OUT OF FOCUS - Four Letter Monday Afternoon +10 (2CD) - EU Prog Gems Limited Edition - LISTEN - VERY RARE

Released in autumn 1972, the third album, a double on vinyl, by this wonderful German band was the quintessence of the best in jazzy progressive rock! I used to think that 'the third one' was weaker than its somewhat more accessible (concise) predecessors, but I was wrong! True, on 'Four Letter' there is more trumpeting, more improvisation (especially in the 50-minute suite filling two sides of the vinyl...) and a little less guitar, but there is no lack of gradually building emotions and the music often genuinely took your breath away! It was still the same band, but playing more difficult material with somewhat greater ease. Compared with Out Of Focus, the better-known bands active at the time and obsessed with the 'fusion' style, such as Soft Machine, Nucleus or most of the Canterbury groups, simply didn't stand a chance! Unfortunately, this was the band's last catalogue album. Almost the whole second disc is filled with unreleased material from the same recording session, released in 2002 on the CD 'Rat Roads', and the last, 10-minute live track from Palermo from 1972 is also included. Excellent sound - slightly clearer than on the old CD editions, and the disc contains a nicer booklet again collecting several rare photos of this splendid band! This double CD lasts as much as 156 minutes! AN ABSOLUTE MUST! Condition: New, sealed. (JL)