Focus 11 Limited Edition

For many years, the band that is known as Focus has enthralled a group of progressive music lovers with their brand of style integration. Their first brush with fame came back in the early ’70s with a truncated hit from their second album (Focus II, or Moving Waves, in the US) that yielded the dizzying magic of “Hocus Pocus”.  Not to forget the incredible instrumental of “Focus II” with the guitar wizardry of Jan Akkerman (and yes it’s a great band work). “Focus II” is a track that I’ve long felt could be revisited with a much longer composition. Imagine that!

Over the decades, (Sir)Thijs van Leer, along with Pierre van der Linden, has kept the band up to date with challenging and engaging compositions that maintain the brilliance and beauty of the original intention of the band. Their last studio album,  8.5 Beyond The Horizon, easily reveals the high talent level and continued quality of the band’s unique progression these many years. Any song of this album could easily have been on an earlier one.

In keeping with the band’s favored naming conventions, Focus will release their latest album as Focus 11. The 11-track album is  planned for an official January 25, 2019 release on their own In And Out Of Focus label (via Cherry Red).  However the band will pre-release the album by distributing it at all of their current European tour dates. In addition, if you pre-order the album via the band’s official Burning Shed store site (here), you will get it in sooner than January.

Focus 11 will be available on CD, DD, and Limited Edition 180g-weight blue vinyl gatefold LP. The cover art was designed by the inimitable Roger Dean.

Focus 11 – Focus

01 Who’s Calling?
02 Heaven
03 Theodora Na Na Na
04 How Many Miles?
05 Mazzel
06 Winnie
07 Palindrome
08 Clair-Obscur
09 Mare Nostrum
10 Final Analysis
11 Focus 11