Focus (Focus) (LP 2536 - 2541)

Focus  In And Out Of Focus (Vinyl, Polydor Records, 1970) ***  

Focus  Moving Waves (Vinyl, Polydor Records, 1971) ***  

Focus  3 (Vinyl, Polydor Records, 1972) ****  

Focus  At The Rainbow (Vinyl, Sire Records, 1973) **** 

Focus  Hamburger Concerto (2 copies on Vinyl, Polydor Records/ Atco Records, 1974) **** 

Focus  Focus Con Proby (Vinyl, Harvest Records, 1978) ***

Genre: Prog rock 

Places I remember: Spellbound Wax Company, Real Groovy Records, Vinyl Countdown.

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: Hocus Pocus (Moving Waves)

Gear costume: Anonymous (In and Out of Focus), Sylvia (3)

Active compensatory factors: Focus is a band that is mainly known by the wider music public for a couple of quirky atypical singles involving yodelling, but really the band is a fun mixture of all sorts of prog elements - folk rock, jazz, classical, even blues.

The first album suffers from being more out of focus than in as the band present a wide variety of those styles and genres. Luckily, Anonymous points to the direction they'd largely take from here on in.

Moving Waves, their second album, was huge, thanks to a song with Thijs Van Leer ad libbing some yodelling! Yes, Hocus Pocus was all over the airwaves in 1971. 

Listening to it always takes me back to 1971 and being a student at Mt Albert Grammar in Auckland.

The rest of the album is more coherent than the debut, with some nice mood pieces building to the final 23 minute epic - Eruption. Franks Zappa's compositions are undoubtedly an influence. It certainly nails their prog influences (Yes, Jethro Tull, Zappa) to the mast.

Focus 3 is my favourite. There's the lyrical Sylvia - another hit single, but the rest of the double album is an intriguing collection of strong prog rock moments. A double album suits them as they can stretch out ideas and be brave. 

The 'they' is principally Thijs (amazing on organ and flute) and ace axeman Jan Akkerman, but the band is a harmonious unit throughout. 

Anonymous II is a long wig out for Akkerman, bassist Bert Ruiter and drummer Pierre van der Linden. Each get a workout over the 20 plus minutes. 

The 1973 live album, At The Rainbow, includes their big moments thus far. The singles are prominent and the album is sequenced well - building up to those big hits. My copy is from America, hence its appearance on Sire.

Their fourth studio album was 1974's Hamburger Concerto. It continued the lengthy complex instrumentals to the same excellent conclusion. This album is a bit of an undiscovered gem. All four musicians (Colin Allen now on drums) are in top form. Loads of other instruments on this one (Thijs alone plays 13 different ones plus vocals and whistling).

I've called it quits* after Focus Con Proby from 1978. Jan Akkerman left after Mother Focus, so only Thijs Van Leer remains as an original member (Bert Ruiter is also on board for this one).

P.J. Proby is the featured vocalist on 5 of the 9 tracks. Yes - 9! This album deviates from the earlier ones and presents nine shorter songs.

Although the instrumentals work well, and the two guitarists replacing Akkerman do the business, overall, it's not a very successful project. Proby's voice is very understated and doesn't really suit a prog rock outfit like Focus. 

Where do they all belong? *I appear to have missed out Mother Focus in my collection - will get that if I come across it.

The grind (Tommy Bolin) (LP 2534 - 2535)

Tommy Bolin  Teaser (Vinyl, Nemperor Records, 1975) ***

Stanley Clarke  I Wanna Play For You (Vinyl, Nemperor Records, 1979) ****   

Genre: Rock, jazz fusion, Nemperor Records

Places I remember: Real Groovy Records, Slow Boat Records

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: Homeward Strut (Teaser)

Gear costume: Rock'n'roll Jelly (I Wanna Play For You)

Active compensatory factors: I used to have Teaser back in the days of audio cassettes, and played it frequently, not knowing it was on Nemperor. Since deciding to complete a collection of the label I found a US copy in Real Groovy.

Usually, US copies retain the Nemperor label but this one, alas, uses Columbia. The Stanley Clarke album is on Epic. Nevermind. It's still a Nemperor album!

Teaser came out around the same time as Deep Purple's Come Taste The Band, so it retains some of the same aesthetics - funky rock and not hard rock. Bit more like his work with The James Gang actually.

