tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-42931720271161495672024-03-18T11:01:13.275-07:00Focus on FocusGary Bradyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08171450135496647908noreply@blogger.comBlogger384125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4293172027116149567.post-57456985920898712862024-03-14T05:04:00.000-07:002024-03-14T05:04:38.773-07:00200 Tracks<div style="text-align: justify;">According to our records, Focus have by now released 200 official recordings. That number is slightly misleading in that three tracks have been released twice - <i>Clair-Obscur, Winnie </i>and <i>Victoria.</i></div><div style="text-align: justify;">So the exact number is 197.</div><div style="text-align: justify;">There are</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>44 live tracks</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;">We include four live albums (<i>Rainbow, BBC, America </i>and <i>Rio</i>), leaving 153 studio tracks.</div><div><div style="text-align: justify;">So 153 studio tracks.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>20 or so re-recorded tracks</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Sometimes tracks have been re-recorded, the obvious examples being the 9 tracks on <i>Golden Oldies</i> and 11 of the 12 tracks on<i> Completely Focussed </i>leaving 133.</div></div><div><div style="text-align: justify;">So about 133 fairly unique studio tracks.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>First period - 49</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;">There are 49 tracks from the first period, the Akkerman period - <i>In and out (7) House of the King (1) Moving Waves (5) Focus 3 (9) Hamburger Concerto (6) </i>and<i> Mother Focus (12)</i> plus the "Left overs album" <i>Ship of Memories</i> which featured 9 tracks.</div><div><div style="text-align: justify;">That leaves 84.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Second period - 16</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;">There are 16 tracks in what we might call the middle period, namely the albums <i>Focus con Proby</i> (9) and the album that Akkerman and van Leer did together in 1985 <i>Focus.</i></div></div><div><div style="text-align: justify;">That leaves 68.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Third period - 68</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Those 68 are from the most recent period and include 11 on <i>Focus 8</i>, 5 on an obscure album dubbed <i>8.5/Old skin</i>, 13 on <i>Focus 9, </i>10 on<i> Focus X, </i>11 on <i>Focus 11</i>, the track Focus 12 and 17 unique to the album <i>Focus Family album.</i></div></div></div>Gary Bradyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08171450135496647908noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4293172027116149567.post-23136840753639935962024-02-29T08:36:00.000-08:002024-03-12T05:26:06.343-07:00Track by track 200 Focus 12 (Introspective Duet Between Menno & Me - A Well-Deserved Pause For Pierre & Udo!)<div style="text-align: justify;">Archive number: 200</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Title: Focus 12</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Main Album: Focus 50 Completely Focussed Disc</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Track number: 12</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Genre: Progressive Rock Instrumental</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Studio: WedgeView Studios, Netherlands</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Length: 4:13</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Composer: Thijs van Leer</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Musicians: Thijs van Leer – Piano; Menno Gootjes – Guitars</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Producer: Geert Scheigrond</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Engineer: Geert Scheigrond</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Label: In and Out of Focus Recordings</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Date of recording/release: June 2021</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Alternative recording: None</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Notes: This new track is again perfored in a minimalist style with only two instrumentalists</div>Gary Bradyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08171450135496647908noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4293172027116149567.post-38306364385552637262024-02-29T08:19:00.000-08:002024-03-12T05:24:23.951-07:00Track by track 199 Focus 11 (Another wordless song)Archive number: 186<br />Title: Focus 11 (Another wordless song)<br />Main Album: Focus 50 Comoletely Focussed Disc<br />Track number: 11<br />Genre: Progressive Rock Instrumental<br />Studio: WedgeView Studios, Netherlands<br />Length: 3:34<br />Composer: Thijs van Leer<br /><div style="text-align: justify;">Musicians: Thijs van Leer – Hammond organ, piano, flute; Menno Gootjes – Guitars; Udo Panekeet – Bass; Pierre van der Linden – Drums</div>Producer: Geert Scheigrond<br />Engineer: Geert Scheigrond<br />Label: In and Out of Focus Recordings<br />Date of recording/release: June 2021<br />Alternative recording: Focus 11<br />Notes: This is a pretty much live re-recording of the original Focus number with full band but with some changes of instrumentation..Gary Bradyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08171450135496647908noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4293172027116149567.post-87835823051577226542024-02-29T08:16:00.000-08:002024-03-12T05:24:38.509-07:00Track by track 198 Focus 10 (Sophisticated)<div style="text-align: justify;">Archive number: 185</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Title: Focus 10 (Sophisiticated)</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Main Album: Focus 50 Comoletely Focussed Disc</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Track number: 10</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Genre: Progressive Rock Instrumental</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Studio: WedgeView Studios, Netherlands</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Length: 3:15</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Composer: Thijs van Leer</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Musicians: Thijs van Leer – Hammond organ, piano, flute; Menno Gootjes – Guitars; Udo Panekeet – Bass; Pierre van der Linden – Drums</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Producer: Geert Scheigrond</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Engineer: Geert Scheigrond</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Label: In and Out of Focus Recordings</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Date of recording/release: June 2021</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Alternative recording: Focus X</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Notes: This swinging jazz number is shorter than the original but similar otherwise.