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Focus The Shorts

Printed From: Progarchives.com
Category: Progressive Music Lounges
Forum Name: Prog Polls
Forum Description: Create polls on topics related to progressive music
URL: http://www.progarchives.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=81115
Printed Date: March 18 2024 at 22:17
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Topic: Focus The Shorts
Posted By: Ivan_Melgar_M
Subject: Focus The Shorts
Date Posted: September 11 2011 at 14:52
Would be unfair to mix short tracks with epics, so here you have the shorts by the great Dutch band Focus..

Now I have to think between House of the King, Sylvia, Harem Scarem and La Cathdral De Strasbourg.

Iván

PS: Went with The House of the King, masterpiece of flute and bass often attributed to Jethro Tull.


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Replies:
Posted By: dwill123
Date Posted: September 11 2011 at 15:24
Sylvia


Posted By: Morningrise
Date Posted: September 11 2011 at 15:31
I have a soft spot for Elspeth Of Nottingham.


Posted By: Logan
Date Posted: September 11 2011 at 15:39
Guess I'll go with "Round Goes the Gossip" -- so catchy.  I used to be a big Focus fan, but haven't listened to the band much in years.

You did omit one of my favourites -- "Bennie Helder".




Posted By: Fox On The Rocks
Date Posted: September 11 2011 at 15:42
Sylvia because it has one of the most beautiful melodies of all time.

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Posted By: jean-marie
Date Posted: September 11 2011 at 15:53
Difficult choice but can't keep from giving my vote to Hocus Pocus Smile


Posted By: akaBona
Date Posted: September 11 2011 at 16:02
Originally posted by jean-marie jean-marie wrote:

Difficult choice but can't keep from giving my vote to Hocus Pocus Smile


same here


Posted By: Hercules
Date Posted: September 11 2011 at 16:34
So much good stuff; such a hard choice!
 
In the end, went with House of the King (since my surname is King, I might be a bit biased)


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A TVR is not a car. It's a way of life.


Posted By: Tapfret
Date Posted: September 11 2011 at 17:50
I'll just be Mr. Trendy and say Hocus Pocus of course...the hyperspeed TV version at that...




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https://www.last.fm/user/Tapfret" rel="nofollow">
https://bandcamp.com/tapfret" rel="nofollow - Bandcamp


Posted By: emkogceo
Date Posted: September 11 2011 at 18:42
"Focus II" for me.  The bland title and position on their second album make it easy to forget, but it's my favorite Focus track of all.

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www.emkog.com


Posted By: Ivan_Melgar_M
Date Posted: September 11 2011 at 18:50
Didn't expected so much love for Hocus Pocus, yes it's a good funny track, but I'm more in the melodic tracks with more presence of Jan Akkerman.

But everybody has a unique taste.

Iván


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Posted By: Slartibartfast
Date Posted: September 11 2011 at 19:18
I went with the one I heard at the grocery store recently.

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Released date are often when it it impacted you but recorded dates are when it really happened...



Posted By: Moogtron III
Date Posted: September 12 2011 at 01:43
As a kid I was crazy about Sylvia. Especially because there are so many wonderful, powerful complex chords in the track, and Akkerman's guitar is magic, and Van Leer backs him up quite well with the organ and the vocals.

These days I'd choose Le Cathedral de Strasbourg, which has so many great moments within just a few minutes. I voted for that one.




Posted By: someone_else
Date Posted: September 12 2011 at 03:05
1. Hocus Pocus
2. Birth
3. Le Clochard [not on this list]
4. La Cathédrale de Strasbourg


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Posted By: Robk
Date Posted: September 12 2011 at 03:07
Janis - a sadly overlooked Focus classic


Posted By: friso
Date Posted: September 12 2011 at 03:21
Round goes the Gossip, though I might have voted for Happy Nighmare


Posted By: Cactus Choir
Date Posted: September 12 2011 at 04:31
La Cathedrale de Strasbourg, one of the most atmospheric and beautiful pieces of music I have ever heard.


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"And now...on the drums...Mick Underwooooooooood!!!"

"He's up the pub"


Posted By: Guldbamsen
Date Posted: September 12 2011 at 07:35
Early Birth is my fave off this list - short, sweet and very beautiful guitar work from Akkerman.

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“The Guide says there is an art to flying or rather a knack. The knack lies in learning how to throw yourself at the ground and miss.”

- Douglas Adams


Posted By: irrelevant
Date Posted: September 12 2011 at 11:00
Focus II. But it was a difficult choice with Sylvia and La Cathedrale De Strasbourg being in the list.   

