Focus - Sylvia

[hhelguera]

Capos totales!!!! Hermoso tema!!!

[TIMOTHYSAARINEN]

As much of a master as Jan Akkerman is, he makes his fair share of mistakes on this song, not just this video, but virtually every video. (of this song) It shows just how difficult this song is to play. I've been working on it for over 30 years, and I still can't get it right!

[mottledbrain]

Here in Canada the only single I ever heard from Focus was Hocus Pocus. (I still have the 45!) I heard more Focus on Chum-FM, and then bought a couple of LPs. (Moving Waves and Live at the Rainbow.)

Wonderful music. It sometimes seems hard to believe that it only takes these four musicians with four instruments and one voice to create such majesty.

[leedsmanc]

Morning has br- YEAH WHATEVER *stop*

[Ichnusia]

Prog be blessed!

[Mrvoodooboy89]

This guy is a psycho guitarplayer

[Luukablee]

most

underrated

band

in

the

freakin

world

[ashie259]

Fantastic stuff, but is it me or does dhr. Akkerman make quite a few mistakes here - particularly at 1.46?

[meddiecap]

@ashie259 Awesome..the famous mistake! I have that song on CD.

[MrSpringburn]

fknyass.

[mightywonderful]

Fantastic stuff, still 26 years on

[creedie12345]

I like the vocal bit :)

[Dubaiman123]

agree with most of your comments, unique band and absolutely great guitar player..unique..unadapted...he had little interest in "pleasing people"..considered bit of a diffucult guy in Holland..only interested in his music..not the rest...reason why is is only known by guitarists...

[tolosup]

There was a time this guy was chosen as the greatest guitar player in the world in the U.S.A.. Above jimi hendrix and eric clapton.. well, i don't agree that but a little more recognition would be nice ;)

[hieronomy]

@tolosup

one of the best of all time and a trained and highly skilled musician before any van Halen

. Vai came along .

[lilgmichael]

Why does this remind me of Christmas? :S

[carmel1956]

@lilgmichael Old Grey Whistle Test, Christmas 1972?

[Dealwithitbaby]

@carmel1956 It's from the album In The Rainbow, recorded in London I think

[carmel1956]

@Dealwithitbaby Thank you.

[intothebest]

@lilgmichael

the last chords that the guitarists strikes from 2:21 onwards until 2:30 sounds almost like the beginning of the christmas song "joy to the world the lord has come". possibly that is the reason.

[gapdef]

That intro... Damn!

[billyb4223]

This is a great live version

[christianrasmussen]

Can somebody please tell me why we don't learn anything about this band in music history? They are gods, GODS I TELL YOU!

[VurdaTV]

@christianrasmussen Because they're dutch

[doki1611]

i love this and focus - hocus pocus too!

[stripedblood]

I've got this single on vinyl, excellent record

[mottledbrain]

@stripedblood

I`ve this song on their vinyl LP `Moving Waves`. Excellent!

[mottledbrain]

@mottledbrain

Oops!

It's on "Focus 3". (I only have two of their albums and haven't had my system working for a while ... memories fading ....)

[KaleKoppies]

I think this dude is pretty good at guitar hero

[lyndahole]

Well I saw focus live in Monmouth 2008, and he didn't sing then!

[ice6cold6killa6]

So, does he ever sing in any of the songs? I stumbled upon hocus pocus and watched this

[siitrom]

this song is so addicting.....

peace

[guitaristloui]

Im so glad my dad introduced me to these, i absolutely love jan akkerman's playing, especially his solos in hocus pocus

[jenlor1]

This is Jan Akkerman on guitar, he is the best guitar player ever and he is dutch.

[Samagorny]

wouldnt say best ever, but damn gd

[s0n0fc0d]

one the greatest players except for 1:48

[Gangly1]

Hee hee!

I have them playing this on an Old Grey Whistle Test compilation. He fluffs it on that too. I think he got bored with the piece, to be honest.

Still a great player though. Not many pedals and gimmicks about in those days. Just talent.

[Kinjutsuu]

It's not bad to move out of the scale sometimes. There is no limitations in music, as to what notes you have the ability to hit in a certain key

[newlines92]

WHAT IS THE NAME OF THE SONG AFTER SYLVIA?

THE GUY THAT SINGS: morning has ...

[rafaelb1026]

@newlines92

its cat steven's morning has broken search the video t's a great song

[billyb4223]

matthew and son is mint too

[hadzibane]

@newlines92

This is Cat Stevens,now known as Yusuf Islam

[billyb4223]

broken

[colchesterpete2]

My intro to "Rock music"

[lekezenman]

Do not play with me , nobody ,nor with music : admit this is a defenite milestone or go being happy living INUIT or ESKIMO...