</div>Gary Bradyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08171450135496647908noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4293172027116149567.post-63085594075503814122024-02-29T08:07:00.000-08:002024-03-12T05:24:55.626-07:00Track by track 197 Focus 9 (Classic Dream)<div style="text-align: justify;">Archive number: 184</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Title: <b>Focus 9 (Classic Dream)</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Main Album: Focus 50 Completely Focussed Disc</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Track number: 9</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Genre: Progressive Rock Instrumental</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Studio: WedgeView Studios, Netherlands</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Length: 4:25</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Composer: Thijs van Leer</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Musicians: Thijs van Leer – Piano; Menno Gootjes – Guitars</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Producer: Geert Scheigrond</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Engineer: Geert Scheigrond</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Label: In and Out of Focus Recordings</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Date of recording/release: June 2021</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Alternative recording: Focus 9/New Skin</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Notes: This minimalisitc version of the track drops the bass and drums and the flute.</div>Gary Bradyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08171450135496647908noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4293172027116149567.post-41282817044522594122024-02-29T07:54:00.000-08:002024-03-12T05:22:40.656-07:00Track by track 196 Focus 8 (Rondo)<div style="text-align: justify;">Archive number: 183</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Title: <b>Focus 8 (Rondo)</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Main Album: Focus 50 Completely Focussed Disc</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Track number: 8</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Genre: Progressive Rock Instrumental</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Studio: WedgeView Studios, Netherlands</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Length: 5:50</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Composer: Thijs van Leer</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Musicians: Thijs van Leer – Hammond organ, piano; Menno Gootjes – Guitars; Udo Panekeet – Bass; Pierre van der Linden – Drums</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Producer: Geert Scheigrond</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Engineer: Geert Scheigrond</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Label: In and Out of Focus Recordings</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Date of recording/release: June 2021</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Alternative recording: Focus 8</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Notes: A much improved version of the track, chiefly due to the drums of Pierre van der Linden, which starts the track off and closes it.</div>Gary Bradyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08171450135496647908noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4293172027116149567.post-71167902511850135832024-02-29T07:48:00.000-08:002024-03-12T06:27:50.151-07:00Track by track 195 Focus 7 (Inner Joy)<div style="text-align: justify;">Archive number: 182</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Title: <b>Focus 7 (Inner Joy)</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Main Album: Focus 50 Completely Focussed Disc</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Track number: 7</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Genre: Progressive Rock Instrumental</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Studio: WedgeView Studios, Netherlands</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Length: 5:18</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Composer: Thijs van Leer</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Musicians: Thijs van Leer – Hammond organ, flute; Menno Gootjes – Guitars; Udo Panekeet – Bass; Pierre van der Linden – Drums</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Producer: Geert Scheigrond</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Engineer: Geert Scheigrond</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Label: In and Out of Focus Recordings</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Date of recording/release: June 2021</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Alternative recording: Focus 9 and the live albums Focus Live in America and Live at Trading Boundaries (van Leer solo)</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span>Notes: This is a pretty much live re-recording of the original Focus number with full band. SOme nice violied guitar at the close.