Focus Live 1990 - Tommy

[sturoc0]

Jan's solo phrasing is unlike any other save maybe Allan Holdsworth esp at 1:08. These types of guitarists always manage to bring it back around from way out there back to the 'head'.

[mlegarra]

gracias por permitirme ver y oir esto hoy tengo 52 años y los escuchaba en 1973 en LP de pasta a los 14 años.dios los bendiga por este regalo.

marcel legarra de URUGUAY

[bluarcher2009]

tremendous stuff...seems he's, incredibly, just as good in this clip as he was in the original mid-70s Focus days. I've admired Akkerman for a long time now as one of the greatest players ever. Anyone know what he's playing for a guitar here? I don't recognize the headstock.

[burnsmay]

@bluarcher2009 It's a Robbert's guitar,custom made for Jan

[FusionMusic1000]

Amazing band, Great to see them still performing. Jan is one of the most interesting players of the 70's and still is.

[Martinlovesmusic]

Thank you for posting this number. I forgot how wunderful their sound was!

[mijnaccount]

To hold on to the metaphore of brewing bulgarian soup. The talent of these two ricochets from the walls. But the bad personality of both yokels hampered the output so much that often their fuss leaded to instrumental bickering. And now they are too old and lost the groove. Too tired to stirr the thick bulgarian soup. Now they only stirr wishy washy tea.

[mijnaccount]

Playing the flute, yodeling and thrashing the hammond organ at tthe same time like Thijs van Leer does here, seems like peeing whilst going down on your nextdoor neighbour and meanwhile cooking Bulgarian soup,

[Geepereet]

@mijnaccount Good taste it must have in that case, gimmy some more????

[tommes55]

...please also goutier "Streetwalker" ( WDR-3Sat ) ---

[tommes55]

oh wow... this is so unbeliveable good - where are the good opld times.... 

[AJRprods]

co sa asy

[vinyasa1]

This may sound a bit pathetic, but I can truly say that the music of Focus kept me sane during 4 years of English boarding school and a family divorce. I still get goose bumps every time I listen to "Live at the Rainbow" and "Focus lll". Breathtaking. I bought tickets to see the original band at the Rainbow in 1976, but Jan quit the band a few days before the gig and was replaced by a Belgian guitarist. I went to the gig but I had to stick my fingers in my ears!

[JazzNoreg]

Anybody who knows what guitar that is?

[hulldanfan]

@JazzNoreg

Its a Robberts - made by Dutch Luthier Robbert De Vos

[alvater]

brilliant Jan Akkerman

[paulwall1981]

Amazing. Focus are are trluy a one of kind band. Nothing more needs to be said. There brilliant.

[retroPCW]

Saw these guys twice in Brisbane - I was very young and never really understood this piece - just felt the music - it is a feeling - a deep emotional feeling..

What really great music is about..

I would say - just beautiful..

[soulmanstoney]

I WISH THIS TRACK HAD RUN LONGER ON THIS REUNION........FREAKIN AWESOME GUYS

[marynightshade]

Another great song, great playing.

[angie4josh]

Newb here, this Jan Akkerman is out of this world on guitar.

[amsedelm]

Absolutely beautiful. Wow...

[lowiepieter]

you can see more of this at the videos of lowiepieter

[58Mellon]

Quote a famous album cover text: ...."on a good night his guitar can be both savage and breathtakingly beautiful...."

Jan A. has a lot of these nights.

(anybody knows the album?)

[hubiex]

Yeah..this works for me..Love these guys!

[STAMATULIS]

very nice band !!!! well done

[pierrotlunaire100]

Aged, weighed down but always exceptional!

[ragnor56]

probably one of the greatest guitarist in the world !!!!

[tumshfibrox58]

@ragnor56 If u haven't seen him play live already, go to one of his gigs. I've never seen a better guitarist playing live in 40 years. Jan Akkerman is just awesome!

[ragnor56]

@tumshfibrox58 I would love to see them live but I am not of good health so it might prove to be a lttle difficult however if the chance arises I would definately go & see them play live ...As I said previously Akerman is one of the greats who never got recognised worldwide for his superb skills which is amazing when you here him play & the whole band are truely gifted .....stay well my freind & may the gods of rock look upon you with kindness !!

