Focus Plays Focus - FOCUS*****

Focus (Vocal)/Black Beauty/Sugar Island/Anonymus/House Of The King/Happy Nightmare/Why Dream/Focus (Instrumental)

Focus Plays Focus was the excellent, but often overlooked, debut album from the acclaimed Dutch progressive band. Their next album release would see them breakthrough onto the international market. Released as In & Out Of Focus in the UK. (US:104)

"The first album by this fantastic progressive rock band and it is pretty good. Better stuff is coming but this is still a good listen. There is plenty of that great guitar but there is also some good keyboards and flute. Featured prominently are the incredible talents of virtuoso guitarist Jan Akkerman and flautist/keyboardist Thijs van Leer. Let us just say that their playing is impressive even at this early stage."

"Dutch progressive rock band Focus' debut is a truly stunning piece of musicianship that announced to the world a new virtuoso guitar gunslinger was in town in the person of the amazing Jan Akkerman. Focus Plays Focus is also a collection of mostly prog jazzy instrumental pieces that are amazing and really expand the limits of your mind. This is an album that you can really get into if you love guitar, progressive rock, instrumental rock or jazz."

"I'm probably one of the few people who really love both the charming rock songs and the super-hot instrumentals on this one. Two totally different styles on this album, but every track here really kills me. I wish I could find more albums with this kind of catchy vocal and instrumental sound. I'm a big Focus fan and I love the direction they went in after this, but this one of those true one-off gems of that era."

"Some brilliant lyrics, arrangements, etc in the fey, baroque, late 60s style pop songs. Some really great songs that stick in the head, especially Sugar Island - what a sharp gem. And some hot instrumental stuff that laid the template for the classic Focus jamming sound with flute and guitar. A hugely underappreciated album that succeeds greatly with both sides of that split personality. I have a special fondness for the pop songs, the likes of which they would never do again."

“The keyboards are basic, mostly organ and piano. Some songs are more catchy and accessible with very good lead and backing vocals; others are more instrumental, with tons of drums and flute through fast bass and electric guitar rhythms."