Focus con Proby
Focus con Proby is the sixth studio album by the Dutch rock band Focus, released in 1978 on EMI Records. It features five tracks with vocals from American singer P. J. Proby. The record also features guitarists Eef Albers and Philip Catherine, drummer Steve Smith (then with Jean Luc Ponty and later to become part of Journey), as well as the two Focus members from previous albums. Smith and Albers would later go on to collaborate on the first two albums of Smith's band Vital Information.
| Focus con Proby | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | January 1978 | |||
| Recorded | 1977 | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 48:07 | |||
| Label | EMI | |||
| Producer | Yde De Jong | |||
| Focus chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |   [1] |
Reception
In a mixed review in the Richmond Review, reviewer Bob Beech preferred the instrumental tracks over the songs with vocals. He deemed Proby's voice more mellow than his previous records which he preferred, but felt it was out of place on a Focus album.[2] Brian Brennan wrote in Calgary Herald that while Albers is "an accomplished musician" he does not live up to the standard of past Focus guitarist Jan Akkerman. He thought the album consisted of "fussy instrumental work, aimless, hollow and rather uninviting".[3]
Track listing
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Wingless" | Roselie van Leer, Thijs van Leer | 5:35 |
| 2. | "Orion" | Eef Albers | 4:08 |
| 3. | "Night Flight" | Albers | 3:40 |
| 4. | "Eddy" | R. van Leer, T. van Leer | 5:54 |
| 5. | "Sneezing Bull" | Philip Catherine | 4:27 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Brother" | R. van Leer, T. van Leer | 5:19 |
| 2. | "Tokyo Rose" | R. van Leer | 5:08 |
| 3. | "Maximum" | Bert Ruiter, T. van Leer | 8:40 |
| 4. | "How Long" | R. van Leer, T. van Leer | 5:16 |
Personnel
Musicians
- Thijs van Leer – Hammond organ, piano, electric piano, Mellotron, synthesiser, flute
- Bert Ruiter – bass guitar
- Steve Smith – drums
- Philip Catherine – acoustic guitar, rhythm guitar, lead guitar on "Sneezing Bull", "Maximum" and "How Long"
- Eef Albers – rhythm guitar, lead guitar (except above)
- P. J. Proby – vocals on "Wingless", "Eddy", "Brother", "Tokyo Rose" and "How Long"
Production
- Yde de Jong – production
- Jan van Vrijaldenhoven – engineer
- Mike Stavrou – engineer
- Jacques Heere – cover design
Charts
| Chart (1978) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[4] | 27 |
References
- "allmusic ((( Focus con Proby > Overview )))". www.allmusic.com. Retrieved 2009-11-17.
- Beech, Bob (7 April 1978). "Proby in Focus". Richmond Review. Richmond, Canada. p. 15. Retrieved 25 November 2018 – via Newspapers.com.
- Brennan, Brian (30 June 1978). "Records in review". Calgary Herald. Calgary, Canada. p. 15. Retrieved 25 November 2018 – via Newspapers.com.
- "Dutchcharts.nl – Focus – Focus con Proby" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 8 January 2023.