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thanks to runo and to other friends 
cue & log tagged within, scans are inside
Review by Paul Collins
The album that boosted Focus into at least semi-fame outside of continental Europe, Moving Waves blasts off with their hit single, "Hocus Pocus." Built around a killer guitar hook by Jan Akkerman and a series of solo turns by the band, this instrumental replaced "Wipeout" as a staple of FM radio. The bizarrely hilarious vocal and accordion solos by Thijs van Leer -- one of which absurdly concludes with rousing stadium cheers -- have to be heard to be believed. After this over-the-top performance, the other tracks seem comparatively constrained: the gentle "Le Clochard" features some gorgeous classical guitar over Mellotron strings. The album concludes with "Eruption," which while mimicking the multi-suite nomenclature of Yes and King Crimson, is essentially a side-long jam session. Stop-time Emersonian organ solos alternate with languid sections of jazzy guitar redolent of Santana, while still other sections are flat-out electric blues-rock stomps. It's impressive playing, though it comes off as a bit meandering after the tightly structured solos that began the album.
Beautiful Rock, March 8, 2003
Reviewer: Jerry Fry (Freeman, MO USA)
No progressive rock fan should be without this album. I won't say it's great but I think it is. The radio stations practically wore "Hocus Pocus" out and shortened it besides. I agree, the rest of this album doesn't sound like "Hocus Pocus" but that's the kind of group Focus is. I've gotten some of the other Focus albums but haven't heard one I like as much as this one. This album goes good with the two Yes albums, "Fragile and "Close to the Edge" and also "Trilogy" by Emerson Lake & Palmer. Actually the first listens will sound the best. After the years go by the songs are too easy to follow.
Forgotten masterpiece, November 4, 2001
Reviewer: Gary Pedoto (America)
It's sad how much good music is lost under the piles of trash masquerading as music. Moving Waves one of the true masterpieces
of progressive rock. Excellent and intelligent instrumental songs
(with the exception of the title song, which has a vocal), and
shifting tempos and moods makes this an enjoyable album and a break from the 3-chord variety of music. The tracks "Focus II" and the suite "Eruption" have always been my favorites. The first song "Hocus Pocus" is kind of goofy but, its fun and has fantastic guitar work. I say "goofy" because it's not often that you hear yodeling in a rock song. It was a big hit at the time of it's release and it is the reason most people bought the album. After people got tired of playing that song over and over, an unexpected treasure was found when people started listening to the entire album. Listening to the entire album revealed one of the best albums of the 1970s
cue & log tagged within, scans are inside
Review by Paul Collins
The album that boosted Focus into at least semi-fame outside of continental Europe, Moving Waves blasts off with their hit single, "Hocus Pocus." Built around a killer guitar hook by Jan Akkerman and a series of solo turns by the band, this instrumental replaced "Wipeout" as a staple of FM radio. The bizarrely hilarious vocal and accordion solos by Thijs van Leer -- one of which absurdly concludes with rousing stadium cheers -- have to be heard to be believed. After this over-the-top performance, the other tracks seem comparatively constrained: the gentle "Le Clochard" features some gorgeous classical guitar over Mellotron strings. The album concludes with "Eruption," which while mimicking the multi-suite nomenclature of Yes and King Crimson, is essentially a side-long jam session. Stop-time Emersonian organ solos alternate with languid sections of jazzy guitar redolent of Santana, while still other sections are flat-out electric blues-rock stomps. It's impressive playing, though it comes off as a bit meandering after the tightly structured solos that began the album.
Beautiful Rock, March 8, 2003
Reviewer: Jerry Fry (Freeman, MO USA)
No progressive rock fan should be without this album. I won't say it's great but I think it is. The radio stations practically wore "Hocus Pocus" out and shortened it besides. I agree, the rest of this album doesn't sound like "Hocus Pocus" but that's the kind of group Focus is. I've gotten some of the other Focus albums but haven't heard one I like as much as this one. This album goes good with the two Yes albums, "Fragile and "Close to the Edge" and also "Trilogy" by Emerson Lake & Palmer. Actually the first listens will sound the best. After the years go by the songs are too easy to follow.
Forgotten masterpiece, November 4, 2001
Reviewer: Gary Pedoto (America)
It's sad how much good music is lost under the piles of trash masquerading as music. Moving Waves one of the true masterpieces
of progressive rock. Excellent and intelligent instrumental songs
(with the exception of the title song, which has a vocal), and
shifting tempos and moods makes this an enjoyable album and a break from the 3-chord variety of music. The tracks "Focus II" and the suite "Eruption" have always been my favorites. The first song "Hocus Pocus" is kind of goofy but, its fun and has fantastic guitar work. I say "goofy" because it's not often that you hear yodeling in a rock song. It was a big hit at the time of it's release and it is the reason most people bought the album. After people got tired of playing that song over and over, an unexpected treasure was found when people started listening to the entire album. Listening to the entire album revealed one of the best albums of the 1970s
