Based on an idea to form a Focus tribute band as
a surprise for Thijs Van Leer, the soon to be launched Hocus Pocus tribute
band suddenly got another dimension when Thijs, amazed at what he heard,
decided to join the band and, why not, call the band Focus because that’s
exactly what it was. And because a new album would be the 8th
official Focus album why not make it easy and call the shiny silver disc
“8” ? Prior to the official release of the album a limited run of 500
numbered copies were pressed in time for the band’s performance at the
Whitchurch Festival. So will the same eleven tracks finally make it onto the
official album ? God only knows ! We can only hope so because every single
track on this album (except maybe the bonustrack), breathes, lives and
sounds like only Focus can. Whether the song is a Thijs Van Leer original or
written by newcomer guitarist Jan Dumée, these guys deliver a sound quality
only one band can produce and that’s : Focus ! Van Leer still plays the flute, wrestles with
the organ, hums and whistles as if we’d find ourselves merely a week after
the band’s memorable concert at the Rainbow Theatre in London. But that
was … 5th may 1973 ! Almost thirty years ago ! So what about
the new music ? The yodelling is right in place for the opening track
‘Rock & Rio’ which illustrates the band’s enthousiasm regarding
their South-American tour. And boy does that new guitarist smoke ! Who needs
Akkerman ? Over the years Van Leer has developped a way of playing the flute
wich is his very own, as if he’s the Hendrix of the flute. It’s exactly
that distinctive sound which could make ‘Tamara’s move’, the new
‘Hocus pocus’ in other words a true classic in the making. As it’s a
song written by Jan Dumée it illustrates how well ‘new’ Jan is
acquainted with the Focus legacy. In fact sometimes he’s been listening
that good that certain new songs get damn close to some ‘older’ Focus
material. Take the intro for ‘Fretless love’ which sounds very much like
‘Focus II’ from the “Making waves” album. Based on a rhythmic backbone courtesy of Bobby
Jacobs, Thijs’ stepson, ‘De Ti O De Mi’ once again evolves into pure
vintage Focus material once organ and guitar step in almost sounding like a
“Hamburger concerto” outtake. In a similar way we can approach what is
the core of the album, the titletrack “Focus 8”. Soft jazzy and acoustic
guitar touches govern another Dumée composition : ‘Sto Ces Raditi
Zivota’ where Van Leer adds both organ and flute in order to give it that
distinct Focus flavour. As kind of a tribute to drummer Ruben Van Roon who
started the whole re-union idea, a rehearsal take of ‘Neurotika’ is
added which is exactly the kind of song which fuses all of the highlights of
the entire Focus career into one ball of renewed Focus energy. During live gigs Thijs Van Leer introduces the
track ‘Brother’ as one of his alltime favourite Focus tracks. Originally
sung by P.J. Proby on the “Focus con Proby” album, the band has decided
to give the song a second chance this time with the flute replacing the
vocal passages (although live it is Thijs who sings the by now immortal
lines !). In his own ‘Blizu Tébe’ (where does he get those names from
?), Jan Dumée illustrates what a great asset to the band he really is. The
album closes with a humoristic operetta written and conceived in the shower.
‘Flower shower’ is indeed a funny thing to listen to maybe hence the
wording ‘bonustrack’ as indeed it has very little to do with the rest of
the album. It nevertheless illustrates the enthousiasm which can be found in
this younger version of Focus. Maybe not all the material on “Focus 8”
is strong enough to be transferred onto disc straight away but that same
enthousiasm simply drove these four people into the studio. Growing even
closer together after the numerous concerts they have planned no doubt the
new Focus is ready for a next chapter in it’s already well documented
life. For sure “Focus 9” is already cooking in their little minds, yet
for the time being : ‘it feels good to have you back guys !’ Reviewed by : John
‘Bo Bo’ Bollenberg |
||||||