[dutchellene]

@ragnor56 In 1972 he was voted by the readers of British magazine Melody Maker as the best guiter player in the world. Later on he will admit that thi shonour didn't do well for him at the time.

[ragnor56]

@dutchellene Thanks for the post & the reminder !! my memory is getting old so please foregive me not remembering this fact I use to buy melody maker & take it to work on nightshift in the steel mill I worked in I found it great for gig dates etc. To me personally Focus & Jan Akkerman were never recognised because they were not a commercial outfit unlike today where a computer puts the tracks together & the record company does the rest "capitalism has killed off rock music" Angels are like you !

[JTFKing]

Oh my god. A sublime riff. I had pictures of these guys in my school books in the 70's. C.T.F. supported them in Zutphen in the mid 80's. What a privilege.

[zazeify]

Who knew Gerard Depardieu played guitar too?

[genarofan]

this duchtman is unique.. this song is like connectin my 5 senses with perfect harmony . grandioso viva holanda .

[echo680]

1:48 ...yeah man !!!

[Superherotpa]

I just can't get over the juxtaposition of the beautiful melodic lines against an untamed guitar, rife with feedback and buzzing noises. This is too much of a good thing......

[marcio6171]

Sin palabras...

[1970sman]

If only Jan played like this today......with a valve amp (Marshall) right on the edge, almost feeding back.

That's real rock n' roll............not this "Line sucks" stuff he uses nowdays..

Come on Jan.........FOCUS.

Rock on.

[1970sman]

EVER

[ptrss]

one of the best 10 bands in the world!!!!!

5*****

[betterway2]

amazing, flying !!!!

wonderfull moment , BRAVO !!!!

[perromanchado]

beautiful

[LaureaPM]

Fantàstic. M'ha agradat tant com al disc !

Akkerman, the best !

[hulldanfan]

Amazing - Jans just fighting to keep the feedback under control all the way through and that bend at 1:46 just rips at your guts. One of my fave solos

[mitchpsychedelic]

Ik vind het liedje echt een Pink Floyd sfeertje hebben

[jackHNv]

I saw them in Plymouth Guildhall in 1973 and immediately started learning guitar - I've never got anywhere near Jan Akkerman in over 35 years, he is just brilliant.

[chrisart7]

I heard the entire concert was 90 minutes long, appearing on a Dutch TV show called (in English) "Old Gold." If so, do you have any of the other songs? I'm sure they must have done "Hocus Pocus" and perhaps some of the longer ones, like "Anonymus II."

[Geepereet]

The complete show could have lasted around 90 mins but what's on my VHS-tape only contains these 3 tunes of Focus and some other bands which I also uploaded. I wish I had more of focus for sure ;-)

[kapitein60]

@chrisart7 anonymus II? don't think so that song lasts 26 minutes....okay maybe a short version that's what Jan did when i saw him live

[chrisart7]

theo2974 has two other songs from this 1990 concert, "Focus III" and "Focus II", uploaded here on Youtube.

[dollytime]

supremo!

[martinjp1958]

Still great, but I prefer the sublime sound he got at the Rainbow in 73. I don't think any electric guitarist ever played so expressively as he did at that gig.

[Geepereet]

Is that on YT and can you pass me on the link?

[xfdj59]

This one guitar solo impacted me as a young guitarist more than nearly any other piece of music. I cried when I first heard it. How expressive can you get? I used to fantasize about playing that solo in my bedroom. Thank God for you tube.

[burnsmay]

Yes his tone ,expression,scales have more impact than all these shredders.

Raw energy and sweet emotion at the same time,maybe because he plays classical and jazz too.

[echo680]

well said !

[andreichyl]

@martinjp1958

Akkerman didn't play that much electric guitar in the 80s, more guitar synthesizer.

[hieronomy]

@martinjp1958

Thats exactly how I would describe the 73 performance I saw . There are many great

guitarists , but Jan Akkerman is among the very best ! and the purest tone ever !

[hultizen]

i love the they are so fucking great

[stevedr]

Quite superb. They just miss something without Jan Akkerman. Id also like to see Bert Ruiter rejoin.

