Moving Waves

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Moving Waves
Focus Moving Waves cover.jpg
Cover of the international edition under the title Moving Waves
Studio album by
Focus
ReleasedOctober 1971
Recorded13 April – 14 May 1971
Studio
Genre
Length41:40
Label Imperial
Producer Mike Vernon
Focus chronology
Focus Plays Focus
(1970)		Moving Waves
(1971)		 Focus 3
(1972)
Singles from Moving Waves
  1. "Hocus Pocus"
    Released: June 1971 [1]
  2. "Tommy"
    Released: February 1972 [2]

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. Recording took place 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.

Contents

The album 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. [3] [4] The album is certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America for selling 500,000 copies in the US. [5]

Background

Producer Mike Vernon in 2017 Cnrsblue (cropped).jpg
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. Session took place 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. [6] "Le Clochard" is French for "Tramp" 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 Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [7]
MelodicMusicStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svg

Moving Waves was released in October 1971 to mainly positive reception. It went on to peak at number 2 on the UK Albums Chart, [8] number 8 on the US Billboard 200, [9] and number 4 on the Dutch Album Top 100 chart. [10]

The single "Hocus Pocus" peaked at number 9 on the Billboard Hot 100. [11]

Moving Waves came in at number 24 in Q and Mojo's list of "40 Cosmic Rock Albums". [12]

Track listing

Side one
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Hocus Pocus" Thijs van Leer, Jan Akkerman 6:42
2."Le Clochard (Bread)"Akkerman2:01
3."Janis"Akkerman, van Leer3:09
4."Moving Waves"van Leer, Inayat Khan 2:42
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

Charts

Chart performance for Focus II
Chart (1971–1973)Peak
position
Australian Albums (Kent Music Report) [13] 15
Canada Top Albums/CDs ( RPM ) [14] 6
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100) [15] 4
Finnish Albums (The Official Finnish Charts) [16] 26
UK Albums (OCC) [17] 2
US Billboard 200 [18] 8

Certifications

RegionCertification Certified units/sales
United Kingdom (BPI) [19] Gold100,000^
United States (RIAA) [20] Gold500,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Focus (band)</span> Dutch rock band

Focus is a Dutch progressive rock band formed in Amsterdam in 1969 by keyboardist, vocalist, and flautist Thijs van Leer, drummer Hans Cleuver, bassist Martijn Dresden, and guitarist Jan Akkerman. The band has undergone numerous formations in its history; since December 2016, it has comprised Van Leer, drummer Pierre van der Linden, guitarist Menno Gootjes, and bassist Udo Pannekeet. They have sold one million RIAA-certified albums in the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jan Akkerman</span> Dutch guitarist (born 1946)

Jan Akkerman is a Dutch guitarist. He first found international commercial success with the band Focus, which he co-founded with Thijs van Leer. After leaving Focus, he continued as a solo musician, adding jazz fusion influences.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thijs van Leer</span> Dutch musician

Thijs van Leer is a Dutch singer and keyboardist, best known as the founding member of the rock band Focus as its primary vocalist, keyboardist, and flautist. Born and raised in Amsterdam among a musical family, van Leer took up the piano and flute as a child and pursued them at university and music academies.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hocus Pocus (song)</span> 1973 single by Focus

"Hocus Pocus" is a song by the Dutch rock band Focus, written by keyboardist, flutist, and vocalist Thijs van Leer and guitarist Jan Akkerman. It was recorded and released in 1971 as the opening track of their second studio album Moving Waves. An edited version was released as a single on the Imperial, Polydor and Blue Horizon labels in Europe in 1971, but failed to chart outside of the Netherlands.

<i>Focus 3</i> Album by Focus

Focus 3 is the third studio album by Dutch rock band Focus, released as a double album in November 1972 on Imperial Records. Recorded after touring in support of their previous album, Moving Waves (1971), the album saw the band write extended pieces and is their first with bassist Bert Ruiter in the group's line-up.

<i>Animal Instinct</i> (Gary Hoey album) 1993 studio album by Gary Hoey

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cyril Havermans</span> Dutch musician

Cyril Havermans is a Dutch musician, best known for being in the progressive rock band Focus.

