MOTHER FOCUS

After the release of a masterpiece ("Hamburger Concerto"), a follow-up album is not always an easy task to put together. And this is instantly confirmed as soon as you start to listen to "Mother Focus". The title track sets the pace with a groovy and jazzy mood also available in "Soft Vanilla". Both numbers are rather weak (especially the latter one, with its "elevator" type of music).

What to write about "I Need A Bathroom" for instance ? A completely useless funky track. Since, their sense of humour is quite high, the listener will have to suffer some "Hard Vanilla" after the soft one. Same awful stuff as well. To remain into the jazz - piano - bar mood, just have a listen to "Tropic Bird".

So far, the band frequently released a song called "Focus" (as such, II, III). They were always one of the best number of the album. So, "Focus IV" just follows the tradition. It is one of the very few true "Focus" song. Nice flute and guitar. Of course, it is a bit mellow but after all those awful songs, it gives you a bit of relief (almsot four minutes, actually). In this context, I guess that the spacey and aerial "Someone's Crying...What!" also belongs to the good songs (?) available on this work.

But the second part (well I guess it is) "All Together...Oh That!" is a country type of song which is rather unpleasant as well. So, the massacre goes on. "No Hang Ups" is also a traditional "Focus" song. Very similar to "Focus II" and its Camel-ish sound. Very pleasant and my fave from this album. Extremely melodic and emotional. What a pity that it ends so abruptedly. It could have last some more minutes...

Some disco beat with "My Sweetheart". Stop please ! Hopefully the end of this joke is almost over with a very short tribute to "Bach" I guess. Not too bad.

The ones who complained that "Focus" produced too long and improvised jams on "Focus III" (and I belong to those ones) can not do the same here. The longest song clocks at 3'58. Fortunately, it will be the best one.

If you want to dicover this band, by no means you should start with this effort. Actually you'd better never listen to it. I wouldn't be too harsh though, and because this album do hold two great songs ("Focus IV" and ""No Hang Ups") I will rate it with two stars.