In this episode of Reading Is Funktamental, we turn our attention to one of the great prog bands of all time, the Dutch Masters, Focus. Our guest is Peet Johnson. He is the author of "Hocus Pocus - The Strife & Times of Rock's Dutch Masters," a comprehensive, 300+ page book documenting the history of the legendary Dutch progressive rock band.

Best remembered for their proto-guitar shred and yodel-skat chart smash "Hocus Pocus," Dutch progressive rock band Focus was formed in Amsterdam in 1969 by vocalist/keyboardist/flutist Thijs van Leer, bassist Martin Dresden, drummer Hans Cleuver, and acclaimed guitarist Jan Akkerman. The group was known for its instrumental virtuosity and its compositional approach, which leaned heavily on classical influences like Bach and Bartok, jazz, and heavy rock. Focus issued its debut LP, In and Out of Focus, in 1970, earning a European cult following thanks to the single "House of the King." Dresden and Cleuver were replaced by bassist Cyril Havermanns and drummer Pierre Van der Linden for the English-language follow-up, Moving Waves; the record generated the hit "Hocus Pocus," a hallucinatory epic distinguished by Akkerman's guitar pyrotechnics and van Leer's demented yodeling. Their third album, Focus III, yielded the minor hit "Sylvia." In the wake of 1974's Hamburger Concert, the band streamlined the classical aspirations of earlier efforts, pursuing a more pop-oriented approach on records like Ship of Memories and Mother Focus. Though roster changes regularly plagued Focus throughout the period, none was more pivotal than the 1976 exit of Akkerman. This podcast focuses exclusively on the first chapter of the band's history.

"Reading is Funktamental" is a monthly one-hour show about great books written about music and music-makers. In each episode, host Sal Cataldi speaks to the authors of some of the best reads about rock, jazz, punk, world, experimental music, and much more. Occasionally, the host is joined by notable musicians who have written about their careers. Recent guests have included eccentric British singer-songwriter Robyn Hitchcock, Roxy Music’s Phil Manzanera, Traffic co-founder Dave Mason, and Moon Zappa. Expect a great conversation and a playlist of great music to go with it.

Sal Cataldi is a musician and writer based in Saugerties. He is best known for his work with his genre-leaping solo project, Spaghetti Eastern Music, and is also a member of the ambient guitar duo, Guitars A Go Go, the poetry and music duo, Vapor Vespers, the jazz ensemble Hari Karaoke Trio of Doom and the quartet, Spaceheater. His writing on music, books and film has been featured in The New York Times, Rolling Stone, PopMatters, Seattle Times, Huffington Post, Inside+Out Upstate NY, and NYSMusic.com, where he is the book reviewer.