![]() It's impressive playing, though it comes off as a bit meandering after the tightly structured solos that began the album. Stop-time Emersonian organ solos alternate with languid sections of jazzy guitar redolent of Santana, while still other sections are flat-out electric blues-rock stomps. ![]() The album concludes with "Eruption," which while mimicking the multi-suite nomenclature of Yes and King Crimson, is essentially a side-long jam session. Listen to Live at Alexanders by Jan Akkerman Band on Apple Music. After this over-the-top performance, the other tracks seem comparatively constrained: the gentle "Le Clochard" features some gorgeous classical guitar over Mellotron strings. Stream songs including 'Hocus Pocus / Pietons (Live)', 'Crackers (Live)' and more. Focus achieved international success following the release of Moving Waves (1971) and its lead single, 'Hocus Pocus', which features van Leers yodelling and whistling. The bizarrely hilarious vocal and accordion solos by Thijs van Leer - one of which absurdly concludes with rousing stadium cheers - have to be heard to be believed. Driven by a heavy distorted guitar riff punctuated by jazzy major 7th chords and ripping hyperspeed solos that explored harmonic minor and Hungarian minor scales, Hocus Pocus was a showcase for Akkerman’s proto-shred style back when Ritchie Blackmore was still noodling around the pentatonic box. He formed Trio Thijs van Leer, a three-piece rock band which evolved into Focus in late 1969 following the addition of guitarist Jan Akkerman. In an interview with the British newspaper New Musical Express in May 1973, lead guitarist Jan Akkerman said Hocus Pocus was just a send-up of those rock. Live at the Rainbow is a fine purchase for any Focus fan, or, indeed, anyone looking for a band with a good degree of originality and musical ability.The album that boosted Focus into at least semi-fame outside of continental Europe, Moving Waves blasts off with their hit single, "Hocus Pocus." Built around a killer guitar hook by Jan Akkerman and a series of solo turns by the band, this instrumental replaced "Wipeout" as a staple of FM radio. This live version is multiple times faster than its studio counterpart - those familiar with only the studio version are certainly in for a shock! Throughout the album the performance is simply astonishing. ![]() "Hocus Pocus," for example, is almost unrecognizable. Although much of the content sticks closely to its original studio form (12-minute tracks were regular on studio albums), with maybe an extra solo or two thrown in for good measure, a few songs host drastic changes. 'Hocus Pocus' is a song by the Dutch rock band Focus, written by keyboardist, flautist and vocalist Thijs van Leer and guitarist Jan Akkerman. Live at the Rainbow featured some of the band's best and most well known tracks: "Sylvia," "Hocus Pocus," "Focus II," and so on. It would be so easy to go off on a tangent explaining the mastery that Focus had musically suffice to say, however, the bands technical proficiency is rarely matched in the world of rock. Bert Ruiter knocked out his basslines tight to Pierre Van Der Linden's drums, undoubtedly two of the finest players on their respective instruments. Thijs Van Leer, chief songwriter and performer in the band, showcased his talents on flute, vocals, and organ with unparalleled finesse. Jan Akkerman, named "World's Best Guitarist" by Melody Maker in 1973 ahead of Eric Clapton and others, was amazingly on form in this performance. The guitar is based on the shape and profile of a Les Paul Personal so it's a bit bigger than a normal Les Paul - it's equipped with a PAF humbucker at the bridge and a TV Jones Filter'Tron in the neck position and is available in a range of finishes. The instrumental rockers of the early '70s never were any good at dulling down their musical expertise and, indeed, it's only a matter of seconds into their first and only live release - Live at the Rainbow - until one realizes just how talented Focus were. ChrisMusic There's a new Jan Akkerman signature guitar from Dutch company Brandin guitars and a new amp from British builder Albion Amps.
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