FAR from music-people !

[Orbit91]

Ladies and Gentleman, Jack Black on the bass!

[jonston3]

recorded at the rainbow i think

[kalken000]

Best guitarist ever, but also the most nervous !

[KrizziWhite]

nervous?:O

[rezap33]

Abso brilliant..........

[cornelisX]

Jan Akkerman rules!

I am proud to be dutch!

[magnificusx]

Damn godlike guitarist!!!!! O_o

[TUBBYCLAYTON]

Great Drummer

[vittinlokaun]

Jan Akkerman, the greatest guitarrist i've ever seen...

[imagine698]

this man is the most underrated guitarist in history. He has a god level

[rubaomaturana]

Coudn't agree more. =(

[kapitein60]

@imagine698

He has a god level i agree but.. he won a price for best guitarist of the world.. So I wouldn't call it underrated

[imagine698]

@kapitein60

Have you seen for example the list of the 100 best guitarrists of Rolling Stones?

He doesn't appear,you think this guy shouldn't be there?

He is definitely underrated.

[HendrixSRVClapton]

@imagine698

Lol just him? Zakk wylde, Alvin Lee, Rory Gallagher, Steve Morse, Slash aren't on this noob Rolling stones list...Van Halen is in 70th and Kurt Cobain is around 14th LOL

Don't believe on this list. It Fails. And Focus Rules!

[backthisway]

@imagine698 .. ahaaaa weell .... THAT list is about who sells most records not talent ... THAT list is compiled by a mix of cretins and imbeciles.

[andzwe]

@imagine698:

Not by musicians. He was Frank Zappa's favorite guitar player, for instance and in the end something like that is saying a hell of a lot more than the opinion of rock journalists who are, as Zappa once declared: "People who can't write, interviewing people who can't talk, for people who can't read." A top 100 like that is more about fame and fortune than musicianship, or, to quote Jan Akkerman: "It's more a matter of having the right connections, than what's your talent."

[burnsmay]

@andzwe Leonard Burnstein once said that 95% of pop/rockmusic is crap.

This is the 5% that's makes it a joy to listen to

[Morglay]

@imagine698

I agree!

[3984ja]

@imagine698

Agree'd

[fingerfisty]

@imagine698 i'm better.... and way more under-rated. j/k about half of that.

[vittinlokaun]

Cat Stevens at thte final!!

[Gooseberry51]

Often heard Focus perform live in thee early 70th. What struck me in this, and other videos on youtube,, the guitar is out of tune with the keyboards. long live tuning deivices:)..

[sixtiesarewe]

feck me i used to think iwas the only one that thought this

[Binford8100]

Jan Akkerman is godlike.

[sludgefingers]

I was only watching this for Cat at 2:32. :-)

[1FendrBendr]

Focus, Live at the Rainbow, one of my favorites.

[Rudeawakening333]

Jan Akkerman is on of the best but not as best as the legends as the shadows!

[wardka]

I love van Leer's wordless "soprano" vocals. Weirdly funny and beautiful at the same time. Well, that's Focus. It's strange - I was (and I still am) addicted to prog rock, but I never got around to buying Focus albums except Moving Waves and more recently Focus 8 (which is still good even without Akkerman). I was always planning on buying more someday. I guess it's not too late. Maybe I should try to find Focus 3 next? Or Hamburger Concerto?

[VOLVO440]

I suggest Live at the Rainbow. Can't go wrong with that album really. If you dig Akkerman I also suggest Brainbox, the band he was in before Focus.

[rustycoalbin]

IMHO, I think overall Hamburger Concerto is the best Focus Album.

[truckstation2002]

super guitarist

[kirkwanglers32]

Good lead guitar

[simontja]

Akkerman is one of a kind.

[etone08]

He IS a legend, just an older one! There's a live version of hocus pocus on youtube somewhere, his solos there are quite something. Easily as good as some of the legends of today. But your right, in this song he's not really all that impressive. :P

[anonymusum]

@ Dmonkey

You are judging an Akkerman recording of a time when Vai, Morse & Co. still were young boys trying to sound like their big idols.

[ppihan]

petrucci legend? I think is the other way 'round my friend!

[pwEclipse]

are you joking? he played with Focus when petrucci was a kid

[Pitrider8]

grande chitarrista grande musica

[BONGUSTHEDOG]

Yes, the guitarist is the great Jan Akkerman

[brothernumbefour]

Focus and Camel are bands of God. And prog rock walked the earth and the people were struck by thunder nay the seas rocked and the earth crumbled o days of grandeur and topographic oceans we were wizards and guineveres but then the three day week n reality kicked in and lo and behold punk rock

still. a lovely tuneXXX

[wesamess99]

rofl old man. Funny stuff though.

