Eruption Part 2

Eruption Part 1

,

Answers? Questions!

???

Besides the Answer element in the long track Eruption (Moving Waves) and Answers? Questions! Questions? Answers! (Focus 3) Focus have at least five tracks that ask questions.

They are

1. Why dream?
2. Someone's crying ... what?
3. How long?
4. Who's calling?
5. Sto Ces Raditi Ostatac Zivota?

Track by track 28 Eruption (Live)

Archive number: 28

Title: Eruption (Live)

Main Album: Focus at the Rainbow

Track number: 4

Genre: Live Progressive Rock Instrumental

Venue: Rainbow Theatre, Finsbury Park, 232 Seven Sisters Road, N4 3NX (recorded using Pye Studios Mobile Unit and edited from the two performances)

Length: 08' 28”

Composer: Thijs van Leer, Tom Barlage

Musicians: Jan Akkerman – Electric guitar (Gibson Les Paul Custom); Thijs van Leer – Hammond organ, Voice; Bert Ruiter - Bass; Pierre van der Linden – Drums

Producer: Mike Vernon

Engineer: Phil Dunne

Label: LP – Polydor, Sire CD – EMI-Bovema, IRS, Red Bullet, JVC Victor Date of recording/release: May 4, 5 1973/October 1973 (May 4 concert televised UK July 1973) CD 1988, 1993, 2001, 2002, 2004, 2006

Alternative version: The original is on Moving Waves

Notes: Van Leer continues his announcement about the set list with 'We'd like to do now a bit of a number called Eruption' which is greeted with applause (00:00-00:13). The piece begins with the slow and stately Orfeus on organ, 'violined' guitar and bass (00:14-01:52). The organ plays alone at 01:33-01:40 then with the guitar at 01:41-01:52 as tension builds. The whole band then burst in with the allegro Answer (00:53-02:57). Next it is the contrasting Orfeus again (02:58-03:50) with the guitar quite prominent. We then have a brief snatch of Pupilla, featuring van Leer's voice (03:51-04:19) and the Answer (04:20-04:38) before the main Pupilla movement, 04:39-05:49. The way is now open for Akkerman and a magnificent guitar-led rendition of Tommy (05:50-07:44). Having been lifted high, a final segment of Pupilla gently brings us back to earth (07:45-08:25). Applause follows.

Track by track 15d Eruption (Part 4 - Answer, Orfeus, Euridice)

Archive number: 15d

Title: Eruption (Part 4 - Answer, Orfeus, Euridice)

Main Album: Moving Waves (Focus 2 in Holland)

Track number: 6d

Genre: Progressive Rock (Symphonic)

Studio: Sound Techniques Studio, 46a Old Church Street, Chelsea, London SW3

Length: 2' 57" (22' 57" the whole)

Composer: Thijs van Leer, (Tom Barlage, Jan Akkerman), Eelko Nobel, (Pierre van der Linden)

Musicians: Jan Akkerman – Electric guitars (Gibson Les Paul Customs), Bass; Thijs van Leer – Hammond organ, Piano, Voice; Cyriel Havermans - Bass; Pierre van der Linden - Drums

Producer: Mike Vernon

Engineer: Jerry Boys

Label: LP - Imperial, Blue Horizon CD – EMI Bovema, IRS, Red Bullet

Date of recording/release: April, May 1971/October 1971. CD - 1988, 1993, 2001

Alternative version: The original Eelke Nobel contribution can be heard briefly in the background on the Ramses Shaffy album Sunset Sunkiss.

Notes: Eruption is a brilliant composite piece that pulls together various musical elements. Album notes refer to as many as 15 different parts though the nature of the music means that there are overlaps and the debatable nature of deciding just where one part ends and another begins is reflected in the varied timings given. We present here our own attempt to convey what is included.

20:01-22:57

The final section appears to be edited down with overdubs possibly from the previous Answer, Orfeus and Euridice.

20:01-20:33 Answer

First we have the slow and fast parts of Answer

20:34-21:25 Orfeus

Then the 'violined' guitar and organ with heavy drums of Orfeus.

21:26-22:57 Euridice

Finally we have the piano and guitar then flute and piano with organ and bass of Euridice. At 22:34 heavy drums come in and their fading erupting sound ends the piece.

Note on Orpheus and Eurydice (from Wikipedia)

Orpheus, a figure from Greek mythology, was king of the Thracian tribe Cicones. Pindar calls him "father of songs". His name is not in Homer or Hesiod but he was known by the time of Ibycus (c 530 BC). He was believed to be one of the chief poets and musicians of antiquity and the inventor or perfector of the lyre. With his music and singing, he could charm wild beasts, coax trees and rocks to dance and even divert the course of rivers. As one of the pioneers of civilisation, he is said to have taught humanity the arts of medicine, writing and agriculture. He was also an augur and seer; practiced magical arts, especially astrology; founded or rendered accessible many important cults, such as those of Apollo and the Thracian god Dionysus; instituted mystic rites public and private; prescribed initiatory and purificatory rituals. In addition, Pindar describes him as harpist and companion to Jason and the Argonauts.

The most famous story in which he figures involves his wife Eurydice (Agriope). While fleeing from Aristaeus, Eurydice ran into a nest of snakes which bit her fatally on her legs. Distraught, Orpheus played such sad songs and sang so mournfully that all the nymphs and gods wept. On their advice, Orpheus travelled to the underworld and by his music softened the hearts of Hades and Persephone (the only one who ever did), so that they agreed to let Eurydice return with him to earth on condition he walk in front of her and not look back until they had reached the upper world. In his anxiety he forgot and turned to look. She vanished a second time, now forever. The story in this form belongs to Virgil's time. He first introduces the name Aristaeus. Other ancient writers speak of the visit to the underworld but the story may actually be a late addition to the Orpheus myths.

