P's March (Focus, 1973)

This song by major Dutch band Focus needs some explanatory notes. Firstly, it comes from an album titled "Ship of Memories" released in 1976, but including outtakes from previous albums. That's why this track was recorded in 1973 and left out the album "Hamburger Concerto". Secondly, the mysterious "P" of the title stands for "Pierre", drummer Pierre Van Der Linden's first name. Even if this is an outtake, I like it very much.

This is just a compilation, but there are a few great tracks there!

I appreciate the double face of "P's March", with its folkish and rather Medieval flute theme and its melodic and slightly acid electric guitar counter-theme. It's an unusual and apparently uneven pair, but they work so well together: the first one is delicate, bright and somehow frivolous, while the second one is grave, deep and pensive. They're as different as life itself can be.

La Cathédrale de Strasbourg (Focus, 1974)

"Hamburger Concerto" by Dutch band Focus is a virtually perfect album, IMHO, and it includes some real prog pearls, so please browse my blog and you'll find some of them. It also features this "La Cathédrale de Strasbourg", written by keyboardist Thijs Van Leer, one of the strangest, most original and most charming tracks I've ever listened to. This was intended to describe the gothic monument dominating Strasbourg, in France. You won't find for it a definite model among the internationally acclaimed bands of the '70s: this is the pure essence of creative music.

The cathedral and its single belltower dominating Strasbourg.

The song starts with its main theme, a beautiful melody, played on the piano and on a pipe organ (there's a cathedral in the title, after all...), then a choir breaks the previous almost religious mood, singing in French La Cathédrale de Strasbourg, ding dong, ding dong, la nostalgie se réveille, meaning "Strasbourg cathedral, ding dong, ding dong, nostalgy wakes up". Another change and here you are a soft, liquid, jazzy improvisation section, mostly based on guitars. And, of course, in the end the main theme comes back with the choir replacing the pipe organ. So many changes, still the track is perfectly coherent and you reach its finale wondering what this was exactly and definitely loving it.

House of The King (Focus, 1970)

In just 2:20 minutes this Focus' song managed to become a cult. True, this instrumental track from the album "In And Out of Focus" was lucky enough to be chosen as a signature tune in a pair of British TV and Radio programs, but I think the main reason of its durable success is its catchy and well arranged melody. Yes, it's similar to some Jethro Tull's songs, but "House of The King" has its own features, especially the pleasant medieval taste (more like Gryphon than like Jethro Tull) and the perfect mix of acoustic guitar, flute and handclappings, not to mention the electric guitar solo acting as an interlude. 

Here are the 7" single covers of both versions of this song.

Be as it may, this short instrumental is irresistible today as it was in 1970: simple as it appears, it's a cleverly set up piece of music introducing the prog world to Thijs van Leer's flute. The band's guitarist Jan Akkerman, who actually wrote the song, also released it as a single taken from his first solo album, "Tabernakel", in 1974. Here you'll find a full orchestra but - alas! - no flute. Both the versions of "House of The King" entered the Dutch Charts. Not surprising, I daresay.

Hocus Pocus (Focus, 1972)

The Dutch band Focus released many good songs, some of which are very intricate and serious ones. But when they add their trademark pinch of humour they definitely win. This is the case with the instrumental track "Hocus Pocus", maybe their best known song, taken from "Moving Waves" album. There's almost averything in there: a catchy guitar riff, a disney-like magic atmosphere, vocal harmonies, some flute à la Jethro Tull, a medieval scent, guitar vs keyboards battles, even a good imitation of an Alpine yodl.

Hocus Pocus was also released as a single.

It's a funny and intriguing track you can't help listening till the end end enjoying it each time a little more. The engaging rythm of "Hocus Pocus" is specially suitable for live performances, that's why this song was and still is a favourite in concert. It's a living proof that prog can be a joyful music.

Hamburger Concerto (Focus, 1974)

This 20 minute suite is the title track of one of the most known and appreciated albums in the Dutch Progressive history. It's a successful mix of different genres and inspirational sources, incuding classical music of course, and especially from the baroque era, but also jazz, blues, psychedelia, and even flamenco. The miracle here is that even with such a heap of ideas and so many serious sources involved, the track is unpretentious and enjoyable, pretty and fluid.

Here's the line-up for this song: Van Leer, Akkerman, Ruiter & Allen.

Also, you'll find here an unusual quality for a prog band: humour. Joking with the two meanings of hamburger, the six parts of the suite are titled like in a burger menu: Starter / Rare / Medium I / Medium II / Well done / One for the road. And the music goes on the same, playing with religious chants and pipe organs without any fear and providing a proper space for the band members' skills. As you may imagine, Thijs van Leer's keyboards and Jan Akkerman's guitars take the leading role, but this is a choral track in all senses and the listener enjoys a real band playing a real masterpiece.