[mickyhollie]

Focus and Camel are bands of God, they are angels who came down to earth to play for us their celestial themes just like Renaissance. These 3 band rules

[wihu61]

Jij begrijpt iets niet geloof ik. Zal wel aan de leeftijd liggen.

[kaaskop01]

gheghe xD

ik ben 16 en ik vind t nog geweldig dusse...

ik denk dat de hersens van die 5thhorsman gewoon mislukt zijn ofzoiets... XD

[DudermanGG]

Toen Focus nog samen waren, was het heel ongebruikelijk om zo gitaar te spelen. Nu is het anders en zijn er toch wel spelers die beter zijn . . . zoals Steve Vai. Maar Jan Akkerman blijft beter dan meeste spelers.

[billyconnearly]

Mediocre? - today's guitarists are what they are because they learned from players like him!

[MRCRICKET2K8]

the guitarist looks like ian botham

[leonvisser]

His name is, Jan Akkerman, one of the best guitarplayers in the world.

But im not sure...

[MRCRICKET2K8]

yeh ino but i sed he looks like some1

[leonvisser]

k, no problem

[NYVoice]

This is from Live At The Rainbow in London. I have the album-excellent!

[francepourmoi]

How brilliant to find them on here. They were superb muscians - how many can you say that about today?

[cdocasualty]

Van Leer's original Introspection album has some beuatiful tracks. It's Goedel, Escher, Bach and Van Leer in my book. I think his compositions are the best in rock. They have an emotional tug, like Bach.

[vulture3112]

I´m surprissed this band didn´t become more popular.

[leonvisser]

Yeah such a shame, they had to become just like Golden Earring.

[Egondv]

Golden earring ? fuck that

[Topographer]

Focus were enormously popular in the 70s. They had two big hit singles (this and Hocus Pocus), and they filled big concert halls all over the world. Their albums usually reached top 10. I wish music journalists and record company people would begin to care about music again.

[ledzepdom]

I agree!!!!! I dont understand...it's so good!!

[GLOatYT]

What do you mean, vulture3112? Focus were massive in the early seventies! They filled stadiums around the planet, sold records like hot dogs and Jan Akkerman was even awarded Best Rock Guitarist in the whole friggin' world! By leading Brit mag Melody Maker. Man, they couldn't get any higher!

[rickyon]

I think he meant in the long run because even though they burned hot as magma in the early seventies they don't hardly get mentioned now days as peers of such greats as Zeppelin, Hendrix and other rightful icons.

[GLOatYT]

@rickyon I see what you mean. You may be right. Which leaves the question: why? Maybe because they were Dutch. Just like the Golden Earring never became big on a worldwide scale. In Holland they're an institution, in the rest of the world they're just a one or two hit wonder.

[mi1964amigo]

Focus are very highly thought of in the UK, they had a sell-out tour here last year and are set to do the same again later in the year, as well as a Summer festival appearance. If you look on their website and MySpace page you will see that they have done tours and have fans far and wide.

[pinball1970]

saw Thijs and Pierre van der lindon at the academy in Manchester last night. Brilliant

[Egondv]

its not focus without jan

[Vleertouwer]

Ive recently been to a concert from Jan Akkerman (in the Five Great Guitars), it was awesome

[Egondv]

nice!

[percy99999]

A true classic and BTW "classic" is a term used way too frequently nowadays. But this most definitely IS a classic.

[OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOSONIC]

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!! ;P

[gus23a]

focus, awesome as usual!! 5*

[mabbazza]

mabbazzaa46- soo underatted ! go bless prog rock

[eatpogs]

nothing like a p90 equipped gibson. nothing. love that sound.

[gus23a]

oh, there´s something better: a rickenbacker!

[eatpogs]

oh, there's all kinds of guitars I'd like to have...rb's are sweet too. but the p90 gibson tops my list.

[abizzo]

grrandiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii

[grz4n424]

When i firstly saw that - my father really liked i thought its nice tune but maybe a wee bit childish, i didnt specially liked it, now its in my head all the time - great tune! ;D

[angelseer]

Brilliant. What a blast.

[PurpleAndZeppelin]

GREAT BAND! Great Song!

[lilyallenSux]

The Netherlands should be proud of this lot! The Only other band in my opinion who could Prog Rock with Britains Best!

[lucioprc]

what a short guitar cable!

exelent band

[stuffcookie]

Great Observation! hats off to you

[Dennizzz119]

Does the cable lenght Matters?

[levensregt]

Sylvia is from the Focus 3 album. My favourite songs are Focus 3, Love remembered and of course Sylvia. This song is a great composition, and very joyful.