</span></div>Gary Bradyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08171450135496647908noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4293172027116149567.post-58175325047893632502024-02-29T07:44:00.000-08:002024-03-12T05:23:20.903-07:00Track by track 194 Focus 6 (Thinking and Drinking)<div style="text-align: justify;">Archive number: 194</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Title: <b>Focus 6 (Thinking and Drinking)</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Main Album: Focus 50 Completely Focussed Disc</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Track number: 6</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Genre: Progressive Rock Instrumental</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Studio: WedgeView Studios, Netherlands</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Length: 3:40</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Composer: Thijs van Leer</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Musicians: Thijs van Leer – Hammond organ, flute; Menno Gootjes – Guitars; Udo Panekeet – Bass; Pierre van der Linden – Drums</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Producer: Geert Scheigrond</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Engineer: Geert Scheigrond</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Label: In and Out of Focus Recordings</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Date of recording/release: June 2021</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Alternative recording: None</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span>Notes: This rare track often threatens tot turn into one of the other tracks in the series but is ts own beast.</span></div>Gary Bradyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08171450135496647908noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4293172027116149567.post-40986392816001630022024-02-29T07:39:00.000-08:002024-03-12T05:23:44.587-07:00Track by track 193 Focus 5 (Impressionistic ...)Archive number: 180<br />Title: Focus 5 (Impressionistic ...)<br />Main Album: Focus 50 Completely Focussed Disc<br />Track number: 5<br />Genre: Progressive Rock Instrumental<br />Studio: WedgeView Studios, Netherlands<br />Length: 3:54<br />Composer: Thijs van Leer<br />Musicians: Thijs van Leer – Hammond organ; Menno Gootjes – Guitars; Udo Panekeet – Bass; Pierre van der Linden – Drums<br />Producer: Geert Scheigrond<br />Engineer: Geert Scheigrond<br />Label: In and Out of Focus Recordings<br />Date of recording/release: June 2021<br />Alternative recording: Ship of Memories<br />Notes: This is a pretty much live re-recording of the original Focus number with full band. No flute this time.Gary Bradyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08171450135496647908noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4293172027116149567.post-564380708614853822024-02-29T07:29:00.000-08:002024-03-12T05:21:56.575-07:00Track by track 192 Focus 4 (Rock Ballad)<div style="text-align: justify;">Archive number: 179</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Title: <b>Focus 4 (Rock Ballad)</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Main Album: Focus 50 Completely Focussed Disc</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Track number: 4</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Genre: Progressive Rock Instrumental</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Studio: WedgeView Studios, Netherlands</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Length: 4:30</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Composer: Thijs van Leer</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Musicians: Thijs van Leer – Piano, flute; Menno Gootjes – Guitars; Udo Panekeet – Bass; Pierre van der Linden – Drums</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Producer: Geert Scheigrond</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Engineer: Geert Scheigrond</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Label: In and Out of Focus Recordings</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Date of recording/release: June 2021</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Alternative recording: Mother Focus</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Notes: This is a pretty much live re-recording of the original Focus number with full band but no Hammond organ or synthesiser.</div>Gary Bradyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08171450135496647908noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4293172027116149567.post-3493444916375232652024-02-27T09:46:00.000-08:002024-03-12T05:25:20.463-07:00Track by track 191 Focus 3 (Song without words)Archive number: 178<br />Title: <b>Focus 3 (Song without words)</b><br />Main Album: Focus 50 Completely Focussed Disc<br />Track number: 3<br />Genre: Progressive Rock Instrumental<br />Studio: WedgeView Studios, Netherlands<br />Length: 3:42<br />Composer: Thijs van Leer<br />Musicians: Thijs van Leer – Hammond organ, flute; Menno Gootjes – Guitars; Udo Panekeet – Bass; Pierre van der Linden – Drums<br />Producer: Geert Scheigrond<br />Engineer: Geert Scheigrond<br />Label: In and Out of Focus Recordings<br />Date of recording/release: June 2021<br />Alternative recording: It was first on the third album. Van Leer and Akkerman have nice versions on solo albums.<br />Notes: This is a pretty much live re-recording of the original with full band.Gary Bradyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08171450135496647908noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4293172027116149567.post-39858460576194123902024-02-27T09:37:00.000-08:002024-03-12T05:27:56.956-07:00Track by track 190 Focus 2 (Mini-opera)<div style="text-align: justify;">Archive number: 177</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Title: <b>Focus 2 (Mini-opera)</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Main Album: Focus 50 Completely Focussed Disc?</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Track number: 2</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Genre: Progressive Rock Instrumental</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Studio: WedgeView Studios, Netherlands</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Length: 4:39</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Composer: Thijs van Leer</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Musicians: Thijs van Leer – Hammond organ, flute; Menno Gootjes – Guitars; Udo Panekeet – Bass; Pierre van der Linden – Drums</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Producer: Geert Scheigrond</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Engineer: Geert Scheigrond</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Label: In and Out of Focus Recordings</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Date of recording/release: June 2021</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Alternative recording: It was first on the second album. Van Leer and Akkerman have nice versions on solo albums.