Focus II
(Moving Waves)
Studio album by
Focus
ReleasedOctober 1971
Recorded13 April–14 May 1971
StudioSound Techniques and Morgan Studios, London
Genre
Length41:40
LabelImperial
ProducerMike Vernon
Focus chronology
Focus Plays Focus
(1970)		 Focus II
(Moving Waves)
(1971)		 Focus 3
(1972)

Focus II (better known by its international title, Moving Waves) is the second studio album by Dutch progressive rock band Focus, released in October 1971 on Imperial Records. Following the departure of original bassist Martin Dresden and drummer Hans Cleuver in 1970, the band recruited Cyril Havermans and Pierre van der Linden, respectively, and prepared material for a new album. Focus recorded Focus II in London in April and May 1971 with Mike Vernon as producer. The album features "Hocus Pocus" a hard rock song featuring keyboardist Thijs van Leer's yodelling, scat singing, and whistling, and "Eruption", a 22-minute track inspired by the opera Euridice by Italian composer Jacopo Peri.

Focus II was released to a mostly positive response and remains one of their most commercially successful albums, reaching No. 2 in the UK, No. 4 in the Netherlands, and No. 8 in the US. "Hocus Pocus" was released as a single in the Netherlands in July 1971, followed by its international release in 1973, where it reached No. 9 in the US and No. 20 in the UK.[1][2] The album is certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America for selling 500,000 copies in the US.[3]

Background

Producer Mike Vernon in 2017

Focus was formed in Amsterdam in 1969 by keyboardist, vocalist, and flautist Thijs van Leer, bassist Martin Dresden, drummer Hans Cleuver, and guitarist Jan Akkerman. After releasing their debut album Focus Plays Focus (1970), the group suffered a setback when Akkerman requested that van Leer fire Dresden and Cleuver so his former Brainbox bandmate, drummer Pierre van der Linden, could join the band. Van Leer reluctantly agreed, and the trio subsequently recruited bassist Cyril Havermans. After a series of gigs, the group travelled to London to record a follow-up album. Focus II was recorded from 13 April–14 May 1971 at Sound Techniques and Morgan Studios with Mike Vernon as their producer.

Songs

"Hocus Pocus" is a rock song that features van Leer yodelling, eefing, scat singing, and whistling. The song was written as a rock parody, and it was recorded for the album as it lacked any "outright rock" tracks at that point. The group wanted to incorporate an element of humour in the track because they felt it was missing in the rock genre.[4] "Le Clochard" is French for "Homeless" and is fully titled "Le Clochard (Bread)". It is a melancholic classical guitar piece by Akkerman with van Leer backing on Mellotron. "Janis" is another Akkerman-penned ballad and features van Leer on the flute. "Moving Waves", a piano and vocal solo by van Leer, features lyrics by Sufi singer, poet, and teacher Inayat Khan. "Focus II" is a classical-jazz fusion instrumental.

Side two contains the 22-minute track "Eruption", a loose rock adaptation of the tale of Orpheus and Euridice from the opera Euridice by Italian composer Jacopo Peri. The track is in fifteen distinct sections, and the suite opens with an uncredited melody from the opera L'Orfeo by Monteverdi. "Tommy" features a guitar solo and was named and written by Tom Barlage of the Dutch fusion band Solution. "Euridice" is a classical lied which segues into the Gregorian-inspired "Dayglow" and followed by van der Linden's drum solo, "Endless Road". The suite ends with a return to its opening themes.