<i>Cyril</i> (album) 1973 studio album by Cyril Havermans

Cyril is the first solo album by Dutch singer-songwriter Cyril Havermans. It was recorded in 1973 after Havermans left Dutch progressive rock band Focus. The parting was amicable and came about partly as a result of Havermans' desire to include more vocal content. His erstwhile band-mates contribute much instrumentation to the album.

<i>Focus Plays Focus</i> 1970 studio album by Focus

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pierre van der Linden</span> Musical artist

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<i>Hamburger Concerto</i> 1974 studio album by Focus

Hamburger Concerto is the fourth studio album by the Dutch progressive rock band Focus, released in May 1974. It peaked at No. 20 on the UK charts. The title track is based on Variations on a Theme by Haydn by Johannes Brahms. The composition also incorporates the first two verses of the Dutch Christmas carol O Kerstnacht, schoner dan de dagen at around 15 min. The first track is based on a Gaillarde of Joachim van den Hove of his work Delitae Musicae.

<i>Mother Focus</i> 1975 studio album by Focus

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<i>At the Rainbow</i> 1973 live album by Focus

At the Rainbow is the first live album from the Dutch rock band Focus, released in October 1973 on Imperial Records. The album was recorded at the Rainbow Theatre in London on 5 May 1973 by The Pye Mobile Unit, recording engineer Alan Perkins. A studio album was initially slated for release, but it was shelved due to disagreements within the band. At the Rainbow was released instead.

<i>Ship of Memories</i> 1976 compilation album by Focus

Ship of Memories is a compilation album from the Dutch rock band Focus, released in 1976 on EMI-Bovema. During a period of group inactivity, longtime associate Hubert Terheggen asked their producer Mike Vernon to select previously unreleased material for official release. Compiled without any active involvement by any band member, the recordings date from January 1970 to mid-1975, and largely during unproductive recording sessions in 1973 for a follow-up studio album to Focus 3 (1972).

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<i>Focus 11</i> 2018 studio album by Focus

Focus 11 is the thirteenth studio album by Dutch progressive rock band Focus, released in November 2018 on in and Out of Focus Records. It is their first album to feature bassist Udo Pannekeet, who replaced Bobby Jacobs in 2016.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">House of the King</span> 1971 single by Focus

"House of the King" is an instrumental by the Dutch rock band Focus. It was released as a single in January 1971 and reached No. 10 on the Dutch charts and sold well across Europe. In the UK, it was issued on both the group's first album, In And Out of Focus and the 1972 double album Focus 3.

References

  1. ↑ "Focus singles".
  2. ↑ "Great Rock Discography". p. 299.
  3. ↑ Hilton, Robin (July 15, 2008). "Old Music Tuesdays: Focus". NPR.org. Retrieved 8 June 2017.
  4. ↑ "Focus - Full Official Chart History - Official Charts Company". www.officialcharts.com. Retrieved 8 June 2017.
  5. ↑ 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.
  6. ↑ Bronson, Harold (24 May 1973). "Focus: How to Make It Without Playing Top 40". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 14 September 2021– via Rock's Backpages.
  7. ↑ "allmusic ((( Moving Waves > Overview )))". www.allmusic.com. Retrieved 2009-11-15.
  8. ↑ "The Official Charts Company - Focus - Moving Waves". Official Charts Company . Retrieved 2009-11-15.
  9. ↑ "Moving Waves - Focus | Awards". AllMusic. Retrieved 2014-06-28.
  10. ↑ "dutchcharts.nl - Focus - Moving Waves". dutchcharts.nl. Retrieved 2009-11-15.
  11. ↑ "Focus - Chart History - Billboard". www.billboard.com. Retrieved 8 June 2017.
  12. ↑ Q Classic: Pink Floyd & The Story of Prog Rock, 2005.
  13. ↑ 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.
  14. ↑ "Top RPM Albums: Issue 4816". RPM . Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 8 January 2023.
  15. ↑ "Dutchcharts.nl – Focus – Focus II" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 8 January 2023.
  16. ↑ 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.
  17. ↑ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 8 January 2023.
  18. ↑ "Focus Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved 8 January 2023.
  19. ↑ "great britain's million sellers, 1973-74" (PDF). Cash Box . July 6, 1974. p. 8, Part II. Retrieved 20 December 2020.
  20. ↑ "American album certifications – Focus – Moving Waves". Recording Industry Association of America.
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