</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Notes: This is a pretty much live re-recording of the original with full band. Some nice double tracked flute early on.</div>Gary Bradyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08171450135496647908noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4293172027116149567.post-77083201703339408202024-02-27T09:26:00.000-08:002024-03-12T05:29:32.457-07:00Track by track 189 Focus 1 (Statement)<div style="text-align: justify;">Archive number: 176</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Title: <b>Focus 1 (Statement)</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Main Album: Focus 50 Completely Focussed Disc</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Track number: 1</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Genre: Progressive Rock Instrumental</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Studio: WedgeView Studios, Netherlands</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Length: 3:34</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Composer: Thijs van Leer</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Musicians: Thijs van Leer – Hammond organ; Menno Gootjes – Guitars; Udo Panekeet – Bass; Pierre van der Linden – Drums</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Producer: Geert Scheigrond</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Engineer: Geert Scheigrond</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Label: In and Out of Focus Recordings</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Date of recording/release: June 2021</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Alternative recording: In and Out of Focus, Golden Oldies, etc</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Notes: This is a pretty much live re-recording of the original Focus number with full band. There is no vocal.</div>Gary Bradyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08171450135496647908noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4293172027116149567.post-33445883456068589742024-02-26T09:21:00.000-08:002024-03-12T05:19:04.520-07:00Track by Track 176--188 Focus Live in Rio<div align="justify">Archive number: 176-188</div><div align="justify">Titles disc 1: <strong>Focus 1, House of the King, Eruption, Sylvia, Song for Eva, All hens on deck,</strong></div><div align="justify"><span style="text-align: left;">Titles disc 2: </span><span style="text-align: left;"><b>Le Tango, P's March, Focus 5, Harem Scarem, Hocus Pocus, Focus 3, Answers? Questions! Questions? Answers!</b></span></div><div align="justify"><strong></strong>Main Album: Focus 50 Live Rio (Two disc audio and single disc Blu Ray)</div><div align="justify">Track numbers: 1-12</div><div align="justify">Genre: Live Progressive Rock Instrumentals</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Venue: Teatro Municipal João Caetano, Niteroi, Rio de Janeiro Brazil</div><div align="justify"><span style="text-align: left;">Length: c 01.59.27</span></div><div align="justify">Composers: Thijs van Leer, Jan Akkerman, </div><div align="justify">Musicians: Thijs van Leer – Hammond organ, melodica, flute, vocals, whistling; Menno Gootjes– Guitars; Udo Pannekeet - Bass; Pierre van der Linden - Drums</div>Producer: Geert Scheijgrond <div align="justify">Engineer: Geert Scheijgrond</div><div align="justify">Label: In and Out of Focus Records</div><div align="justify">Date of recording/release: September 14 2017.June 2021</div><div align="justify">Alternative version: These tracks are found on various Focus albums</div><div align="justify">Notes: This is a fairly complete recording with at least some of the introduction to songs incuded</div>Gary Bradyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08171450135496647908noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4293172027116149567.post-86194332376817820702024-02-24T12:29:00.000-08:002024-02-29T08:09:07.935-08:00Track by track 175 Focus 11<div style="text-align: justify;">Archive number: 175</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Title: Focus 11</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Main Album: Focus 11</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Track number: 11</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Genre: Progressive Rock Instrumental</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Studio: WedgeView Studios, Netherlands</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Length: 6:11</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Composer: Thijs van Leer</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Musicians: Thijs van Leer – Hammond organ, piano, flute; Menno Gootjes – Guitars; Udo Panekeet – Bass; Pierre van der Linden – Drums</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Producer: Geert Scheigrond</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Engineer: Geert Scheigrond</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Label: In and Out of Focus Recordings</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Date of recording/release: November 2018</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Alternative recording: Focus 50 Album Complelely Focussed</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Notes: This stand out track is in several parts. We begin with with a beautiful guitar led slow melody that takes us to 1:15. Something more brisk then breaks in, introdiced by the piano but led by the guitar, flute and piano. This goes on until 1:47, ending on a long drawn out note that is succeeded by a further part based around a very catchy 10 note tune on guitar. At 3:07 there is a flute led bridge as far as 3:31 when the catchy melody comes back in. This meanders on until 4:38. From there to 5:41 we have a guitar led tune, again very catchy and ending on a long drawn out note. The final section is a repeat of the second brisk element from before again featuring piano and flute. The track ends with a flourish on solo flute.