Classical compositions featuring the story include those by Monteverdi, Telemann, Gluck, Haydn, Liszt, Offenbach, Stravinsky, etc.

Track by track 15b Eruption (Part 2 - End of Orfeus, Answer, Pupilla, Answer, Tommy, Pupilla, Answer, The Bridge)

Archive number: 15b

Title: Eruption (Part 2 - End of Orfeus, Answer, Pupilla, Answer, Tommy, Pupilla, Answer, The Bridge)

Main Album: Moving Waves (Focus 2 in Holland). Tommy was also a single in 1972.

Track number: 6

Genre: Progressive Rock (Symphonic)

Studio: Sound Techniques Studio, 46a Old Church Street, Chelsea, London SW3

Length: This part 10' 44" (22' 57" the whole)

Composer: Thijs van Leer, Tom Barlage, Jan Akkerman, (Eelke Nobel, Pierre van der Linden)

Musicians: Jan Akkerman – Electric guitars (Gibson Les Paul Customs), Bass; Thijs van Leer – Hammond organ, Piano, Mellotron,Voice; Cyriel Havermans - Bass, Voice; Pierre van der Linden - Drums

Producer: Mike Vernon

Engineer: Jerry Boys

Label: LP - Imperial, Blue Horizon CD – EMI Bovema, IRS, Red Bullet

Date of recording/release: April, May 1971/October 1971. CD - 1988, 1993, 2001

Notes: Eruption is a brilliant composite piece that pulls together various musical elements. Album notes refer to as many as 15 different parts though the nature of the music means that there are overlaps and the debatable nature of deciding just where one part ends and another begins is reflected in the varied timings given. We have divided it into four parts in our own attempt to convey what is included. Next 03:50-14:34

03:50-04:15

At 03:50 slow solo organ comes in followed by 'violined' guitar as the opening theme is repeated to close the Orfeus element.

04:16-05:07 Answer

And so back to the fast guitar-led answer, which this time features drums and is brought to a conclusion by a short drum break, 04:38-05:07.

05:08-06:10 Pupilla

The next section is Pupilla. This is a band effort. It is quite slow and features ethereal background voices and mellotron. From 5:42 the guitar comes in and dominates.

06:11-07:58 Tommy

From here Akkerman features more, beginning with the wonderful Tommy – a soaring guitar with the band backing - still played by Akkerman today. The Who's rock opera Tommy made the name fashionable and The Who had performed much of it in Amsterdam in 1969vbut Tommy himself is the flautist and saxophonist Tom Barlage, who often played with Akkerman's previous band Brainbox. Barlage's own band Solution recorded a track called Divergence where one of the themes, played on saxophone, is this same tune.

07:59-08:30 Pupilla

After Tommy we return to the ethereal voices backed by the band for a short reprise of Pupilla.

08:31-09:17 Answer

We are then back into Answer with an ascending guitar-led band then strong chords. From 08:52 we have the Answer riff then a rising and falling scale (09:05-09:17) when we enter into the next section. The section 09:05-09:17 is discussed by a musicologist here in relation to a similar riff by the band Camel.

09:18-14:34 The Bridge

This begins with a heavy rock guitar-led section (09:18-11:35) concluded (11:36-12:01) with the Answer riff and rising scales. This Akkerman section is matched by a van Leer one, a heavy rock organ-led part (12:02-13:44) concluding again (13:45-14:10) with the Answer riff and rising scales. The final part of this section is the Break (14:11-14:34) where it is scorching solo guitar after the three introductory double beats from the rhythm section.

Track by track 15a Eruption (Part 1 - Orfeus, Answer, Orfeus)

Archive number: 15a

Title: Eruption (Part 1 - Orfeus, Answer, Orfeus)

Main Album: Moving Waves (Focus 2 in Holland)

Track number: 6a

Genre: Progressive Rock (Symphonic)

Studio: Sound Techniques Studio, 46a Old Church Street, Chelsea, London SW3

Length: This part 3' 50" (22' 57" the whole)

Composer: Thijs van Leer (Tom Barlage, Jan Akkerman, Eelke Nobel, Pierre van der Linden)

Musicians: Jan Akkerman – Electric guitars (Gibson Les Paul Customs), Bass; Thijs van Leer – Hammond organ, Piano, Voice; Cyriel Havermans - Bass; Pierre van der Linden - Drums

Producer: Mike Vernon

Engineer: Jerry Boys

Label: LP - Imperial, Blue Horizon CD – EMI Bovema, IRS, Red Bullet

Date of recording/release: April, May 1971/October 1971. CD - 1988, 1993, 2001

Notes: Eruption is a brilliant composite piece that pulls together various musical elements. Album notes refer to as many as 15 different parts though the nature of the music means that there are overlaps and the debatable nature of deciding just where one part ends and another begins is reflected in the varied timings given. We have divided it into four parts in our own attempt to convey what is included. First, 00:00-03:50

First we have the van Leer composed parts (Orfeus, Answer, Orfeus part 1) drawn originally from works by Bartok and perhaps others.

00:00-01:20 Orfeus

We begin slowly with bass, organ and 'violined' guitar.

01:21-02:55 Answer

Organ and guitar take us to a suspended chord, immediately followed by a deliberate solo organ phrase repeated by the guitar (01:21-01:42). Then at 01:43 a fast part is played by the whole band leading into rising scales.

02:56-03:50 (goes on to 04:15)

Orfeus

We then go back to the slower part repeated on 'violined' guitar with heavy 'erupting' drums in the background.

This is a convenient place to make the first break (although Orfeus appears to go until 04:15).