Focus (2) – Hamburger Concerto

This record delivers. Underrated and worth it. Better than many "prog icon" records of its time. No gimmicks. Legit.

Pressing quality is excellent here. Ultrasonically cleaned though. . .

This Focus album and Moving Waves were found on the turntable a lot in the 70s. Had to to buy again. I sure missed this record!

Orig english first press has no that 0,5 cm outer rim on the labels, just plain Polydor labels.

Awesome sound on this German pressing. (Compared to the u.s. atco) The sound here is super bassy, more than the u.s. copy, but at the same time it's also much more clear and detailed than the u.s. atco. This improved low end and clarity makes it superior to the u.s. pressing. I mean, you can't ask for much more than extra low end and clarity at the same time.
Also it's nice to have a Gatefold cover, unlike atco releases. My favorite aspect of the package is the laminated cover, which we of course never received in the u.s..

A very good pressing. My copy sounds clean, full and wide.

Hamburger Concerto is my second Focus album listened to and now my second Focus review. (To my ears,) This blows Moving Waves (Focus II) right out of the water (no water/wave pun intended). While Moving Waves seemed to amble around, looking for a purpose, Hamburger Concerto finds its place right from the start. This album is noticeably more hard rock oriented when compared to Moving Waves, outside of Hocus Pocus. I'm not sure what stood out the most on this record, but it could have been the drumming. It never seemed to do too much, and always held the band's groove together, which is obviously what you want in a drummer. There is often flashes of jazz-inspired playing (side 1 especially), but also moments of heavier rock drumming (side 2). Repetition is used well in the drumming, especially on side 2, as previously stated, it really holds the whole groove together. Overall, a solid album. Give me this over Moving Waves any day.

In regards to the physical record itself.. It's a fine pressing on the yellow atco labels. I grabbed it for $1 at a local antique mall so I can't complain. The cover does leave a bit to be desired, but again- it's whatever. Would've loved it as a gatefold, it just feels flimsy. My copy has the yellow and black "promotional DJ copy" sticker. Someone put some super crusty tape on it back in the 70s and i can't get it off lol.

Anyways, that's it. A very pleasant surprise, as I wasn't expecting much after being disappointed by Moving Waves. Much like that record, if you find this one cheap; definitely buy it.

Rating: 7.5/10

This is a classic slice of prog to own on dark silver vinyl and it sounds well separated but not loud.

how's the pressing quality for you guys for this one? because my copy is noisy and crackly as hell.

in case somebody's interested, the colour is dark grey, not silver like MOV claims. the mastering is top-notch and the pressing is flawless with just a little bit of hiss, maybe because of the coloured vinyl. i don't own an original or a cd version, so i can't compare.