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Focus is a Dutch progressive rock band founded by classically trained organist/flautist Thijs van Leer in 1969, along with guitarist Jan Akkerman.
They are one of the most well-known and influential rock bands from the Netherlands. They successfully fuse inspired jazz, rock, and blues improvisation, classical musical structures, and accessible pop melodies into a powerful and instantly recognizable sound.
Akkerman’s technical mastery of the guitar and the often unpredictable brilliance of his improvisations were the perfect counterpoint to Van Leer’s extensive knowledge of musical styles and disciplined approach to composition. Van Leer’s tongue-in-cheek musical references include the reworking of motifs from an early Monteverdi opera in the extended piece “Eruption” on the Moving Waves album, the contrapuntal passage in the middle section of “Carnival Fugue” on the Focus 3 album, the Renaissance-era harmonic progressions in “Anonymous II” (also on Focus 3), and the quote from the first chorale of J.S. Bach’s oratorio St. Matthew’s Passion in the track “Father Bach” on “Mother Focus”.
Focus are possibly best known for their “Hocus Pocus”, a top 40 hit from the Moving Waves LP, which included inspired bits of yodeling (believe it) and explosive guitar work.
They are one of the most well-known and influential rock bands from the Netherlands. They successfully fuse inspired jazz, rock, and blues improvisation, classical musical structures, and accessible pop melodies into a powerful and instantly recognizable sound.
Akkerman’s technical mastery of the guitar and the often unpredictable brilliance of his improvisations were the perfect counterpoint to Van Leer’s extensive knowledge of musical styles and disciplined approach to composition. Van Leer’s tongue-in-cheek musical references include the reworking of motifs from an early Monteverdi opera in the extended piece “Eruption” on the Moving Waves album, the contrapuntal passage in the middle section of “Carnival Fugue” on the Focus 3 album, the Renaissance-era harmonic progressions in “Anonymous II” (also on Focus 3), and the quote from the first chorale of J.S. Bach’s oratorio St. Matthew’s Passion in the track “Father Bach” on “Mother Focus”.
Focus are possibly best known for their “Hocus Pocus”, a top 40 hit from the Moving Waves LP, which included inspired bits of yodeling (believe it) and explosive guitar work.
Shouts:
312 shouts
Top Albums
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Moving Waves
Focus
Buy- Download Album
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Focus III
Focus Buy- Download Album
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- Buy Album
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8
Focus Buy- Download Album
- Amazon MP3 $8.99
- 7digital $9.99
- iTunes Search
- Buy Album
- Amazon $15.02
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The Best of Focus: Hocus Pocus
Focus Buy- Download Album
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Shoutbox
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ProgShine wrote:
http://progshine.com/2012/02/16/focus-fara-dois-shows-extras-na-turne-brasileira-e-lanca-disco-novo/
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shakalaka wrote:
Love both the prog. rock and also the psytrance act
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ProgShine wrote:
http://progshine.com/2012/01/21/focus-faz-turne-no-brasil-em-marco/
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VitunHipit wrote:
Ôi orôrôi rôrôrôi rôrôrôi rôrôrôi rôrôrôi ohrorô poPÔ Yôi orôrôi rôrôrôi rôrôrôi rôrôrôi rôrôrôi ohrorô poPÔ Aaaah aaah aaah aaah Uuuh oooh oooh ooooooooh [2]
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SabbathHippy wrote:
Beautiful!
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r-culpi wrote:
Ôi orôrôi rôrôrôi rôrôrôi rôrôrôi rôrôrôi ohrorô poPÔ Yôi orôrôi rôrôrôi rôrôrôi rôrôrôi rôrôrôi ohrorô poPÔ Aaaah aaah aaah aaah Uuuh oooh oooh ooooooooh
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gabrielday wrote:
Come to brazil!
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allasen wrote:
Can anyone help me out about getting Focus III's record on Internet? I m dying for it, in the true sense of the word.
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buba182 wrote:
Co za matoł dodał polski opis do tego? -,-
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JamesCostanza wrote:
The greatest dutchmen to grace the past century
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Sulisk wrote:
Mega
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jonharkulsykkel wrote:
OE OLOLOE OLOLOE OLOLOE OLOLO HÃHÃ
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baslisten2rock wrote:
focus best dutch band ever
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gui_eler wrote:
OE OLOLOE OLOLOE OLOLOE OLOLO HÃHÃ [2112]
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LowJoker wrote:
3 is so trill. I mean all the way up to Answer Questions is probably the illest first few tracks for an LP ever.
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Diotor wrote:
answers? questions! questions? answers! is a great song
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ineedmoretool wrote:
OE OLOLOE OLOLOE OLOLOE OLOLO HÃHÃ [11] !
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Obywatelek wrote:
The best ever ever ever!
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alfie_1991 wrote:
OE OLOLOE OLOLOE OLOLOE OLOLO HÃHÃ [10]
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deadgrave wrote:
OE OLOLOE OLOLOE OLOLOE OLOLO HÃHÃ [9]
Videos
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Play
Soundtrack NIKE commercial WC…
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Play
Šenkýřka
1 shout
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Play
Tamara's Move…
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Play
Hocus Pocus
7 shouts
Events
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Mar
14
Focus
Teatro Rival Petrobras - Rua Álvaro Alvim, 33 / 37 - Cinelândia, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
3 going
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Mar
17
Focus
Carioca Club, São Paulo, Brazil
1 going
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Mar
21
Focus
Teatro Coliseo, Buenos Aires, Argentina
6 going
Listening Now
Top Listeners
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Matheus_Fiore
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Recent Activity
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cobus9, Popurrih and LoianyGaleno added Focus to their libraries. 5 hours ago
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ikswodur tagged Focus with ‘progressive rock’. yesterday evening
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ikswodur, srx00, VinchatD and 15 other people added Focus to their libraries. yesterday evening
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Fat_German tagged Focus with ‘symphonic’. Wednesday evening
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srflipflops, Palibear, zottelschissel and 3 other people added Focus to their libraries. Wednesday evening
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Gabriel-Souza tagged Focus with ‘classic rock’. Tuesday afternoon
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raytough, ian7hilton, tymfts and 1 other person added Focus to their libraries. Tuesday afternoon
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srflipflops connected Focus to the group Progressive Rock - Playlist. 8 days ago
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Zipatto, meneerpijpers, digwie and 3 other people added Focus to their libraries. 9 days ago
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phoarbix tagged Focus with dutch, classic rock and progressive rock. 11 days ago
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