Together with the piano player, I used to play the base guitar part of it, at the end of a service in a small chapel, and the community would go out gladly, a cup of Sunday coffee to meet and the joy of meeting and greeting those who attended the service too. For the two years those services sustained, we were expected to end with Sylvia.

[footfeddish]

sarah palin is an ice hick

spread the word

[LangeE612]

things like this make me proud to be Dutch!

[wesselenjort]

me too.

[TaKaMiNePT508]

love Focus

cheers from brasil

[drjekyll66]

this is pure sex ! long live excellent musicians !!!

[afcb57]

that bought a lot back 2 me excellent

[hihats]

wow...this is from back when you had to be a good musician!

[nansgran]

oh fuck

[lymph12]

this sounds so good!!. Curse digital for making everythin sound like crap now

[NoiseArtJerk]

that guitar is in tune! you have no ear!

[tonupnolid]

LOL, see ya Yousuf:w

[alexdavidpatrick]

That was awesome, he doesn't need to tune his guitar.

[Robokiller80]

Mr. Akkerman should really tune his instrument

[najakalstrup]

only butholes tune thiere instrumenst

[ustickx]

at first i thought you said only bolt holes clean their instruments. ive spent too much time in my manufacturing workshop!

[najakalstrup]

okay... i don't know whaat this is!!!!

actually some may hacked my user... well i'm really sorry for the mean comment, but I can also see there is some misspelling, but I haven't write that mean comment, and sorry again, i don't know what this is...!

[najakalstrup]

and one more thing, idk who this band og this guy is, I'm more into jb stuff...

[drj602]

The guitar being out of tune or out of the pawn shop, let me guess.....Your one of those self deluded players aren't cha? Never the less, just in case you do happen to be the greatest musician ever to grace the face of the earth, I most humbly apologize and bow to your infinite grandeur.

[Robokiller80]

A little harsh don't you think? I love Jan Akkerman's playing he's absolutely astounding! It was more of a passing comment anyway, you have a merry christmas too!

[Hattataa]

Akkerman! ;D

KIck ass!

Love that music!!!

[rezap33]

Fucking BRILLIANT.......wish i could play that.

Im struggling with buttons on guitar hero!

[Dennizzz119]

Lol this is pretty easy :S

[flaviolima91]

I can play that :)

[Dennizzz119]

Thats what i mean xD

Really easy tho

[MonkeyMagics]

Show us a video of you playing it :)

[mottledbrain]

Thanks! My absolute favourite Focus track.

[marczep]

It don't get any better than this

[woefbeer]

O yes, a whole lot better! Listen to the live recording of their "AT THE RAINBOW", recorded in may 1973 in London. Almost perfect! Enjoy!

[rokusho63]

how can one person have so much talent? it just ain't fair...

[keeganpackers4]

he can tell stories with that guitar

[saulocpp]

Akkerman is one of the greatest guitarrists that ever existed!! =D

Better yet, each of them is a great instrumentalist!!

[Dennizzz119]

Thats What They call Dutch Quality xD

[flywithseaguls]

It was great in the the 70's of the last century and it is still great today. What a miracle! Must be Hocus Pocus!?!!!!!

[OtakuLove]

My favorite song they are still rocking!

[kipp0man]

Brilliant - great solo guitar work - only 1 duff note - but hey that was quite a piece - don't you just adore a band that can really paly live ?

[Zeld1122]

Akkerman is a god ;) Solo in Hocus Pocus never ceases to amaze me. I'm pretty sure that he hits that duff note (if you mean the one that was around 1:50) purposely, at least it looks like that.

[Zeld1122]

Hell, I actually searched a little bit from google and it seems that nobody has realized this before. Way to go.

[panterahead667]

why does this sound so familiar!! i'm sure it's from a video game or something.... ah this is really getting to me now lol...

[Carstuar]

I hear it too, but I can't figure out where it's from ;D

[Zeld1122]

The intro was borrowed in FF9, search "melodies of life" from Youtube.

[Zeld1122]

I was actually pretty dazed when I heard this first time, cause FF9 is one of my favorite games. My guess is that Nobuo Uematsu, famous videogame composer who made music for Final Fantasy 9, wanted to honour Focus by putting a bit from this song in his own composition.

[jOntzohr]

Akkerman is one of the best guitarplayers in the world! i dont understand why they play nowadays whitout Akkerman, he is Focus!

[jOntzohr]

i know why he isn't playing with them but i mean that it's worthless that they play without him becuse without Akkerman no Focus

[jahsper01]

i see what you mean its like the guitar are the words this bands fucking epic with akkerman