[onlybluesman]

jan akkerman never got te recognition he deserves first got into his music back in the 70s after reading an article by the one and only R Blackmore who was singing his praises as a guitarist if you listen you can hear many simalarities in their playin i dont know who copied who tho any comments?

[royalsteven]

Right, this simple melody sparks so much emotion. The guitar just dweeps. Only the best guitarists are able to do that. What a great band I listen to them everyday. I wish only the new generation knew. There's so much shit out there today.

[MAAILMANISOINMIES]

is this a part of the song "Eruption" from Moving Waves?

[rickyon]

Yes it is the 6th part of that 23 minute song!

[jakob61]

jantje your still the best met you in friesland with frank van der meyden, (doe maar). my regards jakob.61

[jakob61]

the top off holland!!!!!!! We should be prowd we dutchies. thanks thijs and Jan.

[Bob6stringer]

I beg to differ, my friend. Not just the top of Holland; top of the world.

[eamonosu]

man he really kicks off at 148 !

[jackHNv]

Jan Akkerman is awesome!

[Geepereet]

Het blijft me toch steeds weer verbazen hoe lauw dit jonge publiek hier op reageerd.

[Weetikveelwelkenaam]

We kennen het niet van TMF, merkte ik laatste bij een concert weer, de bekende singles vindt iedereen geweldig maar de improvisaties/variaties/niet singles mwah

[andreichyl]

@Geepereet

MC Hammer and Vanilla Ice were cooler back then :)

[andzwe]

@Geepereet Als je nagaat wat het gros muzikaal doorgaans voor de kiezen krijgt (ook toen al), kun je ze het niet kwalijk dat ze geen flauw benul hebben wat daar gebeurt, of zelfs wie het zijn! Bij mijn weten kreeg Focus (en zeker Akkerman) ook eerst echt erkenning in het buitenland.

[LeandroMagu]

Great fucking song!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[wicanders]

It sounds just GREAT!  !!!!!

[stoofbuis]

die SOUND!!!!!!!!

[Geepereet]

Bijna te veel, ik hield ze ff nie droog, too much! ;-)

[stylecouncillor]

una de las mejores partes de la suite eruption de esta banda holandesa!

Gracias por subirla

[conexionaerea]

Uffff.......Demasiada emoción......

Gracias por compartir este video estimado

[adindin]

Blijft een mooi stuk muziek! Geschreven door Tom Barlage van Solution.

Hetzelfde nummer heet bij Solution overigens Divergence, de titeltrack van hun tweede lp.

Groet uit Groningen

[Geepereet]

Dank voor de info, wist dat trouwens absoluut niet dat het van Tom Barlage is ;-)

[barriedj]

I am amazed....i saw these guys in the uk 1972 and bought the double gatefold lp that was not available in the UK but purchased it in Nederland did I spell that right? HOLLAND

WELL DONE SUPERB TOON

[Geepereet]

Very well spelled! ;-) My best regards from Amsterdam Barrie

[deadwoodmountain]

What a hauntingly, beautiful melodic progression.....very creative! Just listen to the bright and raw tone of the guitar juxtaposed to the beautiful melody. That guitar sounds like it's having difficulties controlling itself....it truly is a force all onto itself. Thanks for posting this!

[rickyon]

You hit it right on the head with describing the guitar as being barely contained! Akkerman is as explosive as it gets on guitar and so well trained that he is equally brilliant in any style and can shred with the best of them!

[mylisa07]

Thanks so much for posting this. I love the flute in the middle part. It is so beautiful and peaceful. This is one of my favourite renditions of this song.

[Geepereet]

In this case it should have been the middle part cause they only played halve of the song! Anyway, that good, it still has the worth to enjoy!

[Geepereet]

Akkerman is still doing well also, although already a bit older do I like his CD called CU very much, a trendy production with a mixing DJ as companion, a must have!

[hulldanfan]

True - Over 60 and still a master musician and excellent live !!

[hulldanfan]

Wonderful !!!

Saw Focus last night - They were excellent and though Focus can never be the same without the amazing Akkerman, Nils is a very fine player indeed.

[Koinzidenz]

Hi Geepereet, danke für diese guten Focus Videos. Liebe Grüße

[Geepereet]

Danke, viel spass damit!