FOCUS ON FANS

A PLACE TO THE LETTERS FROM FOCUS´ FANS IN THE WEB

Part 11 - From 05/aug/2002 till
03/jun/2004

 

03 Jun 2004 Text-by: Luis Arturo Guerrero email: larturo1@hotmail.com country: Mexico, D.F. divulge-mail: YES acquaintance: THE GEOCITIES comments: Focus has been a major influence in my life as a musician and in my development as a composer. I admire the art of Thijs and Jan and also I have discovered a lot of fine music because of them . I will be very grateful forever with them for that change in my life.

 


08 Mar 2004 Text-by: Horacio Alfonso email: horacio_alfonso@hotmail.com country: Venezuela divulge-mail: NO acquaintance: SURFING THE WEB comments: Tengo '50.. soy Argentino y vivo en Venezuela ...Focus... fue un sueño un viaje a mis '18 .. sigo escuchando Olas Danzantes o el Concierto..o..3 o Acorazado...en fin unos fenomenos..pero saben lo mejor mis hijos 14 y 18 .. lo escuchan conmigo y muchas veces estan solos y tambien lo escuchan... gracias que pude transmitirle el sabor de la buena musica... Saludos y felicitaciones por esta pagina..aguante la "verdeamarela"

 


05 Mar 2004 Text-by: Alex van Starrex email: avanstar@ihug.com.au country: Australia divulge-mail: YES acquaintance: SURFING THE WEB comments: The Focus "....vaults" DVD is fantastic!!! It's great to see so much of this band again. I note that the "OGWT" material is different to that program's own 2-disc "best of OGWT" (or whatever it's called) compilation. I've been into Yes for the last so-many years (do a check on Google to find my 2003 Australian Tour Site), but the strength on Focus' musicianship and music still cuts through.

 


05 Feb 2004 Text-by: Ken Krueger email: kenkrueger@hotmail.com country: Canada divulge-mail: YES acquaintance: SURFING THE WEB comments: I've been a Focus & Jan Akkerman fan since the mid-70's and just picked up the Focus "Live in America" DVD and think it's great even without Mr. Akkerman. Jan Dummee, his replacement, is superb and faithfully reproduces all of Akkerman's anthem-like guitar melodies. The bassist & drummer replacements are also rock solid, and of course, Thys Van Leer (the only original member), is better than ever. I understand that a new Focus retrospective DVD is now available and wonder if anyone has had a chance to review it yet. I would like to see a collection of ALL of the orignal band's archive video footage (including bootleged sources) compiled on a new DVD(with cleaned up audio) as was recently done with Led Zeppelin. The true genious of the original Focus would then be available for all us fans old & new alike.

 


25 Jan 2004 Text-by: Arturo Guerrero Sandoval. email: larturo1@hotmail.com country: Mexico, D.F. divulge-mail: YES acquaintance: THE GEOCITIES comments: I dig Focus music since I was 17 and I became a musician pretty much on behalf of them. I admire Thijs´way of compose and dig Jan´s way of playing the guitar.I want to contribute with this little finding that I made. The beguinnings of Tokyo Rose and Brother, are both a composition by Johannes Brahms called String Sextet Op. 18 First Mov. and I know Thijs loves this beautiful music and thus included them in his own compositions.Keep on rocking,all Focus Fans....

 


02 May 2003 Text-by: Daniel email: djk28@hotmail country: Netherlands divulge-mail: YES acquaintance: SURFING THE WEB comments: Hi all, Couldn't the sixties and the seventies music haven't evolved at all and stayed like it was? With 33 years of age I feel sad to have missed the time itself with Focus as my favourite but many others with brilliant music from these days. I find myself somewhat estranged from others loving 70's and 60's music so much. Being a Die hard Focus / Akkerman fan in the 21st century isn't easy. Fortunately a DVD with Focus material has been released, and Akkerman still performs here in the Netherlands (Saw him twice this year!), so I'm somewhat comforted.

 


13 Apr 2003 Text-by: Romano email: romanorum@wanadoo.es country: Spain divulge-mail: YES acquaintance: SURFING THE WEB comments: hello: i'm spanish guy. My english is very bad. I hope that you understandme. I search the Hamburger Concert in CD, but I don't search this in internet and music-shop. Can you say me where I can buy this CD. Thanks NO A LA GUERRA

 


07 Apr 2003 Text-by: Ignacio Errazuriz email: beatleswho@hotmail.com country: Chile divulge-mail: YES acquaintance: SURFING THE WEB comments: Hello Rodrigo: I am Ignacio fom chile, i know that you are a big focus fan, and i am too, and i know that many people ask this before, but you said that 1998, maybe now you have the answer to my question, i am looking for focus videos, like the rainbow or the moving waves classic albums, please let me know, i'll be pleased, and other thing, you always send pictures to the official focus homepage and i want to send some pictures of me with thijs in chile, how can i do? Well thank you Rodrigo and i expect that we can be friends. Ignacio

 


28 Feb 2003 Text-by: Michael A. Smeltzer email: micgaelsmeltzer@sbcglobal.net country: Texas, USA divulge-mail: YES acquaintance: SURFING THE WEB comments: Been listening to this wonderful and unique band since 1973. I love their musical style, a heady mix of classical, Renaissance era, jazz and rock.

 


03 Feb 2003 Text-by: Randy Powers email: rodpowers@msn.com divulge-mail: YES acquaintance: LINK IN ANOTHER ROCK PAGE comments: Hocus Pocus by Focus was my sons favorite song. He died on April 23 , 2002 He used to call the local radio station and after they had turned down his request for it he had all his friends call in until they would finally play it. I can still picture him and his friends dancing around the bonfire to that tune.