</div>Gary Bradyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08171450135496647908noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4293172027116149567.post-23614616481843754102024-02-24T12:06:00.000-08:002024-02-24T12:06:59.981-08:00Track by track 174 Final Analysis<div style="text-align: justify;">Archive number: 174</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Title: Final analysis</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Main Album: Focus 11</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Track number: 10</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Genre: Progressive Rock Instrumental</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Studio: WedgeView Studios, Netherlands</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Length: 3:51</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Composer: Thijs van Leer</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Musicians: Thijs van Leer – Hammond organ, piano; Menno Gootjes – Guitars; Udo Panekeet – Bass; Pierre van der Linden – Drums</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Producer: Geert Scheigrond</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Engineer: Geert Scheigrond</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Label: In and Out of Focus Recordings</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Date of recording/release: November 2018</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Alternative recording: None</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Notes The track begins with 35 seconds of rhythmic drums and rhythm guitar work as it builds up an atmosphere (slightly reminiscent of the track Birth). A screaming guitar then comes in as the geat continues. At 54 seconds things skow slightly as the piano leads for a short while. A clear but slightly dissonant guitar leads briefly after that. The chugging beat continues then until at 1:31 the guitar leads again with a series of descending lines. The piano can still be heard behind it. At 3:13 the beat we began with resumes until 3:22 and again 3:32 when the piano motif is heard briefly twice more. The tracl=k then fades.</div>Gary Bradyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08171450135496647908noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4293172027116149567.post-37205585422161909882024-02-24T11:50:00.000-08:002024-02-24T11:50:08.372-08:00Track by track 173 Mare NostrumArchive number: 173<div>Title: Mare Nostrum<br />Main Album: Focus Family 11<br />Track number: 9</div><div>Genre: Progressive Rock Instrumental<br />Studio: WedgeView Studios, Netherlands<br />Length: 5:08<br />Composer: Udo Pannekeet<br />Musicians: Thijs van Leer – Hammond organ; Menno Gootjes – Guitars; Udo Panekeet – Bass; Pierre van der Linden – Drums<br />Producer: Geert Scheigrond<br />Engineer: Geert Scheigrond<br />Label: In and Out of Focus Recordings<br />Date of recording/release: November 2018<br />Alternative recording: None<br /><div style="text-align: justify;">Notes: The whole band begin together with a laconic guitar-led melody slightly changing arouf the one minute mark. At about 1:53 the drums energetically lead into a jauntier section. The guitar work grows increasingly more energetic. At around 4:32 it slows before quickly closing with drums and the whole band.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><i>Mare Nostrum is the Latin for "Our Sea" and was a Roman name for the Mediterranean Sea. In the decades following the 1861 unification of Italy, Italian nationalists and Italian fascists who saw Italy as the successor state to the Roman Empire attempted to revive the term.</i></div></div>Gary Bradyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08171450135496647908noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4293172027116149567.post-7978208137149076202023-12-15T09:17:00.000-08:002023-12-15T09:17:25.118-08:00Happy Christmas from Focus 1972<iframe frameborder="0" height="390" src="https://youtube.com/embed/2m-5CUvnnjY?si=wezD1L040kLf5bGm" width="100%"></iframe>Gary Bradyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08171450135496647908noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4293172027116149567.post-61558587056844694292023-07-29T05:08:00.008-07:002024-02-24T09:01:48.839-08:00Track by track 172 (154) Clair-Obscur<div style="text-align: justify;">Archive number: 172</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Title: <b>Clair-Obscur</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Main Album: Focus 11</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Track number: 8</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Genre: Progressive Rock Instrumental</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Studio: Unknown</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Length: 3:14</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Composer: Thijs van Leer</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Musicians: Thijs van Leer – Hammond organ; Menno Gootjes – Guitars; Udo Panekeet – Bass; Pierre van der Linden – Drums</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Producer: Geert Scheigrond</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Engineer: Geert Scheigrond</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Label: In and Out of Focus Recordings</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Date of recording/release: November 2018</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Alternative recording: Focus Family Album</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Notes: This is the same recording as is found on The Focus Family Album</div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div>Gary Bradyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08171450135496647908noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4293172027116149567.post-16473988584905081192023-07-29T05:00:00.000-07:002024-02-24T09:00:58.309-08:00Track by track 171 Palindrome<div style="text-align: justify;">Archive number: 