Focus Plays Focus (also known as In and Out of Focus) is the debut studio album from the Dutch rock band Focus. Released in 1970, the album was recorded at the Sound Techniques Studios in London, England and produced by Hubert Terheggen. It was the first and only album by the band to feature the original line-up of Thijs van Leer (organ, flute), Jan Akkerman (guitar), Martin Dresden (bass guitar, vocals) and Hans Cleuver (drums, vocals).
Original UK version (Polydor 2344 003)
| Original Dutch version | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length | |
| 1. | "Focus" (instrumental version) | Thijs van Leer | 9:45 | |
| 2. | "Why Dream" | van Leer, Hans Cleuver | 3:57 | |
| 3. | "Happy Nightmare (Mescaline)" | van Leer, Martin Dresden, Mike Hayes | 3:56 | |
| 4. | "Anonymous" | van Leer, Jan Akkerman, Dresden | 7:00 | |
| 5. | "Black Beauty" | van Leer, Cleuver | 3:05 | |
| 6. | "Sugar Island" | van Leer, Dresden, Jan Staal | 3:03 | |
| 7. | "Focus" (vocal version) | van Leer, Cleuver | 2:44 | |
| Total length: | 33:30 | |||
| Original German version | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length | |
| 1. | "Focus" (instrumental version) | van Leer | 9:45 | |
| 2. | "House of the King" | Akkerman | 2:20 | |
| 3. | "Why Dream" | van Leer, Cleuver | 3:57 | |
| 4. | "Happy Nightmare (Mescaline)" | van Leer, Dresden, Hayes | 3:56 | |
| 5. | "Anonymous" | van Leer, Akkerman, Dresden | 7:00 | |
| 6. | "Black Beauty" | van Leer, Cleuver | 3:05 | |
| 7. | "Sugar Island" | van Leer, Dresden, Staal | 3:03 | |
| 8. | "Focus" (vocal version) | van Leer, Cleuver | 2:44 | |
| Total length: | 35:50 | |||
| United States version; Japanese 2006 reissue | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length | |
| 1. | "Focus" (vocal version) | van Leer, Cleuver | 2:44 | |
| 2. | "Black Beauty" | van Leer, Cleuver | 3:05 | |
| 3. | "Sugar Island" | van Leer, Dresden, Staal | 3:03 | |
| 4. | "Anonymous" | van Leer, Akkerman, Dresden | 7:00 | |
| 5. | "House of the King" | Akkerman | 2:20 | |
| 6. | "Happy Nightmare (Mescaline)" | van Leer, Dresden, Hayes | 3:56 | |
| 7. | "Why Dream" | van Leer, Cleuver | 3:57 | |
| 8. | "Focus" (instrumental version) | van Leer | 9:45 | |
| Total length: | 35:50 | |||
| United States 1973 reissue | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length | |
| 1. | "Focus" (instrumental version) | van Leer | 9:45 | |
| 2. | "Why Dream" | van Leer, Cleuver | 3:57 | |
| 3. | "Happy Nightmare (Mescaline)" | van Leer, Dresden, Hayes | 3:56 | |
| 4. | "Anonymous" | van Leer, Akkerman, Dresden | 7:00 | |
| 5. | "Black Beauty" | van Leer, Cleuver | 3:05 | |
| 6. | "Sugar Island" | van Leer, Dresden, Staal | 3:03 | |
| 7. | "House of the King" | Akkerman | 2:15 | |
| Total length: | 33:01 | |||
Read more about Focus Plays Focus: Personnel
Famous quotes containing the words focus and/or plays:
“Why is it so difficultso degradingly difficultto bring the notion of Time into mental focus and keep it there for inspection? What an effort, what fumbling, what irritating fatigue!”
—Vladimir Nabokov (18991977)
“Goodbye, boys; Im under arrest. I may have to go to jail. I may not see you for a long time. Keep up the fight! Dont surrender! Pay no attention to the injunction machine at Parkersburg. The Federal judge is a scab anyhow. While you starve he plays golf. While you serve humanity, he serves injunctions for the money powers.”
—Mother Jones (18301930)