 


05 Jan 2003 Text-by: Peretti Jean email: jean.peretti@numericable.fr country: FRANCE divulge-mail: YES acquaintance: LINK IN ANOTHER ROCK PAGE comments: Focus is one of my loved rock band. I've got FOCUS'lp :in and out, moving waves, focus 3(USA), hamburger concerto, live at the rainbow, mother focus, focus on focus, + ep. All are good. I'll still hope seing focus on stage with Jan akkerman. Please, if anybody out there can tell me how to get video tapes about focus, so do it !

 


02 Jan 2003 Text-by: Glen Westwood email: glenwestwood13@hotmail.com country: Australia divulge-mail: YES acquaintance: SURFING THE WEB comments: Like everyone else I'm looking for some more Focus & Akkerman videos, I have a couple but welcome anyone whom can trade stuff i don't have or have better quality. I'm into alot of things so if you have some interesting audio and video and you are into trading then drop me a line and let's see what we can do!

 


22 Dec 2002 Text-by: Mike Ransom email: focus@tulsaTVmemories.com country: USA divulge-mail: YES acquaintance: SURFING THE WEB comments: I saw Focus in 1972 in Oklahoma City at the Civic Center Music Hall. Does anyone know the date of this performance?

 


03 Dec 2002 Text-by: Julian Evans email: ju@julianevans.co.uk country: UK divulge-mail: YES acquaintance: SURFING THE WEB comments: I love your site Rodrigo. Anyone who loves Focus is ok with me. When will someone release a DVD!

 


12 Nov 2002 Text-by: Garry Shippen email: garry@consultaprint.ltd.uk country: England divulge-mail: YES acquaintance: SURFING THE WEB comments: Enjoyed the site, it brings back lots of great memories not least of which is how great the band were !

 


15 Oct 2002 Text-by: BORA CETIN email: boracetin@superonline.com country: TURKEY divulge-mail: YES acquaintance: GUESTBOOK comments: Dear Rodrigo; Oldest and best "FOCUS Page" webmaster ! I have been thinking to thank you for a long time for this wonderful site. I guess that time has arrived. Now I'm Listening FOCUS 8 ( After 17 years ). Long live FOCUS, Thanks Rodrigo. Bora CETIN 46 Years old Focus fan, since 1973. www.boracetin.com

 


13 Oct 2002 Text-by: mushroomhead email: dweebmathijs@hotmail.com country: holland divulge-mail: YES acquaintance: LINK IN ANOTHER ROCK PAGE comments: Hi i'm 18 and i wish i was born 30 years earlier for those were better times. I've never seen such musicians before, and i wish i could have seen them in their best years. about a month ago i saw focus in nijmegen, holland. But their not what they used to be, no grand anonymous 2 improvisation but only their hit-songs. it's a pity

 


9 Sep 2002 Text-by: stephen smith email: sozric@aol.com country: england divulge-mail: YES acquaintance: SURFING THE WEB comments: I am trying to get hold of a thijs van leer record called "renaissance" can some one help ? also I need the date of the london "astoria" gig .

 


2 Sep 2002 Text-by: matias rapallini email: mrapa38@hotmail.com country: argentina divulge-mail: YES acquaintance: SURFING THE WEB comments: I DON'T SPEAK INGLISH..SORRY ....PLEASE,,,I NEED SOMEBODY, SPEAKING IN SPANISH,,,THANKS...........

 


20 Aug 2002 Text-by: Andrew email: andriush@fromru.com country: Ukraine divulge-mail: YES acquaintance: SURFING THE WEB comments: Who is this guy Jan Dumee new Focus guitar player? Where is he from?

 


06 Aug 2002 Text-by: PEET J. WRIGHT email: peetdisc@hotmail.com country: AUSTRALIA divulge-mail: YES acquaintance: SURFING THE WEB comments: DOES ANYONE OUT THERE KNOW HOW I CAN GET MY HANDS ON THE VAN LEER BAND'S 'I HATE MYSELF' OR VAN LEER'S 'SUMMERTIME' CD?? PLEASE HELP. THANKS.

 


05 Aug 2002 Text-by: Alun Jones email: ajones6080@aol.com country: England divulge-mail: YES acquaintance: SURFING THE WEB comments: .....on bass guitar.....Bobby Jacobs.... on drums........ Bert Smaak...... on guitar..... Jan Dumee ... on organ and flute......... Thijs van Leeeeeeeerrrrrrrrrrrrrr......... So it came to pass. Over 25 years (according to my calculations) since Focus had appeared live in the UK - and here they were performing at the Whitchurch Festival. Had I died and gone to heaven? - as I witnessed close hand the Master at his (Hammond) desk with his three new superb apprentices. Such was the brilliance of the gig that I didn’t bother with a pit stop at the bar in order that I didn't miss anything! The play list if I can remember rightly (and not in the correct order) was Focus 1, House of the KIng, Focus 2, Eruption, Focus 3, Sylvia, Cathedrale De Strasbourg, Focus 5, Harem Scarem, Focus 7 (which will be on their next CD and was excellent), Hocus Pocus. They even had the audacity to play two songs from their new CD (Brother and Neurotika) as encores - but as expected, pulled it! off in front of an ecstatic audience. Brilliant. For the record the new CD line up is Rock & Rio, Tamara's Move, Fretless Love, Hurkey Turkey, De Ti O De Mi, Focus 8, Sto Ces Raditi Zivota, Neurotika, Brother, Blizu Tebe, Flower Shower.

 


 

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