171</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Title: Palindrome</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Main Album: Focus Family 11</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Track number: 7</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Genre: Progressive Rock Instrumental</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Studio: WedgeView Studios, Netherlands</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Length: 5:34</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Composer: Thijs van Leer</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Musicians: Thijs van Leer – Hammond organ; Menno Gootjes – Guitars; Udo Panekeet – Bass; Pierre van der Linden – Drums</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Producer: Geert Scheigrond</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Engineer: Geert Scheigrond</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Label: In and Out of Focus Recordings</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Date of recording/release: November 2018</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Alternative recording: None</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Notes: The track begins with drums then a guitar riff plus a discordant organ sound that cuts through the melody. This pattern continues for the first 49 seconds when a lighter pattern comes in for 15 seconds before reverting to the previous pattern. At 1:26 we are back to the new lighter pattern for another 15 seconds before reversion to the first pattern. At 2:02 a new stately slow march comes in. This lasts down to 2:36 when the original pattern repeats punctuated with a series of short drum breaks (at 2:58-3:05, 3:16-3:23, a longer one at 3:34-3:5, 3:56-4:03 and the longest at 4:14-4:45). The stately slow march comes in again at 4:46 to end the track.</div><div><div style="text-align: justify;"><i>A palindrome is a word, number, phrase or other sequence of symbols that reads the same backwards as forwards, eg madam or racecar, the date and time 12/21/33 12:21 and the sentence: "A man, a plan, a canal – Panama". The 19-letter Finnish word saippuakivikauppias (a soapstone vendor), is the longest single-word palindrome in everyday use, while the 12-letter term tattarrattat (James Joyce </i>Ulysses<i>) is the longest in English.</i></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><i>The word was introduced by English poet and writer Henry Peacham in 1638. </i><i>It is derived from the Greek roots πάλιν 'again' and δρóμος 'way, direction'; a different word is used in Greek, καρκινικός 'carcinic' (lit. crab-like) to refer to letter-by-letter reversible writing. </i><i>The concept of a palindrome can be dated to the 3rd-century BC, although no examples survive; the first physical examples can be dated to the 1st-century AD with the Latin acrostic word square, the Sator Square (contains both word and sentence palindromes) and the 4th-century Greek Byzantine sentence palindrome nipson anomemata me monan opsin.</i></div><div><div style="text-align: justify;"><i>Palindromes are also found in music and biological structures (most genomes include palindromic gene sequences). In music </i><i>Haydn's Symphony No. 47 in G is nicknamed "the Palindrome". In the third movement, a minuet and trio, the second half of the minuet is the same as the first but backwards, the second half of the ensuing trio similarly reflects the first half, and then the minuet is repeated.</i></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><i>The interlude from Alban Berg's opera Lulu is a palindrome, as are sections and pieces, in arch form, by many other composers, including James Tenney, and most famously Béla Bartók. George Crumb also used musical palindrome to text paint the Federico García Lorca poem "¿Por qué nací?", the first movement of three in his fourth book of Madrigals. Stravinsky's final composition, </i>The Owl and the Pussy Cat<i>, is a palindrome.</i></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><i>The first movement from Constant Lambert's ballet</i> Horoscope<i> (1938) is entitled "Palindromic Prelude". Lambert claimed that the theme was dictated to him by the ghost of </i>Bernard van Dieren<i>, who had died in 1936. </i><i>British composer Robert Simpson also composed music in the palindrome or based on palindromic themes; the slow movement of his Symphony No. 2 is a palindrome, as is the slow movement of his String Quartet No. 1. His hour-long String Quartet No. 9 consists of 32 variations and a fugue on a palindromic theme of Haydn (from the minuet of his Symphony No. 47). All of Simpson's 32 variations are themselves palindromic.</i></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Hin und Zurück<i> ("There and Back": 1927) is an operatic 'sketch' (Op. 45a) in one scene by Paul Hindemith, with a German libretto by Marcellus Schiffer. It is essentially a dramatic palindrome. Through the first half, a tragedy unfolds between two lovers, involving jealousy, murder and suicide. Then, in the reversing second half, this is replayed with the lines sung in reverse order to produce a happy ending.</i></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><i>The music of Anton Webern is often palindromic. Webern, who had studied the music of the Renaissance composer Heinrich Isaac, was extremely interested in symmetries in music, be they horizontal or vertical. </i></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><i>Just as the letters of a verbal palindrome are not reversed, so are the elements of a musical palindrome usually presented in the same form in both halves. Although these elements are usually single notes, palindromes may be made using more complex elements. For example, Karlheinz Stockhausen's composition </i>Mixtur,<i> originally written in 1964, consists of 20 sections, called "moments", which may be permuted in several different ways, including retrograde presentation, and two versions may be made in a single program. When the composer revised the work in 2003, he prescribed such a palindromic performance, with the 20 moments first played in a "forwards" version, and then "backwards". Each moment, however, is a complex musical unit, and is played in the same direction in each half of the program. </i><i>By contrast, </i>Karel Goeyvaerts<i>'s 1953 electronic composition, </i>Nummer 5 (met zuivere tonen)<i> is an exact palindrome: not only does each event in the second half of the piece occur according to an axis of symmetry at the centre of the work, but each event itself is reversed, so that the note attacks in the first half become note decays in the second, and vice versa. It is a perfect example of Goeyvaerts's aesthetics, the perfect example of the imperfection of perfection.