Focus Plays Focus
| Focus Plays Focus (In And Out Of Focus) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 1970 | |||
| Recorded | Sound Techniques Studios (London, England) | |||
| Genre | Progressive rock[1] | |||
| Length | 33:30 | |||
| Label | Imperial Records | |||
| Producer | Hubert Terheggen | |||
| Focus chronology | ||||
| ||||
Focus Plays Focus (better known as its international title In and Out of Focus) is the first studio album from the Dutch rock band Focus, released in 1970 on Imperial Records. It was the band's only album recorded with the original line-up of Thijs van Leer, Jan Akkerman, Martin Dresden and Hans Cleuver.
Musical style
AllMusic's Richie Unterberger called the album "a fair collection of progressive rock tunes without a clear focus" and noted prominent influences from folk rock, blues, and classical music, as well as "occasional jazzy shadings".[2]
Track listing
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Focus (Instrumental)" | Thijs van Leer | 9:45 |
| 2. | "Why Dream" | van Leer, Hans Cleuver | 3:57 |
| 3. | "Happy Nightmare" | van Leer, Martin Dresden, Mike Hayes | 3:56 |
| 4. | "Anonymus" | van Leer, Jan Akkerman, Dresden | 7:00 |
| 5. | "Black Beauty" | van Leer, Cleuver | 3:05 |
| 6. | "Sugar Island" | van Leer, Dresden, Staal | 3:03 |
| 7. | "Focus (Vocal Version)" | van Leer, Cleuver | 2:44 |
| Total length: | 33:30 | ||
Jan Akkerman's "House of the King" (2:20) was originally a Dutch single release, but was added and inserted as track no 2 on the UK album version "In and Out of Focus".
Personnel
- Thijs van Leer – vocals (tracks 2, 5, 6), flute, Hammond organ, piano, electric piano, mellotron, harpsichord, vibraphone
- Jan Akkerman – guitars, acoustic guitars
- Martin Dresden – bass guitar, trumpet (tracks 4, 5), vocals (tracks 2, 3, 6)
- Hans Cleuver – drums, bongos, vocals (tracks 2, 5, 6)
- Additional personnel
- Hubert Terheggen – production
- Jerry Boys – engineering
References
- ^ http://www.allmusic.com/album/in-and-out-of-focus-mw0000652900
- ^ Unterberger, Richie. "In and Out of Focus - AllMusic". Allmusic. Retrieved 2 November 2014.
- ^ Looking at my copy of this vinyl record
- "Discography". Focus. Retrieved 13 July 2010.
- "Focus (2) - In And Out Of Focus". Discogs. Retrieved 13 July 2010.