I Wanna Play For You is a double live album. It shows Stanley exploring a variety of funky jazz fusion styles. The one constant being his brilliant bass playing.

The only downside is the album doesn't play as a full concert - always a bugbear for me.

Where do they all belong? Next up - a slew of Steve Forbert albums on Nemperor. Yes - this is what happens when you collect labels - you end up owning music you don't actually like!

In my world (Buckingham, McVie) (LP 2532 - 2533)

Lindsey Buckingham Christine McVie  Buckingham McVie (CD, Atlantic/ East West Records, 2017) ****  

Explosions In The Sky  Big Bend (Vinyl, Atlantic/ East West Records, 2017) **** 

Genre: pop rock, post-rock/ ambient 

Places I remember: JB Hi Fi

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: Red Sun (Buckingham McVie)

Gear costume: Autumn (Big Bend) 

Active compensatory factors: Got these recently while visiting our grandson in Palmerston North for his 5th birthday.

I've become a Christine McVie AND a Lindsey Buckingham fan in the last few years. I needed to buy a copy of this after Greg recommended it for our music club (my review is here).

I've liked Explosions In The Sky for some time. This one is an original soundtrack for a public television show about Big Bend. I really like the ambient trajectory of these 'songs'. No need for visuals - I can do those all by my lonesome.

Where do they all belong? Always keen for more Explosions In The Sky and I need to make a Wozza best of Christine McVie playlist on Spotify that unites her Chicken Shack, solo and Fleetwood Mac songs. It'll be a killer.

In your own sweet way (Bill Evans) (LP 2528 - 2531)

Bill Evans Trio  How My Heart Sings! (Vinyl, Riverside Records, 1962) *****  

First Aid Kit  Palomino (Vinyl, Columbia Records, 2022) ****  

Fat Freddy's Drop  Live At Roundhouse London (CD, The Drop Records, 2010) *****  

Fat Freddy's Drop  Bays (CD, The Drop Records, 2015) *****  

Genre: Jazz; country rock; jazz/ rock/ reggae/ dub 

Places I remember: JB Hi Fi

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: Show Type Tune (Bill Evans); 29 Palms Highway (First Aid Kit)

Gear costume: How My Heart Sings! (Bill Evans); Out Of Our Head (First Aid Kit);

Active compensatory factors: A shopping expedition recently in Palmerston North's JB Hi Fi resulted in these four albums being added to the collection.

The Bill Evans album is a remastered version from 1989 but all the original album cover details are perfectly intact.

Jazz critic, C. Michael Bailey, sums it up - "After the ballad-laden Moon Beams, producer Orrin Keepnews wanted a slightly more up-tempo recording that resulted in How My Heart Sings. Fifty years later, the recording remains painfully introspective, up-tempo or not. Evans was the Van Gogh of jazz: sensile and troubled, characteristics that expressed themselves in his playing his entire career." 

First Aid Kit are a duo from Sweden (sisters Johanna and Klara Söderberg) and they sound (and look) like two California girls.

I was attracted to their sound by how they reminded me of Jenny Lewis so I listened to Palomino a lot in 2023 on Spotify.

I've noticed their album in JB Hi Fi for a while now and decided to take advantage of JB's 20% discount. This is their fifth album. I like their sound a lot, because of their Jenny Lewis-ness - most obvious on side one and 29 Palms Highway.

My recent run down of Fat Freddy's Drop revealed a gap (Bays) and I happened to notice a copy of it along with the Live at Roundhouse London ($10 reduced to 8 - I call that a bargain).

First the live one - this is from my favorite era for the band - most of these shows come from Dr Boondigga and the Big BW. The band are on form and it's London y'all!! I love the band introduction - FFD - from Lyall Bay, Aotearoa!!

Bays is a classic five-star effort as well. By this stage the guys have created a great sound from their influences but made it distinctly Fat Freddy's Drop groove style - instantly recognisable, and instantly enjoyable. 

Where do they all belong? The start of a catch up of albums on the Nemperor label is coming next.

