Focus

Focus, FOCUS, or foci may refer to:

In science, mathematics or computing:

Film

Music

Types of volcanic eruptions

Several types of volcanic eruptions—during which lava, tephra (ash, lapilli, volcanic bombs and blocks), and assorted gases are expelled from a volcanic vent or fissure—have been distinguished by volcanologists. These are often named after famous volcanoes where that type of behavior has been observed. Some volcanoes may exhibit only one characteristic type of eruption during a period of activity, while others may display an entire sequence of types all in one eruptive series.

There are three different types of eruptions. The most well-observed are magmatic eruptions, which involve the decompression of gas within magma that propels it forward. Phreatomagmatic eruptions are another type of volcanic eruption, driven by the compression of gas within magma, the direct opposite of the process powering magmatic activity. The third eruptive type is the phreatic eruption, which is driven by the superheating of steam via contact with magma; these eruptive types often exhibit no magmatic release, instead causing the granulation of existing rock.

Thijs van Leer

Thijs van Leer (pronounced: /tɛis vɑn lɪ:r/; born 31 March 1948) is a Dutch musician, singer and composer, best known for heading the Dutch progressive rock band, Focus, as primary vocalist, Hammond organ player, and flautist. He also yodels and whistles. In his later years, van Leer went on to release many solo albums which were also classical music and jazz-based.

Biography

Van Leer was born in Amsterdam, and received his first flute at the age of eleven from his father, a classical flautist. He studied History of Art at Amsterdam University; after which he began studying flute and composition at the Amsterdam Conservatorium. He received a degree for flute from Geneva Conservatoire and also studied piano, orchestration (with Rogier van Otterloo) and organ (with Anthon van der Horst). While still at school, Van Leer led a jazz group on piano. He went on to play the flute and sing with the Shaffy cabaret group.

In 1969 he joined Martijn Dresden (bass) and Hans Cleuver (drums) to form a trio that covered songs by Traffic and backed other Dutch musicians, as well as playing their own material. Later in the year guitarist Jan Akkerman joined, completing the initial line-up of Focus. They released several albums in the 1970s, earning two gold records (for "Moving Waves" and "Focus III") which spawned the international hit singles "Hocus Pocus" and "Sylvia". Van Leer headed Focus through several line-up changes, and by early 1976 he was the only remaining original member; the group disbanded in 1978. To date over five million copies of Focus albums have sold worldwide.

Focus II

Focus II (re-released as Moving Waves) is the second studio album from the Dutch rock band Focus. The album includes the hit "Hocus Pocus" and "Eruption", a 23-minute adaptation of Jacopo Peri's opera Euridice which tells the story of Orpheus and Euridice. Focus II was released in October 1971 to positive critical reception. It went on to reach the top ten in the UK, US and the Netherlands.

Production

The single "Hocus Pocus" was Focus' biggest hit and gained the band international popularity. The song, similar in some regards to the riff-driven hard rock of Black Sabbath and Deep Purple, anticipated many aspects of 1980s heavy metal music, and especially the guitar work of Yngwie Malmsteen with Akkerman's use of the harmonic minor and Hungarian minor scales, uncommon in rock music in the early 1970s.

Radical departures in musical styles follow in the remaining tracks of the album. "Le Clochard" ("The Beggar" in French), also entitled "Bread", is a melancholy classical guitar piece by Akkerman with van Leer backing on Mellotron strings. "Janis", another Akkerman-penned ballad, becomes a flute showcase for van Leer with multiple tracks on that instrument. "Moving Waves", a piano and vocal solo by Thijs van Leer, features lyrics by Sufi poet/master musician Inayat Khan. "Focus II" features the entire band in a classical-jazz fusion instrumental with graceful changes of time signature.

Pierre van der Linden

Pierre van der Linden, born 19 February 1946 in the Netherlands, is a jazz drummer whose style was influenced by his childhood hero Buddy Rich.

In the 1960s he drummed with noted guitarist Jan Akkerman in bands such as the Friendship Quartet, Johnny and the Cellar Rockers, the Hunters, and Brainbox, as well as in other Dutch groups such as After Tea, Tee Set, and ZZ and the Maskers. In late 1970 he rejoined Akkerman in Focus, the progressive rock band which brought them to international fame. His drum fills on the serio-comic, proto-metal opus "Hocus Pocus" single became, in the seventies, what those of "Wipe Out" were in the sixties, an FM radio staple in the United States. Dissatisfied with the band's change of direction to a more commercial, mainstream sound (which included less-syncopated, simpler time signatures) he left Focus in October, 1973 and was quickly enlisted to Trace, a Dutch supergroup led by classical keyboardist Rick van der Linden (his second cousin) and bassist Jaap van Eyck.