Focus - Hamburger Concerto [Japanese Ed. K2HD] (1974)

Year: May 1974 (CD Dec 16, 2006)
Label: Victor Records (Japan), VICP-63667
Style: Progressive Rock, Symphonic Rock
Country: Amsterdam, Netherlands
Time: 43:08
Format: Flac Tracks 16/44,1 kHz
Size: 298 Mb

Hamburger Concerto is the fourth studio album by the Dutch progressive rock band Focus, released in May 1974. It peaked at No. 20 on the UK charts. The title track is based on Variations on a Theme by Haydn by Johannes Brahms. The composition also incorporates the first two verses of the Dutch Christmas carol O Kerstnacht, schoner dan de dagen at around 15 minutes, and the Third Quarter chime from the Westminster Quarters is quoted in the track's final seconds. The first track is based on a Gaillarde of Joachim van den Hove of his work Delitae Musicae.
(en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hamburger_Concerto)
Here is, in my opinion, the strongest album by this dutch progressive rock band. This is quite some complicated music here, however, it's pretty goofy at times too. It consists of mostly lengthy tracks void of any singing (except for the yodeling at times) and they makes use of a lot of instruments not typically found in rock music. There is a lute and a flute on the opening track which gives off a very medieval sound.
The music is quite varied offering a wide range of styles and moods. Every member contributes greatly to the final sound offering a blend of organ, piano, mellotron, flute, accordion and of course electric guitar, bass, and drums. "Birth" even makes use of a harpsichord (and it's a great song too). Of course the bulk of the album is consumed by the epic instrumental title track. The band pulls out every trick in the book on this album, which makes for a very interesting listen.
(progarchives.com/album.asp?id=3448) Review by Fight Club. October 6, 2007. 5/5

K2HD: It is possible to expand digital data from low-grade formats (32kHz) up to high-grade formats with a maximum of 192kHz/24 bits with K2HD processing. For example, when a CD master is produced from an analog master tape, everything above 20kHz is cut during CD formatting. K2HD processing reproduces the lost high-frequency components almost the same as the analog master.

01. Delitiae Musicae (01:13)
02. Harem Scarem (05:52)
03. La Cathedrale De Strasbourg (05:00)
04. Birth (07:46)
05. Hamburger Concerto: a. Starter / b. Rare / c. Medium I / d. Medium II / e. We... (20:20)

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