Focus III [Original recording remastered]

Focus 3 was recorded in 1972. In early 1973 it became a top ten album, and in Sylvia produced a top ten single. Focus were then at their peak of popularity, with their earlier album Moving Waves also being a top ten album, and Hocus Pocus taken from Moving Waves being a hit single. Each of the musicians were voted as top ten musicians in each of their categories. Jan Akkerman was voted world's best guitarist.

Focus 3 is an entirely instrumental album, apart from one track. All of the longer tracks have a very live feel to them because they were recorded without any overdubs.

Round goes the gossip is an odd vocal track to start an otherwise instrumental album with. The only words sung are "Round goes the gossip", apart from a slow middle section in which Thijs Van Leer sings part of Virgil's Aeneid in latin !

In stark contrast, the melodic Love remembered has a gentle flute lead with acoustic guitar backing.

The success of the single Sylvia at the time made Focus known all over the world. The memorable guitar led instrumental is a bit reminiscent of The Shadows at their best. This track will probably be appreciated by just about anyone.

Carnival Fugue is far more jazz than rock. Its slow piano intro in part Baroque, part Jazz style eventually becomes faster and ends with Thijs Van Leer playing a piccolo solo with the rest of Focus backing him.

The title track Focus 3 is in a similar style to other Focus tracks with Focus in the title. After the solemn organ intro, and gentle guitar lead, the pace gradually speeds up, until the track goes straight in to Answers Questions Questions Answers. Although Answers Questions Questions Answers lacks a distinct or memorable melody, parts of it contain some of the most sensitive guitar playing on the whole album.

Anonymous 2 was originally recorded as Anonymous on the first Focus album "In and out of Focus". However, Anonymous 2 is faster and musically far superior than the original, and at nearly thirty minutes is much longer. In live performances it served as a showpiece for their considerable musical abilities. After the initial guitar led melody of Anonymous 2, each of the musicians is given the opportunity to solo : Thijs Van Leer on flute, Bert Ruiter with a bass solo which is probably one of the longest on any recording, Jan Akkerman on guitar, and Pierre van Der Linden with a lengthy drum solo. They eventually return to the main melody of Anonymous 2. Given the amount of improvisation this is really jazz rather than rock music.

Although known for his abilities on electric guitar, Jan Akkerman had a considerable collection of lutes. He plays lute on Elspeth of Nottingham. He is backed by Thijs Van Leer on recorder. Elspeth of Nottingham is in the renaissance style of 16th century lutenist John Dowland, and is as good or better than anything that John Dowland wrote.

House of the King was the B side of the hit single Sylvia. It would have made a very good single itself, and in some countries was released as a single. The chords of the acoustic guitar intro leads in to a fast and memorable melody played on the flute, with the bridge played at remarkable speed by Jan Akkerman on electric guitar. House of the king is actually taken directly from Focus's first album "In and out of Focus". It was not even rerecorded for this album. Although they are not credited, Martin Dresden plays bass and Hans Cleuver plays drums. Around the same time, Jan Akkerman recorded a "fluteless" version for his solo album Tabernakel, on which he plays guitar lead throughout.

Focus split up after a few more albums. Jan Akkerman has had a very prolific and successful solo career since then. Thijs Van Leer eventually reformed Focus by joining what was going to be a Focus tribute band. They recorded Focus 8, although it does not contain any of the other previous members of Focus apart from him.