The vinyl has been expertly cleaned using a VPI Cyclone record cleaning machine and the sound quality has really benefitted from this. Visually there are some surface marks and slight discolouring of the black vinyl but remember you are listening and not looking. There are a few crackles as you do listen and a light scratch as you enter the quiet phase of Side 2 Track 1 which is a little annoying but overall nothing too serious to take the pleasure away from listening.

The cover’s spine is flattened but in my experience that is simply because of the nature of the gatefold sleeve as there is no strength in the way the sleeve was originally constructed. However, the spine is also scuffed. There is a record imprint front and back, a slight scuff across about 1cm of the back cover and a slight loss of colouring.

VINYL: VG+

LABEL: Ex

COVER: VG

Side 1

1. Focus III
2. Answers? Questions! Questions? Answers!
3. Focus II

Side 2

1. Eruption (Excerpt)
2. Hocus Pocus
3. Sylvia
4. Hocus Pocus

If you like singalong choruses, catchy melodies, whistling hooks, then go and look elsewhere. These guys were artists. One of the very few ‘famous’ bands to emerge from mainland Europe, let alone Holland, in the early 70’s, there is a classical element to their music. I would compare Jan Akkerman’s guitar style to that of the Dutch language. He had a hard, jerky style to his playing at times but his technical ability was second to none. This generated some really top level classy guitar playing, and as this was tempered with soft flutes and gentle organ play, there are some quieter, gentle passages to this LP, which as each track matures creates a fascinating listening experience. Remember, no vocals apart from a few yodels on the more commercial tracks, so the music HAD to be clever and interesting otherwise there was no point to it. AQQA, Track 2 Side 1 epitomised all that. And whilst we are on the subject of Akkerman’s technical ability it resulted in him featuring in the NME best guitarist poll for a few years in the early 70’s. I can imagine he still dines out on that accolade.

Side 2 contains their most recognised, commercially successful works. Whilst I remember being hooked by Hocus Pocus when it first appeared, to me, nowadays, Sylvia rises above it. It’s such a simple song but could be used anywhere, even today. But the uniqueness was second to none when this first appeared. Van Leer’s yodelling was without precedent in the world of rock at that time (and since I guess). It was never going to catch on and whether it helped them to be commercially successful for a short period of time, I’m not sure. But it was certainly a talking point and elevated this band to a different level in the early 70’s. If you are exploring the world of prog rock for the first time or re-living your youth, or your dad’s, this LP is definitely worth an investment.