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https://gabebuller.bandcamp.com/" rel="nofollow - New album!
http://www.progarchives.com/artist.asp?id=7385" rel="nofollow - http://www.progarchives.com/artist.asp?id=7385


Posted By: Steven in Atlanta
Date Posted: September 12 2011 at 12:44
Focus V (from the fabulous Ship of Memories collection) is just a stunning melody from a band that had plenty of 'em! Perhaps their finest.


Posted By: Moogtron III
Date Posted: September 12 2011 at 17:54
Originally posted by Steven in Atlanta Steven in Atlanta wrote:

Focus V (from the fabulous Ship of Memories collection) is just a stunning melody from a band that had plenty of 'em! Perhaps their finest.


It is one of their best, I agree.


Posted By: Dellinger
Date Posted: September 12 2011 at 21:33
The first thing I thought about this poll was "Hocus Pocus"... but then I remembered "Birth", which somehow is not very apreciated, but I find extremely beautiful, with great flute and guitar solos... as a matter of fact, I want to hear it right now.


Posted By: b4usleep
Date Posted: September 13 2011 at 06:23
Strange, "Janis" got only 1 vote till i vote.

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Really don't mind if you sit this one out.
My words but a whisper, your deafness a shout.


Posted By: The-time-is-now
Date Posted: September 13 2011 at 08:38
The house of the king.

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One of my best achievements in life was to find this picture :D


Posted By: Moogtron III
Date Posted: September 13 2011 at 09:11
Originally posted by b4usleep b4usleep wrote:

Strange, "Janis" got only 1 vote till i vote.


I love Janis, but there are some other good songs to vote for as well.


Posted By: crimhead
Date Posted: September 13 2011 at 12:30
Hocus Pocus


Posted By: Gandalff
Date Posted: September 13 2011 at 13:38
Originally posted by Ivan_Melgar_M Ivan_Melgar_M wrote:

Would be unfair to mix short tracks with epics, so here you have the shorts by the great Dutch band Focus..

Now I have to think between House of the King, Sylvia, Harem Scarem and La Cathdral De Strasbourg.

Iván

PS: Went with The House of the King, masterpiece of flute and bass often attributed to Jethro Tull.
Where are Focus The Middles?LOL

-------------
A Elbereth Gilthoniel
silivren penna míriel
o menel aglar elenath!
Na-chaered palan-díriel
o galadhremmin ennorath,
Fanuilos, le linnathon
nef aear, sí nef aearon!



Posted By: Ivan_Melgar_M
Date Posted: September 13 2011 at 13:42
Originally posted by Gandalff Gandalff wrote:

Originally posted by Ivan_Melgar_M Ivan_Melgar_M wrote:

Would be unfair to mix short tracks with epics, so here you have the shorts by the great Dutch band Focus..

Now I have to think between House of the King, Sylvia, Harem Scarem and La Cathdral De Strasbourg.

Iván

PS: Went with The House of the King, masterpiece of flute and bass often attributed to Jethro Tull.
Where are Focus The Middles?LOL

LOL, I made it as a mockery of Genesis The Longs and Genesis The Shorts, which were terrible albums.

Now, I can't understand that Delitae Musicae and Harem Scarem don't have a vote.

Iván


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Posted By: Gandalff
Date Posted: September 13 2011 at 14:03
Originally posted by Ivan_Melgar_M Ivan_Melgar_M wrote:

Originally posted by Gandalff Gandalff wrote:

Originally posted by Ivan_Melgar_M Ivan_Melgar_M wrote:

Would be unfair to mix short tracks with epics, so here you have the shorts by the great Dutch band Focus..

Now I have to think between House of the King, Sylvia, Harem Scarem and La Cathdral De Strasbourg.

Iván

PS: Went with The House of the King, masterpiece of flute and bass often attributed to Jethro Tull.
Where are Focus The Middles?LOL

Now, I can't understand that Delitae Musicae and Harem Scarem don't have a vote.

Iván
That´s easy. Overshadowed by Hocus Pocus, genial and timeless musical joke.


-------------
A Elbereth Gilthoniel
silivren penna míriel
o menel aglar elenath!
Na-chaered palan-díriel
o galadhremmin ennorath,
Fanuilos, le linnathon
nef aear, sí nef aearon!



Posted By: LudwigBrahms
Date Posted: September 13 2011 at 15:44
Where's the love for Focus III? It's so melodic and Akkerman's guitar crescendos beautifully into that main theme that I just love. That's always been one of my favorites and would definitely be the one I'd vote for if this poll would let me.


