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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
This album is so different to all their previous material that enthusiastic fans who were maybe expecting another HAMBURGER CONCERTO,didn't quite get it.But in common with other reviews here I would urge you to buy this great album.I defy anyone not to have a smile on the face once they've heard "All Together...Oh That" it is a joyous track.Jan Akkerman's guitar work on "No Hang Ups" is fantastic.There is hardly a duff track on the album,with the aforenmentioned exceptions of "I Need A Bathroom" and the rather morose "Father Bach". Incidentally at the time of writing FOCUS are still touring with Van Leer & Pierre Van Der Linden and are still Mother Focusabsolutely brilliant.
6 of 7 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
I would guess that since Thijs van Leer and Jan Akkerman had a very difficult working relationship at this stage in their careers, this album was hastily put together as an obligation to the record company contract or something like that. Rock fans at it's release thought that Focus had lost their raunchieness and become some kind of easy-listening outfit.
I admit that at the release of this album I was very disappointed. I gave it a chance though and grew to love it as my taste in music matured and diversified. There is brilliance both in composition and musicianship which you will hear if you forget about the rock band and concentrate on Focus the band. These guys are proper musicians. They know when to play loud and soft and how long to hold a note. As usual, Thijs is clever with his composing. Listen to "Bennie Helder" and "Focus IV". BRILLIANT. His tribute to J.S.Bach "Father Bach" employs the old "Eruption" organ sound and Jan's violin guitar effect (volume control tweaking). GORGEOUS.
Jan Akkerman's guitar playing is tremendous. Just listen to the delicate guitar playing on "No hang ups". The phased string synth works beautifully on this one. SUBLIME. Bassist Bert Ruiter's compositions are also good to listen to, even if this might only be due to the expert musicianship and interpretation of all the band members, although "I need a bathroom" (a send-up of 1970's disco) is just a bit too silly and doesn't really work.
If you want rock music, then I wouldn't recommend this album. If you are a real music fan and especially a Focus fan then give this album a go and you will be rewarded.
I admit that at the release of this album I was very disappointed. I gave it a chance though and grew to love it as my taste in music matured and diversified. There is brilliance both in composition and musicianship which you will hear if you forget about the rock band and concentrate on Focus the band. These guys are proper musicians. They know when to play loud and soft and how long to hold a note. As usual, Thijs is clever with his composing. Listen to "Bennie Helder" and "Focus IV". BRILLIANT. His tribute to J.S.Bach "Father Bach" employs the old "Eruption" organ sound and Jan's violin guitar effect (volume control tweaking). GORGEOUS.
Jan Akkerman's guitar playing is tremendous. Just listen to the delicate guitar playing on "No hang ups". The phased string synth works beautifully on this one. SUBLIME. Bassist Bert Ruiter's compositions are also good to listen to, even if this might only be due to the expert musicianship and interpretation of all the band members, although "I need a bathroom" (a send-up of 1970's disco) is just a bit too silly and doesn't really work.
If you want rock music, then I wouldn't recommend this album. If you are a real music fan and especially a Focus fan then give this album a go and you will be rewarded.
3 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
Although the guitar pyrotechnics of old do not appear very much on this album this is still a fantastic album of really uplifting music, and Focus IV is Jan playing his guitar at his wonderful best. The tracks written by other band members are also very smooth, enjoyable and professionally played, with the obvious exception of I need a bathroom which smacks of desperation, and really shouldn't have been included at all. In short it's as worthy of inclusion in your collection as any of the other albums.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
a big change.
this album was not liked by focus die hards, but being a teenager at that time i liked and welcomed the change in the style of music, and played it constantly . Read more
Published 13 months ago by lou foy
Focus reduced to Test Card muzak
i'll be brief. I bought this when it came out. It was bad then and it still sounds bad now. It's not that I wanted Focus not to progress, but this seemed more a complete... Read more
Published 14 months ago by Mr. P. A. Mountford
Focus finish with a whimper
Focus had the chance to go out with a bang after the beautiful Hamburger Concerto, but instead chose the whimper that is Mother Focus - a dispirited, diluted example of their... Read more
Published on 7 Nov 2002
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