Focus - 8

Year of Release: 2003
Label: Musea Records
Catalog Number: FGBG 4472.AR
Format: CD
Total Time: 59:07:00

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 bonus track), 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 enthusiasm 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 which 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 the "new" Jan is acquainted with the Focus legacy. In fact, sometimes he's been listening so 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 title track "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 all-time 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 humorous operetta written and conceived in the shower. "Flower Shower" is indeed a funny thing to listen to, maybe hence the wording 'bonus track' as indeed it has very little to do with the rest of the album. It nevertheless illustrates the enthusiasm 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 enthusiasm 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 its 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!"

* Bobo's review is based on the advance copy, but the tracklisting appears to be the same -ed.


Tracklisting:
Rock & Rio (3:27) / Tamara's Move (5:17) / Fretless Love (6:08) / Hurkey Turkey (4:15) / De Ti O De Mi (6:30) / Focus 8 (6:19) / Sto Ces Raditi Ostatac Zivota? (5:26) / Neurotika (3:47) / Brother (5:39) / Blizu T&ecute;be (6:38) / Flower Shower (5:41)

Musicians:
Thijs Van Leer - organ, flute, vocals
Bobby Jacobs - bass
Jan Dumée - guitar, vocals Bert Smaak - drums

Discography:
In And Out Of Focus (1970)
Moving Waves (1971)
Focus III (1972/1991/2001)
Live At The Rainbow (1973)
Hamburger Concerto (1974)
Mother Focus (1975) Dutch Masters (1975)
Ship Of Memories (1977/2001)
Focus Con Proby (1978)
Electric Bird (1979)
House Of The King (1983)
Greatest Hits: Moving Waves (1984)
Focus: Jan Akkerman & Thijs Van Leer (1985)
Best Of Focus (1994)
Hocus Pocus: Best Of Focus (1994)
Pass Me Not (1995)
Focus 8 (2002)
Focus 9/New Skin (2006)
Focus X (2012)
Focus 8.5/Beyond The Horzon (2016)
Live In England (CD/DVD) (2016)
Live In Europe (2016)
The Focus Family Album (2017)
Focus 11 (2019)

Genre: Progressive Rock

Origin NL

Added: September 8th 2002
Reviewer: John "Bobo" Bollenberg

Artist website: www.focustheband.com
Hits: 3575
Language: english