Posted By: irrelevant
Date Posted: September 14 2011 at 06:33
Originally posted by LudwigBrahms LudwigBrahms wrote:

Where's the love for Focus III? It's so melodic and Akkerman's guitar crescendos beautifully into that main theme that I just love. That's always been one of my favorites and would definitely be the one I'd vote for if this poll would let me.

It's a great track. 


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https://gabebuller.bandcamp.com/" rel="nofollow - New album!
http://www.progarchives.com/artist.asp?id=7385" rel="nofollow - http://www.progarchives.com/artist.asp?id=7385


Posted By: Badabec
Date Posted: September 14 2011 at 06:45
The awesome Carnival Fugue, of course.

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Mesmo a tristeza da gente era mais bela
E além disso se via da janela
Um cantinho de céu e o Redentor

- Antônio Carlos Jobim, Toquinho & Vinícius de Moraes - Carta ao Tom 74


Posted By: Mista-Gordie
Date Posted: April 27 2012 at 17:15
Birth, easily


Posted By: Dellinger
Date Posted: April 27 2012 at 18:37
Originally posted by Gandalff Gandalff wrote:

Originally posted by Ivan_Melgar_M Ivan_Melgar_M wrote:

Originally posted by Gandalff Gandalff wrote:

Originally posted by Ivan_Melgar_M Ivan_Melgar_M wrote:

Would be unfair to mix short tracks with epics, so here you have the shorts by the great Dutch band Focus..

Now I have to think between House of the King, Sylvia, Harem Scarem and La Cathdral De Strasbourg.


Iván


PS: Went with The House of the King, masterpiece of flute and bass often attributed to Jethro Tull.

Where are Focus The Middles?LOL


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That´s easy. Overshadowed by Hocus Pocus, genial and timeless musical joke.


Indeed!!!
Hocus Pocus must be about the only "Joke" song I really love. Brilliant.


Posted By: ten years after
Date Posted: April 28 2012 at 02:17

Anonymous is a bit too long to count as a "short".

I voted for Sylvia on this list for various reasons.
 
Three of the short tracks on the first album (Focus vocal, Mescaline and Why Dream) are worthy of inclusion on this list. 


Posted By: richardh
Date Posted: April 28 2012 at 02:24
Its a real shame that their recent albums get completely ignored but never mind
 
I voted House Of The King but could easily have gone for Sylvia which has one of the best guitar melodies ever.
 


Posted By: Harold-The-Barrel
Date Posted: April 28 2012 at 02:38
Sylvia

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You must be joking.....Take a running jump......


Posted By: Dellinger
Date Posted: April 28 2012 at 14:11
Originally posted by richardh richardh wrote:

Its a real shame that their recent albums get completely ignored but never mind
 

I voted House Of The King but could easily have gone for Sylvia which has one of the best guitar melodies ever.

 


I guess it doesn't help that their albums are rather difficult to find. I have all of the Jan Akkerman albums (as far as I know), but it was rather difficult to get them. By then I thought I already had them all, but then found out they had been releasing albums after Jan Akkerman left, but since for me he is such an amazing guitar player, and it's rather difficult to get the albums, I just thought it would be easier to stop where I was, and assume that without Akkerman they wouldn't be as great (their last or last two albums with Akkerman, the Mother Focus and Ship of Memories, were already much weaker than what they'd done before, anyway).


Posted By: BarryGlibb
Date Posted: April 28 2012 at 19:17
C'mon you guys..BIRTH is an absolute gem. Have a listen to it and then Hocus Pocus. 

I am sure Birth will win out.

I can't get rid of this underlined italicised type!!!!!!!


Posted By: colorofmoney91
Date Posted: April 28 2012 at 20:13
Sylvia!

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http://hanashukketsu.bandcamp.com" rel="nofollow - Hanashukketsu


Posted By: Dellinger
Date Posted: April 29 2012 at 21:50
Originally posted by BarryGlibb BarryGlibb wrote:

C'mon you guys..BIRTH is an absolute gem. Have a listen to it and then Hocus Pocus. 
I am sure Birth will win out.
I can't get rid of this underlined italicised type!!!!!!!


Indeed, I love Birth too. Hocus Pocus rocks, but Birth is really beautiful.


Posted By: richardh
Date Posted: April 30 2012 at 09:53
Originally posted by Dellinger Dellinger wrote:

Originally posted by richardh richardh wrote:

Its a real shame that their recent albums get completely ignored but never mind
 

I voted House Of The King but could easily have gone for Sylvia which has one of the best guitar melodies ever.

