Review: Jan Akkerman – My Focus – Live Under The Rainbow
Jan Akkerman – My Focus – Live Under The Rainbow
Format: CD – Vinyl LP – Digital
Label: Mascot Label Group – Artone – Music Theories Recordings
Release: 2025
Text: Martien Koolen
Jan Akkerman was voted best guitarist by readers of Melody Maker, way back in 1973. Fifty-two years later Akkerman, indeed one of the best guitar players the world has ever seen/heard, is still active, as he now releases a live album called ‘My Focus, Live Under The Rainbow.’
This wonderful live album was recorded across Jan Akkerman’s 2025 Tour on several locations in the UK. Akkerman was on stage with the following band: Coen Molenaar (keyboards), David de Marez Oyens (bass guitar), and drummer Marijn van den Berg and the setlist mainly contained Focus classics; hence the title My Focus, obviously….
The album contains eleven tracks of which seven are timeless Focus tracks, and the other four are from Akkermans amazing solo albums. Everybody of course knows the mega Focus hits Hocus Pocus, Sylvia, Focus 1 and Focus 2, as well as the soaring, intricate Answers Questions – Questions Answers (from the ‘Focus 3 album’, 1972), Anonymous (from the Focus debut album ‘Focus Plays Focus’, 1970) and Palace Of The King (which is in fact House Of The King in a modern version). All tracks showcasing and highlighting Akkerman’s extraordinary guitar playing!
The four solo tracks are Piétons, from ‘The Can’t Stand Noise’ album (1983), Big Sur, and Tommy’s Anniversary and Spiritual Privacy from Akkerman’s 2019 solo album ‘Close Beauty.’
Akkerman really shows on this album that he is still a wonderful guitarist, even at the age of seventy-eight! This live album is a must have album for Focus fans, but also for fans of electrifying, amazing, timeless guitar playing; indeed, love it!
Listening tip: Anonymous.
Tracks:
01. Spiritual Privacy
02. Answers Questions – Questions Answers
03. Focus 2
04. Focus 1
05. Palace Of The King
06. Anonymous
07. Big Sur
08. Tommy’s Anniversary
09. Piétons
10. Hocus Pocus
11. Sylvia
Website: https://www.janakkerman.com/