Should coulda woulda (Flying Colors) (LP 2524 - 2527)

Flying Colors  Flying Colors (CD, Mascot Music Productions, 2012) ****  

Flying Colors  Second Nature (CD, Mascot Music Productions, 2014) ****  

Flying Colors  Second Flight: Live At The Z7 (2CD + DVD, Mascot Music Productions, 2015) **** 

Flying Colors  Third Degree (Vinyl, Mascot Music Productions, 2019) ****  

Genre: Prog rock 

Places I remember: Fopp, Amoeba Records (LA)

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: Mask Machine (Second Nature)

Gear costume: Shoulda Coulda Woulda (Flying Colors)

Active compensatory factors: Flying Colors is an American prog supergroup (hence the spelling) containing Neil Morse (Keyboards), Steve Morse (no relation) on guitar and Dave LaRue (bass), both formerly of Dixie Dregs, Casey McPherson on lead vocals/ rhythm guitar, and Mike Portnoy on drums.

Probably the biggest names are Steve Morse (Deep Purple) and Mike Portnoy (Dream Theater), closely followed by Neil Morse (Spock's Beard).

These guys are a true supergroup and they make a brilliant band. Egos appear to be checked at the door because they make excellent music together as Flying Colors.

First album gets the band off to a, erm, flyer. It's a very confident album, but without a killer song. That would come on their second effort with Mask Machine. Three million plus plays on Spotify tells the story. 

All of their albums start off strongly - the first one with Blue Ocean.

The live album combines the best songs from the first two albums, but leaves off Blue Ocean! Doh!

The third album, and last to date, is probably the most consistently strong album of the three studio ones. Again, no Mask Machine, and I don't find the ballads that satisfactory.

Where do they all belong? I'm not surprised they haven't continued past Third Degree. Portnoy went back to Dream Theater and the band have gone into another hiatus (it was five years between second and third album). Their albums are worth waiting for though.

Best friends (Flo and Eddie) (LP 2523)

Flo and Eddie  Moving Targets (Vinyl, Interfusion Records, 1976) *** 

Genre: pop

Places I remember: Slow Boat Records

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: Mama, Open Up

Gear costume: Guns, Elenore

Active compensatory factors: Mark Volman (Flo) and Howard Kaylan (Eddie) are often unfairly written off as a comedy-rock duo. 

Of course, they are mostly remembered for their comedic stunt output with Frank Zappa and The Mothers Of Invention (Billy The Mountain being their major work). But, they are so much more than that.

Their singing and harmonies are sublime, and they write commercial pop songs with hooks galore. I appreciate their self-deprecating stance which emerges on some of these songs. These guys know their place, and the way to your heart and brain. Frank was drawn to them for a reason.

Where do they all belong? They have a fairly hefty catalogue and I'd certainly collect more of their duo albums if I ever come across them (which for some reason, I don't seem to).

Show-biz blues (Fleetwood Mac) (LP 2518 - 2522)

Fleetwood Mac  Then Play On (CD, Reprise Records, 1968) ****  

Fleetwood Mac  Kiln House (CD, Reprise Records, 1970) **

Fleetwood Mac  Future Games (CD, Reprise Records, 1971) *****  

Fleetwood Mac  Bare Trees (CD, Reprise Records, 1972) ****

Fleetwood Mac  Mystery To Me (CD, Reprise Records, 1973) ***   

Genre: Blues rock, rock

Places I remember: Fopp

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: Oh Well Pt 1 and Pt 2 (Then Play On); Morning Rain (Future Games)

Gear costume: Show Biz Blues (Then Play On); 

Active compensatory factors: These five albums come from an original album series - a 5 CDs for 10 quid deal. Amazing value.

I'm a bit perverse when it comes to Fleetwood Mac. I don't own any of the albums by the Stevie Nicks' version. That's right - I don't own a copy of Rumours. Yes, I'm the guy!

Instead, I prefer all the other versions of the band - the Peter Green, and the Christine McVie versions, principally.

Their first album was covered in this blog earlier, Then Play On was their third album (I don't own Mr. Wonderful) and the last with the unique Peter Green leading the line. Green is certainly the de facto leader of the band at this point. He and Danny Kirwin write most of the songs and their guitars and singing are what the early Fleetwood Mac are all about.

BTW: the album is recorded by Martin Birch. Another genius, basically. 

Peter Green is just an outrageous talent. When he left, he left a giant hole to fill. Jeremy Spencer would be the next to leave, after Kiln House, and although Christine McVie is there on keyboards (and did the wonderful cover art) she was not yet a fully signed up band member.