</i></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><i>In classical music, a crab canon is a canon in which one line of the melody is reversed in time and pitch from the other. A large-scale musical palindrome covering more than one movement is called "chiastic", referring to the cross-shaped Greek letter "χ" (pronounced /ˈkaɪ/.) This is usually a form of reference to the crucifixion; for example, the Crucifixus movement of Bach's </i>Mass in B minor<i>. The purpose of such palindromic balancing is to focus the listener on the central movement, much as one would focus on the centre of the cross in the crucifixion. Other examples are found in Bach's cantata BWV 4, </i>Christ lag in Todes Banden<i>, Handel's </i>Messiah<i> and Fauré's </i>Requiem<i>.</i></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><i>A table canon is a rectangular piece of sheet music intended to be played by two musicians facing each other across a table with the music between them, with one musician viewing the music upside down compared to the other. The result is somewhat like two speakers simultaneously reading the Sator Square from opposite sides, except that it is typically in two-part polyphony rather than in unison.</i></div><div style="text-align: justify;">(See Wikipedia)</div></div></div>Gary Bradyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08171450135496647908noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4293172027116149567.post-59896850208369743372023-07-29T04:58:00.003-07:002024-02-24T09:00:20.262-08:00Track by track 170 (164) WinnieArchive number: 170<br />Title: Winnie<br />Main Album: Focus 11<br />Track number: 6<br />Genre: Progressive Rock Instrumental<br />Studio: Mosh Studios, Sao Paulo, Brazil<br />Length: 5:13<br />Composer: Thijs van Leer<br />Musicians: Thijs van Leer – Hammond organ, Flute; Menno Gootjes – Guitars; Udo Panekeet – Bass; Pierre van der Linden – Drums<br />Producer: Geert Scheigrond<br />Engineer: Geert Scheigrond<br />Label: In and Out of Focus Recordings<br />Date of recording/release: November 2018<br />Alternative recording: Focus Family Album<br />Notes: This is a slightly shorter edit from the version on The Focus Family AlbumGary Bradyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08171450135496647908noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4293172027116149567.post-78497754626664595922023-07-28T02:45:00.002-07:002023-07-28T02:52:26.462-07:00Track by track 169 Mazzel<div style="text-align: justify;">Archive number: 169</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Title: <b>Mazzel</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Main Album: Focus Family 11</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Track number: 5</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Genre: Jazz Rock Instrumental</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Studio: WedgeView Studios, Netherlands</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Length: 4:23</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Composer: Thijs van Leer</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Musicians: Thijs van Leer – Hammond organ; Menno Gootjes – Guitars; Udo Panekeet – Bass; Pierre van der Linden – Drums</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Producer: Geert Scheigrond</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Engineer: Geert Scheigrond</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Label: In and Out of Focus Recordings</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Date of recording/release: November 2018</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Alternative recording: None</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Notes: Mazzel is a Dutch slang word for luck (used in phrases for good luck, also so long or bye) taken from Yiddish (as in Mazzel tov, good luck)</div><div style="text-align: justify;">The track is led in by the electric guitar before the whole band joins with choppy jazz type progressions. At 01:33-01:44 (and 03:28-03:42) the guitar becomes a little more mournful and then it is back to the jazz. Plenty of variation but no prgression. From 01:44 flute or synthesiser is introduced.</div>Gary Bradyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08171450135496647908noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4293172027116149567.post-12484325488272746842023-07-28T02:28:00.007-07:002023-07-28T02:52:26.461-07:00Track by track 168 How many miles?<div style="text-align: justify;">Archive number: 168</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Title: <b>How many miles?</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Main Album: Focus 11</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Track number: 4</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Genre: Progressive Rock Pop Song</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Studio: WedgeView Studios, Netherlands</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Length: 4:48</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Composer: Thijs van Leer</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Musicians: Thijs van Leer – Hammond organ, flute, vocal; Menno Gootjes – Guitars; Udo Panekeet – Bass; Pierre van der Linden – Drums</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Producer: Geert Scheigrond</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Engineer: Geert Scheigrond</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Label: In and Out of Focus Recordings</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Date of recording/release: November 2018</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Alternative recording: None</div><div><span style="text-align: justify;">Notes: These are the lyrics to the track</span></div><div><span style="text-align: justify;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;">How many miles between</div><div style="text-align: justify;">my love and I?