Moving Waves

about this album

"Focus II", better known internationally as "Moving Waves", is the second studio album by Dutch progressive rock band Focus, released in October 1971 on Imperial Records. Following the departure of original bassist Martin Dresden and drummer Hans Cleuver in 1970, the band recruited Cyril Havermans and Pierre van der Linden and prepared material for a new album. Recording took place in London in April and May 1971 with Mike Vernon as producer. The album features "Hocus Pocus", a hard rock track highlighting keyboardist Thijs van Leer's yodelling, scat singing, and whistling, and "Eruption", a 22-minute suite inspired by the opera "Euridice" by Italian composer Jacopo Peri. The album was released to a mostly positive response and remains one of Focus's most commercially successful releases, reaching number 2 in the United Kingdom, number 4 in the Netherlands, and number 8 in the United States. "Hocus Pocus" was released as a single in the Netherlands in June 1971 and internationally in 1973, reaching number 9 in the US and number 20 in the UK. The album is certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America for selling 500,000 copies in the United States. Focus was formed in Amsterdam in 1969 by keyboardist, vocalist, and flautist Thijs van Leer, bassist Martin Dresden, drummer Hans Cleuver, and guitarist Jan Akkerman. After releasing their debut album "Focus Plays Focus" (1970), the band underwent line-up changes, with Akkerman requesting that Van Leer replace Dr

tracks

more from Focus

The Best Of Focus / Hocus Pocus (Incl WC 2010 Version of 'Hocus Pocus')

8

Focus 3

In And Out Of Focus Live At The Rainbow

Hocus Pocus

Hamburger Concerto