - 1:40
        l.  Dayglow - 2:09
        m.  Endless Road - 1:36
        n.  Answer - 0:34
        o.  Orfeus - 0:51
        p.  Euridice - 1:37

Recorded in Sound Techniques and Morgan Studios London between:
April 13th and May 14th 1971.

Companies, etc.

• Recorded At – Morgan Studios

Credits

• Artwork – Dennis Kloeth
• Bass – Cyriel Havermans
• Drums – Pierre Van Der Linden
• Engineer – Jerry Boys
• Guitar, Bass, Acoustic Guitar – Jan Akkerman
• Organ, Harmonium, Organ [Melotron], Flute [Soprano], Flute [Alto], Piano – Thijs Van Leer
• Photography By [Coverphoto] – Janos Barendsen
• Producer – Mike Vernon
• Voice [Voices] – Cyriel Havermans, Thijs Van Leer
• Written-By – E. Nobel (tracks: B.4a, B.5c), Jan Akkerman (tracks: A2, A3), Pierre Van Der Linden (tracks: B.4c), Thijs Van Leer (tracks: A1, A4, A5, B.1a to B.2b, B.2d to B.4b, B.5a to B.5c), T. Barlage (tracks: B.2c)

Notes
Release: 1971
Genre:  Progressive rock, Jazz Fusion
Format:  LP, Vinyl
Label:  EMI Records
Catalog#  5C 05624385

Vinyl:  Goed (VG)
Cover:  Goed (VG)

Prijs: €10,00