 


I guess it doesn't help that their albums are rather difficult to find. I have all of the Jan Akkerman albums (as far as I know), but it was rather difficult to get them. By then I thought I already had them all, but then found out they had been releasing albums after Jan Akkerman left, but since for me he is such an amazing guitar player, and it's rather difficult to get the albums, I just thought it would be easier to stop where I was, and assume that without Akkerman they wouldn't be as great (their last or last two albums with Akkerman, the Mother Focus and Ship of Memories, were already much weaker than what they'd done before, anyway).
 
They are good albums.Maybe not earth shattering but not deserving of being ignored totally (which is usually the case).
 
I love Akkerman as well. Seen him live a couple of times.One of the best guitarists ever.


Posted By: Ivan_Melgar_M
Date Posted: April 30 2012 at 11:06
For those who voted Sylvia, this song has an interesting story:

The original name of he song was: "I thought I could do Everything on my own, I was always stripping the Town Alone" and had lyrics.

The song was written by Thijs before he joined Focus. On those days he worked with another young man and two girls as chorus for two famous crooners in Holland named Ramses Shaffy and Liesbeth List.

During the show of this musicians, the kids in the chorus were allowed to sing one song each one, and one of the girls (Sylvia Alberts) had a song that Thijs didn't liked. So one day he wrote "I thought I could do Everything on my own, I was always stripping the Town Alone" for her, but Sylvia hated the song, so he took it and saved it for a better moment.

When they were recording FOCUS III, side one was missing like 4 minutes and nobody had a song, so Thijs remembered the song he wrote for Sylvia Alberts, deleted the lyrics, changed the name  and included it in the album. he rest is well known, Sylvia was the biggest world hit they had until that moment.

Iván.






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Posted By: Dellinger
Date Posted: April 30 2012 at 13:22
Originally posted by richardh richardh wrote:

Originally posted by Dellinger Dellinger wrote:

Originally posted by richardh richardh wrote:

Its a real shame that their recent albums get completely ignored but never mind
 

I voted House Of The King but could easily have gone for Sylvia which has one of the best guitar melodies ever.

 
I guess it doesn't help that their albums are rather difficult to find. I have all of the Jan Akkerman albums (as far as I know), but it was rather difficult to get them. By then I thought I already had them all, but then found out they had been releasing albums after Jan Akkerman left, but since for me he is such an amazing guitar player, and it's rather difficult to get the albums, I just thought it would be easier to stop where I was, and assume that without Akkerman they wouldn't be as great (their last or last two albums with Akkerman, the Mother Focus and Ship of Memories, were already much weaker than what they'd done before, anyway).



 

They are good albums.Maybe not earth shattering but not deserving of being ignored totally (which is usually the case).

 

I love Akkerman as well. Seen him live a couple of times.One of the best guitarists ever.


Lucky you.


Posted By: The-Winkler
Date Posted: April 30 2012 at 13:38
Sylvia


Posted By: Ivan_Melgar_M
Date Posted: April 30 2012 at 16:15
I forgot, The House of the King also has a story.

The guys were recording for several days the "In and Out of Focus" album, but the inspiration was dry. They were missing some minutes to complete the album and the producer was behind them. One morning they came early and started to jam and voila, The House of the King was there. They recorded it with the personnel at the studio and when the producer came, he was angry, he said this song should not be in the album because they had bypassed him, and he grabbed the tape.

I don't know if they refused to make a new song (Akkerman  had  a strong character) or the producer changed his mind, but the song was included and it was the only hit of the album.

The sad part is that 90% of the people who have listened it believe it's a Jethro Tull song.

Iván


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Posted By: richardh
Date Posted: May 01 2012 at 01:23
I am most familiar with House Of The King through school about 35 years ago. You would assemble to watch some eduactional progamme and House Of The King was the theme music for schools TV. I didn't have a clue who it was until many years later I got a Focus compilation. It was nice to hear it again even though I will always associate it with school!


Posted By: Ivan_Melgar_M
Date Posted: May 01 2012 at 10:15
Originally posted by richardh richardh wrote:

I am most familiar with House Of The King through school about 35 years ago. You would assemble to watch some eduactional progamme and House Of The King was the theme music for schools TV. I didn't have a clue who it was until many years later I got a Focus compilation. It was nice to hear it again even though I will always associate it with school!

Funny, my case is similar:

In the late 60's in Perú, there was a vinyl floor called PISOPAK, and the theme of the TV advertising  was The House of the King.

It was rare because Rock was almost banned in Perú due to the "Gobierno Revolucionario de las Fuerzas Armadas" of General Velazco, The Nacional Service of Intelligence (paradoxical name for the brutish censorship) checked that Rock wasn't played in schools or TV, but it's told that they convinced the censors that it was played with quena (Peruvian wooden flute), so the Government said nothing.

I loved the song. and always reminds me of my childhood.

Iván


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