Release

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[5]
MelodicMusic

Focus II was released in October 1971 to mainly positive reception. It went on to peak at number 2 on the UK Albums Chart,[6] number 8 on the US Billboard 200,[7] and number 4 on the Dutch Album Top 100 chart.[8]

The single "Hocus Pocus" peaked at number 9 on the Billboard Hot 100.[9]

Focus II came in at number 24 in Q and Mojo's list of "40 Cosmic Rock Albums".[10]

Track listing

Side one
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Hocus Pocus"Thijs van Leer, Jan Akkerman6:42
2."Le Clochard (Bread)"Akkerman2:01
3."Janis"Akkerman, van Leer3:09
4."Moving Waves"van Leer, Inayat Khan2:42
5."Focus II"van Leer4:00
Side two
No.TitleLength
6."Eruption"
  1. "Orfeus" (van Leer)
  2. "Answer" (van Leer)
  3. "Orfeus" (van Leer)
  4. "Answer" (van Leer)
  5. "Pupilla" (van Leer)
  6. "Tommy" (Tom Barlage)
  7. "Pupilla" (van Leer)
  8. "Answer" (van Leer)
  9. "The Bridge" (Akkerman)
  10. "Euridice" (van Leer, Eelko Nobel)
  11. "Dayglow" (van Leer)
  12. "Endless Road" (Pierre van der Linden)
  13. "Answer" (van Leer)
  14. "Orfeus" (van Leer)
  15. "Euridice" (van Leer, Nobel)"
22:35

Personnel

Focus

Production

  • Mike Vernon – producer
  • Jerry Boys – engineer
  • Dennis Kloeth – sleeve design (original pressing)
  • Janos Barendsen – cover photograph

Charts

Chart (1971) Peak
position
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[11] 4
Chart (1972-1973) Peak
position
Australian Albums (Kent Music Report)[12] 15
Canada Top Albums/CDs (RPM)[13] 6
Finnish Albums (The Official Finnish Charts)[14] 26
UK Albums (OCC)[15] 2
US Billboard 200[16] 8

Certifications

Region CertificationCertified units/sales
United Kingdom (BPI)[17] Gold 100,000^
United States (RIAA)[18] Gold 500,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

References

  1. ↑ Hilton, Robin (July 15, 2008). "Old Music Tuesdays: Focus". NPR.org. Retrieved 8 June 2017.
  2. ↑ "Focus - Full Official Chart History - Official Charts Company". www.officialcharts.com. Retrieved 8 June 2017.
  3. ↑ Berry, Peter E. Berry (1977). "... and the Hits Just Keep on Comin' " (1st ed.). Syracuse, N.Y.: Syracuse University Press. pp. 170, 205. ISBN 9780815601340.
  4. ↑ Bronson, Harold (24 May 1973). "Focus: How to Make It Without Playing Top 40". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 14 September 2021 – via Rock's Backpages.
  5. ↑ "allmusic ((( Moving Waves > Overview )))". www.allmusic.com. Retrieved 2009-11-15.
  6. ↑ "The Official Charts Company - Focus - Moving Waves". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 2009-11-15.
  7. ↑ "Moving Waves - Focus | Awards". AllMusic. Retrieved 2014-06-28.
  8. ↑ "dutchcharts.nl - Focus - Moving Waves". dutchcharts.nl. Retrieved 2009-11-15.
  9. ↑ "Focus - Chart History - Billboard". www.billboard.com. Retrieved 8 June 2017.
  10. ↑ Q Classic: Pink Floyd & The Story of Prog Rock, 2005.
  11. ↑ "Dutchcharts.nl – Focus – Focus II" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 8 January 2023.
  12. ↑ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 115. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
  13. ↑ "Top RPM Albums: Issue 4816". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 8 January 2023.
  14. ↑ Pennanen, Timo (2006). Sisältää hitin – levyt ja esittäjät Suomen musiikkilistoilla vuodesta 1972 (in Finnish) (1st ed.). Helsinki: Kustannusosakeyhtiö Otava. ISBN 978-951-1-21053-5.
  15. ↑ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 8 January 2023.
  16. ↑ "Focus Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved 8 January 2023.
  17. ↑ "great britain's million sellers, 1973-74" (PDF). Cash Box. July 6, 1974. p. 8, Part II. Retrieved 20 December 2020.
  18. ↑ "American album certifications – Focus – Moving Waves". Recording Industry Association of America.
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