Kiln House is an okay album, but it definitely misses Green, and does not yet have Christine contributing songs. Blood On The Floor is embarrassing but the instrumental Earl Gray is effective. So, it's very much a mixed bag.

Their fifth studio album, Future Games, from 1971, is the first one with both Christine McVie as a member and Bob Welch had replaced Jeremy Spencer who departed to join a religious sect.

The rock-a-billy songs that Spencer loved have thankfully gone from Future Games. Instead, we have Christine and Bob's pop influence with blues inflections. Wahoo!

It's a strong, confident Fleetwood Mac in 1971 (the greatest year for music ever IMHO). Bob and Christine's warm, dreamy vocal interplay and their songs saved Fleetwood Mac's bacon (Christine, not for the last time). I think it's a classic.

Bare Trees came next in 1972 (another great year for music). It continues the more commercial thrust of Future Games with a generally tougher sound (superbly engineered by Martin Birch again). Christine contributes two songs, the rest are by the departing Danny Kirwin or Bob Welch.

Their eighth studio album, Mystery To Me, was the last with guitarist Bob Weston. Christine and Bob Welch again dominate the writing and singing. Christine has five lead vocal tracks. Stoopid cover.

Where do they all belong? A few to catch up with - Mr Wonderful, Penguin, Heroes Are Hard To Find. I still have no intention of collecting anything post that. But you never know. Christine does appear on those as well. doesn't she.  

Hard to be sure (Matthew Fisher) (LP 2517)

Matthew Fisher Journey's End (Vinyl, RCA Records, 1973) *** 

Genre: pop

Places I remember: Vinyl Countdown's sale bins.

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: Suzanne

Gear costume: Separation 

Active compensatory factors: He's better known as the organist in Procol Harum's early and later days, but he also recorded some solo albums, starting with this one in 1973.

He's no Gary Brooker in the vocal stakes, but who is? He carries the songs off well and the album is never short of pleasant, well played, enjoyable pop music. 

He does have solid prog credentials via his stints with Procol Harum and he lets his hair down with the title track's two parts.

The film theme Separation includes very Procol like organ, but otherwise you wouldn't really make the association.

Where do they all belong? A remainder/ sale bin item but worth exploring if you have a mind.

Hit the ground running (Tim Finn) (LP 2514 -- 2516)

Tim Finn  Before & After (CD, Capitol Records, 1993) ****  

Tim Finn  Feeding The Gods (CD, EMI, 2001) ****

Tim Finn  Imaginary Kingdom (CD, Capitol, 2006) ****

Genre: NZ music, pop 

Places I remember: Vinyl Countdown, Real Groovy Records, Slowboat Records.

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: Couldn't Be Done (Imaginary Kingdom)

Gear costume: Persuasion (Before & After); What You've Done (Feeding The Gods)

Active compensatory factors: As I've written previously, first track on his debut solo album, Escapade, and Tim Finn gets off to a belter! Fraction Too Much Friction was huge in NZ in 1983. That was thanks to a clever video and massive radio support. It was everywhere that year.

It helps that it's a clever, catchy pop song with an infectious beat and Tim is all in for his vocals. Then there's the bar de bar de hook. Massive song, great start and well deserved.

We pick up the Tim Finn story at solo album number four (Tim Finn - his third album was also featured earlier). This is Before & After from 1993.

Hit The Ground Running kicks off this excellent album - he makes it a habit of starting albums strongly! The sound is relaxed in a confident way, there are pop hooks every way you turn, and Tim is in fine voice. Neil appears on a couple of songs as well. 

Feeding The Gods is another excellent set of songs. I especially like it when Tim rocks out on songs like What You've Done. He needs to do that more from my point of view.

Imaginary Kingdom was his seventh solo album, and one of his best. He's actually remarkably consistent with these albums. He's always looking to push forward, experiment with the form and try different things. Love that cover too!

Where do they all belong? Unlike Neil's solo output I seem to have been more eager to collect Tim's. In that case, I still need Steel City (a 1998 soundtrack album); Say It Is So from 1999; The Conversation, his 2008 collaboration with Eddie Raynor; and The View Is Worth The Climb (2011). I'm not too keen on his collaborations with Phil Manzanera so I won't bother with them.