''Focus Level'' is the debut studio album by American

rock Rock most often refers to: * Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids * Rock music, a genre of popular music Rock or Rocks may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wale ...

band

Endless Boogie ''Endless Boogie'' is a studio album by American blues musician John Lee Hooker, released in 1971 through ABC Records. Produced by Bill Szymczyk and Ed Michel, the double album was recorded at Wally Heider Recording with session musicians such ...

. It was released on June 17, 2008 through No Quarter Records.

Critical reception

''Focus Level'' generally received positive reviews from music critics.

Allmusic AllMusic (previously known as All-Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Mus ...

critic Tim Forget noted the influences of "the heavy Texas rumble of

ZZ Top ZZ Top is an American rock band formed in Houston, Texas, in 1969. For almost 56 years, it consisted of vocalist-guitarist Billy Gibbons, drummer Frank Beard (musician), Frank Beard, and bassist-vocalist Dusty Hill prior to his death in 2021. ZZ ...

, the

Woodstock The Woodstock Music and Art Fair, commonly referred to as Woodstock, was a music festival held from August 15 to 18, 1969, on Max Yasgur's dairy farm in Bethel, New York, southwest of the town of Woodstock, New York, Woodstock. Billed as "a ...

noodling of

Canned Heat Canned Heat is an American blues rock band that was formed in Los Angeles in 1965. The group has been noted for its efforts to promote interest in blues music and its original artists. It was launched by two blues enthusiasts, Alan Wilson and ...

, and the brown acid haze of

Blue Cheer Blue Cheer was an American rock band that initially performed and recorded in the late 1960s and early 1970s and was sporadically active until 2009. Based in San Francisco, Blue Cheer played in a psychedelic blues rock or acid rock style. The ...

," stating that the album's pleasures rest in "the band’s ability to crawl inside these sounds and explore them." Noel Gardner of Drowned in Sound commented:"Endless Boogie’s industrial strength record shelves are raided hungrily and consistently throughout ''Focus Level''."

Pitchfork A pitchfork or hay fork is an agricultural tool used to pitch loose material, such as hay, straw, manure, or leaves. It has a long handle and usually two to five thin tines designed to efficiently move such materials. The term is also applie ...

critic Aaron Leitko described the album as "rock minimalism at its most casual-- austere repetition and art noise that's good for both the bong-water soaked psych-cognoscenti and the chili cook-off." Leitko further wrote: "The four-sided record is the hallmark of classic-rock over-indulgence, and the extension of that indulgence is Endless Boogie's whole show. But it can be a hard show to sit through." John Mulvey of '' Uncut'' wrote: "There’s a real sense that Endless Boogie have exploited the affinities between fiercely disciplined, linear southern jams and

motorik Motorik is the 4/4 beat often used by, and heavily associated with, krautrock bands. Coined by music journalists, the term is German for "motor skill". The motorik beat was pioneered by Jaki Liebezeit, drummer with German experimental rock b ...

Track listing

# "Smoking Figs In The Yard" – 7:23 # "The Manly Vibe" – 9:39 # "Bad River" – 3:02 # "Executive Focus" – 11:34 # "Gimme The Awesome" – 5:21 # "Steak Rock" – 7:28 # "Coming Down The Stairs" – 5:17 # "Jammin' With Top Dollar" – 10:21 # "Low-Lifes" – 16:19 # "Move Back!" – 2:38

Personnel

;Endless Boogie *Paul "Top Dollar" Major – vocals, guitar *Jesper "The Governor" Eklow – guitar *Marc Razo – bass *Chris Gray – drums ;Technical personnel *Nicolas Vernhes – recording, production *Mike Fellows – additional recording

References

External links

* {{Authority control 2008 debut albums Blues rock albums by American artists