Classic Album War: Focus 'Moving Waves' vs U.K. 'U.K.'

Join host Pete Pardo for today's classic album war, this time it's Dutch act Focus and their sophomore hit 'Moving Waves' vs the stunning self-titled debut from British supergroup U.K. #focus #uk

[michaelcross]

Anything with John Wetton is GREAT! RIP John.

[RichardW]

Moving Waves was the first record I bought when I was 14. Still love it. I bought the UK album at the time it was released, but have never really liked it that much.

[voxdot]

UK all the way! BTW thier Live album Night After Night one of Rock's Greatest live albums hands down IMHO

[steveseim]

I'm surprised you attempted the yodels.  Not bad.  :D

[drumdadsdl]

I'm a huge fan of Focus..haven't heard the UK one. I'll have to check it out before I can decide which I prefer, but Moving Waves will be tough to beat.

[TheCornishCockney]

went and listened to UK on the strength of your video as I'd never heard them before, and jesus ! what a find, thanks for the heads up Pete.

[JesseeSage]

Hocus Pocus by Focus, such a great tune... It took me a while to do get that Em7#9 chord down.

[darcyska]

Only found out about UK recently, perhaps from one of your other episodes, but I really enjoyed the self titled album. Focus is alright, but I just really dig the direction UK went for on this one.

[mikeschrammel]

Yes it is UK for me, just seriously good musicians at the peak of their powers These Guys were a true supergroup. That this album has their debut makes it even more astounding Work.Bruford and Wetton what a killer rhythm section and with Holdsworth cutting loose but always in control Not many can defeat this.

[hansforsman]

Brings back memories from the summer of '74 (Focus) and the summer of '78 (U.K.). Have to give my vote to U.K. and now I MUST go and listen to them both. Thanks Pete for the inspiration.

[findmusic]

U.K., though I love Danger Money even more (the template for Asia...of course John Wetton was the principal songwriter for both bands). Hocus Pocus was a novelty hit (the yodeling), sorta like Frankenstein (now that would be a battle!)

[fourtheye]

Two of my favorite albums, and as much as I love Jan Akkerman...I have to agree with you. There is no comparison to UK's dark and stunning debut.

[Smlmusic]

Unfortunately I'm not familiar with that Focus album (need to check it out ASAP), that being said, it's hard to imagine that it would be better than U.K., I have that on vinyl and I spin it all the time, god I love that album, made me a very big Wetton and Jobson fan, I actually ordered the Green album recently and that's an absolute masterpiece. Cheers

[mattmiller]

Hard to pick a winner between those two, but to me Focus' album "Hamburger Concerto" 1974 beats them both.

[stevecowder]

Eruption is one of the most incredible and yet overlooked epic prog songs ever. The main reason I’d give that album a slight edge over the UK debut. But that’s not an easy choice. I may reconsider. Another great contest Pete !

[Pwecko]

I've never heard the UK album by I've just listened to Moving Waves for the first time in decades. It was great. I'll have a listen to the UK album.

[reclaimerReclaimer]

For those who like Focus and the classical music touch, I'd recommend the UK 70s/80s instrumental band Sky with guitarist John Williams and former Curved Air keyboarder Francis Monkman, it's an overall more commercial sound maybe but grand music nevertheless.

[Raiderblack]

Wow hard one. But Moving Waves is one of my top albums and the first album I ever bought... Eruption is amazing! Love about half the UK album, Like the rest...

[docbobster]

UK was a big deal when it came out, but I never ended up playing it that often -- less than the sum of its truly mighty parts other than the Holdsworth solos. Moving Waves, on the other hand, remains one of my all-time favorites not only for the great solos but also for some really beautiful compositions.

[DpHsHd]

Hard to put anything against the debut album by U.K. I’ve loved it outrageously since its release. And it sounds much less of a period item than most 70s prog: high gloss modern production (Eddie J’s keyboards and Alan H’s lead guitar style distance the band’s sound from anyone and anything prog before), sleek as a black spacecraft, and technically astonishing. Great tunes, too: especially “In the Dead of Night/By the Light of Day” and “Thirty Years.”

U.K. lost their peerless stature with the departures of Bruford and Holdsworth, but here they could have taken on any band in the world, and won.