Focus 50 Years

50 Years: Anthology 1970-1976 is a forthcoming box set that contains the complete work of Dutch rock group Focus between 1970 and 1976.

50 Years: Anthology 1970-1976 is a forthcoming box set that contains the complete work of Dutch rock group Focus between 1970 and 1976.

Legendary Dutch progressive rockers Focus return with their 12th studio album, recorded in the world- renowned Wisseloord Studio in the Netherlands.

Legendary Dutch progressive rockers Focus return with their 12th studio album, recorded in the world- renowned Wisseloord Studio in the Netherlands.

Legendary Dutch progressive rockers Focus return with their 12th studio album, recorded in the world- renowned Wisseloord Studio in the Netherlands.

Legendary Dutch progressive rockers Focus return with their 12th studio album, recorded in the world- renowned Wisseloord Studio in the Netherlands.

For their eleventh studio album, Dutch legends Focus continue on with the more jazzy sounds that have permeated their more recent efforts, 11 also sporting some pretty nifty Roger Dean artwork and, you guessed it, eleven new songs. For a band whose history goes back to 1969, it might seem somewhat surprising that they've only now just released their eleventh studio album, but after a long period of inactivity in the '80s and '90s this is their seventh new release since 2002, which includes live albums and compilations.
Thijs van Leer and Pierre van der Linden are obviously members from the classic era of the band, but Gootjes has been around for a number of years, and Pannekeet is the newest recruit, joining around the time of their Focus 8.5 release…

The sprawling double LP Four Letter Monday Afternoon is generally considered the best effort from these jazzy Krautrockers. Rats Road, issued 30 years later, consists of recordings from those same sessions that had to be left off the original release because of lack of space, with material nearly as strong. Like Four Letter, this finds Out of Focus expanded to an 11-piece and stretching out on long jams with loose, funky rhythms and lots of lengthy instrumentals on various brass, keyboards, and guitar. In fact, this record is even more instrumental, with only two tracks with vocals, the energetic "I'd Like to Be Free" and "Tell Me What I'm Thinking Of," the latter which also appeared as a bonus track titled "When I'm Sleeping" on the CD reissue of Four Letter Monday Afternoon…

The sprawling double LP Four Letter Monday Afternoon is generally considered the best effort from these jazzy Krautrockers. Rats Road, issued 30 years later, consists of recordings from those same sessions that had to be left off the original release because of lack of space, with material nearly as strong. Like Four Letter, this finds Out of Focus expanded to an 11-piece and stretching out on long jams with loose, funky rhythms and lots of lengthy instrumentals on various brass, keyboards, and guitar. In fact, this record is even more instrumental, with only two tracks with vocals, the energetic "I'd Like to Be Free" and "Tell Me What I'm Thinking Of," the latter which also appeared as a bonus track titled "When I'm Sleeping" on the CD reissue of Four Letter Monday Afternoon…