Elliott's Eccentricities- Hocus Pocus by Focus

Before I begin the inaugural post of “Elliott’s Eccentricities” I wanted to let you know who I am and how this column came to be a thing. You see, I have been a core member of the Frog on a Log music think-tank since the blog’s rebirth in December. I have spent countless hours in the office discussing anything and everything about music with main columnists, Mark and Steve, and guest columnists Eric and John. One might say that I am the fifth musketeer who stays behind to feed their horses when they're out on their adventures. 

You see, I haven’t contributed any writing up until this point because I haven’t felt like I have any expertise that the blog needs. My knowledge of music is not nearly as expansive as Steve’s, I do not have Mark’s patience to shift through countless new bands to find awesome new acts, nor Eric’s ability to appreciate lots of rap, and I certainly don’t have John’s knack for writing brilliant perspectives on music. What do I have that makes me stand out? What could I possibly write about that my colleagues couldn’t do better?

And then it hit me, I am incredibly eccentric. I am that crazy uncle who plays the bagpipe that shows up at family reunions with a pet peacock. The person who saw an Oreo and thought, "that would be delicious fried". Though I do love a great deal of normal music, nothing tickles my music-love-bone more then something off-beat and somewhat insane. So prepare yourself for the not-so-ordinary, for insane-nonsensical lyrics, for eclectic instrumentation. Some songs you might know, others you might not. But one thing is for certain, they will always be eccentric.

On the eccentricity scale ranging from 1 to 10

1- I cut the crust off my PB&J.

10- I don't use bread, I just mix the PB&J in my mouth.

Hocus Pocus- 6/10

I can’t think of a better way to start off this section then with the song that was the “gateway drug” to my eccentric side, Hocus Pocus by Focus. Hailing from the beautiful Netherlands, Focus is a prog-rock band from the 1970’s (though they are still performing to this day). Never quite as popular as other prog-rock acts of the time (ELO, Yes, Kansas) they are unfortunately mostly forgotten nowadays. “Hocus Pocus” was their biggest hit in the U.S, hitting #9 of the singles chart in 1973. Yet this single version is lackluster compared to the lengthy album version from their 1971 album Focus II (aka Moving Waves).

I first heard this track by accident in high school. I was just growing into my love of music, searching iTunes and grabbing any classic rock songs that I knew. I was very rigid about what type of music I listened to at the time (basically “Beatles or bust”). While exploring the deep cuts section of iTunes’s classic rock playlist, I came across “Hocus Pocus”. I listened to the 30 second sample of the song’s amazing main riff. Thinking it was a different song, I instantly bought it. I had no idea what was in store for me.

The song makes me think of a man fighting to keep a grip on his sanity. It kicks off with a riff that can be best described as a fairly generic, yet fabulous, classic rock riff. Just as you are lured into expecting a generic chorus, something unsettling happens; Keyboardist Thijis van Leer starts yodeling. Then the riff returns, trying to re-establish control and normality, only to be usurped by a return of yodeling. From here, “normality” ups the ante by throwing in an insane guitar solo which can only be described as “wondrously face-melting”. Like a movie about the cold war, this action only prompts another act of escalation; van Leer begins to sing complete gibberish over a honkey-tonk like organ. The war continues to evolve with ever intensifying guitar and drum solos competing against whistling, accordion, and something that can only be described as the jazz flute straight out of Anchor Man. All of the conflict culminates in insane laughter alongside the riff in a perfect finish.

It is a real shame that “Hocus Pocus” never really caught on, the world of music could really use more yodeling and gibberish. The rest of Focus’s music is not bad, but doesn’t have the same level of insanity as this track. Unfortunately not every song they made is a yodeling epic. Their other hit, “Sylvia” is far more normal. Besides that, I regret to inform you that I do not know of any other yodeling epics out there. If you happen to know of one, please let me know, sadly my world is very lacking in the yodeling department.