HAMBURGER CONCERTO

While this is most peoples favourite FOCUS record, I think "Moving Waves" and "III" are much better. You have to love the humour they bring into their music though, I mean check out the title of this album.

"Delitae Musicae" is a short intro track of acoustic guitar and piano. "Harem Scarem" features a catchy rhythm and is uptempo. I really like the guitar 2 minutes in followed by flute. That same theme is back at 3 1/2 minutes only this time with an extended guitar solo. Back to the uptempo melody after 5 minutes. "La Cathedral De Strasbourg" opens with dark sounding piano, and when the organ comes in it reminds me of GENESIS. Vocals after 2 minutes. Some whistling and a very pleasant melody that reminds me of CAMEL.

"Birth" opens with harpsichord before drums take over a minute in. Organ follows as we get a full sound before 2 minutes. Flute a minute later as it calms down.The guitar 5 minutes in is tastefully played but it comes back before 7 minutes more aggressively. "Hamburger Concerto" is a 20 minute ride. I like the contrast early of the rock sound with the Banks-like keys. Excellent. A calm 5 1/2 minutes in as an odd vocal melody arrives. The song sort of meanders along for a while. I'm not a fan of the vocals before 16 minutes, they remind me of church. A change to a fuller sound 17 minutes in as earlier themes are repeated. "Early Birth" is a catchy little track with some great guitar after a minute, and later to end it.

Good album but I much prefer "Moving Waves" and "Focus III".