</div><div style="text-align: justify;">My love, where have you been</div><div style="text-align: justify;">all my life?</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">How many stars have seen</div><div style="text-align: justify;">us weep and cry?</div><div style="text-align: justify;">With tears of joy that mean</div><div style="text-align: justify;">us man and wife?</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Let me reflect your energy</div><div style="text-align: justify;">that moves my soul to ecstasy.</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Let me become your melody</div><div style="text-align: justify;">be sung in perfect harmony.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Amazing grace, your face divine,</div><div style="text-align: justify;">now let me be your Valentine.</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Let me become your bird so free</div><div style="text-align: justify;">on wings made for eternity.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">How come you shine so bright</div><div style="text-align: justify;">you lucky star?</div><div style="text-align: justify;">This fragrance of your soul</div><div style="text-align: justify;">smells from afar.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">How is it possible</div><div style="text-align: justify;">your answer's yes?</div><div style="text-align: justify;">My deepest joy, my love,</div><div style="text-align: justify;">forever jazz …</div><div style="text-align: justify;">let me reflect your energy ...</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">The track begins (00:00-00:09) with drums before breaking into a bouncing instrumental ensemble with guitar and flute. Then at around 01:09 a slightly cheesy pop song comes in and lasts until around 03:27. We then revert to the bouncing instrumental but this time with a spoken van Leer voice over reiterating the lyric until the fade.</span></div>Gary Bradyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08171450135496647908noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4293172027116149567.post-54434567047549874552023-06-09T11:03:00.010-07:002023-07-28T02:52:26.462-07:00Track by track 167 Theodora Na na na<p></p><div style="text-align: justify;">Archive number: 167</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Title: <b>Theodora Na na na</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Main Album: Focus 11</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Track number: 3</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Genre: Jazz Rock Instrumental</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Studio: WedgeView Studios, Netherlands</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Length: 4:27</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Composer: Thijs van Leer</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Key: C#</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Musicians: Thijs van Leer – Hammond organ, piano, synthesiser; Menno Gootjes – Guitars; Udo Panekeet – Bass; Pierre van der Linden – Drums</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Producer: Geert Scheigrond</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Engineer: Geert Scheigrond</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Label: In and Out of Focus Recordings</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Date of recording/release: November 2018</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Alternative recording: None</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Notes: The piano and guitar begin this laid back track with piano and guitar and some sort of synthesiser in the background. At 00:12 the drums and bass come in and then at aound 00:16 the flute too. As the track progresses there are more electric guitar licks and a regular return to the beginning. It is quite meandering on the whole and peters out rather than coming to any definite conclusion, although it does actually end.</div><p></p>Gary Bradyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08171450135496647908noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4293172027116149567.post-25199519139370918862023-04-22T10:07:00.008-07:002023-07-28T02:55:28.352-07:00Focus at Bush Hall, W London April 2023<div style="text-align: justify;"><span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #274e13; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWsNJ7TpgFedgFMxjwkNBCeJkVN1BdbpTZl_N9CBiY-fkdK4y9GAAqjE36M6eEVZljydR6MoxFLPzFwY4pRT1EWMXED6Ti-nqa5Ux5ZRVYAS-0LdSdwDF43q0DMd9apztwEbM3Z-4LlCcycKoYrt3LMNwMp809sUJWXcSvpX1oONwsK51zynmrzSG4/s763/focus%20at%20bush%20hall.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="731" data-original-width="763" height="362" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWsNJ7TpgFedgFMxjwkNBCeJkVN1BdbpTZl_N9CBiY-fkdK4y9GAAqjE36M6eEVZljydR6MoxFLPzFwY4pRT1EWMXED6Ti-nqa5Ux5ZRVYAS-0LdSdwDF43q0DMd9apztwEbM3Z-4LlCcycKoYrt3LMNwMp809sUJWXcSvpX1oONwsK51zynmrzSG4/w378-h362/focus%20at%20bush%20hall.png" width="378" /></a></div><br />Shortly after arriving home from the conference I headed out again to West London, to a new venue for me, where Focus were playing - Bush Hall. Bush Hall is a lovely old building and it was an all seater gig. Not good with numbers but several hundred filled the place, with few empty spaces. Nice to meet Elias Weine Weg who had come all the way from Norway to be there. Some nice old geezers did a semi-acoustic blues to set things on their way. Then came the mighty Focus - on form with their usual set. The only surprise all evening was when one of Menno's guitar strings snapped and he had to abandon his favourite Gibson for another green one (didn't seem to make any difference). I probably know ths set (complete with solos from all four) too well to enjoy it to the max. It would be nice to hear live some of the other stuff they have on record.</span></div>Gary Bradyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08171450135496647908noreply@blogger.com0