JAN AKKERMAN — Profile (review)

Album · 1972 · Jazz Related Rock

3/5 · 2023-11-30
Matti P

For listeners of the classic symphonic prog of the 70's, Dutch guitarist JAN AKKERMAN (b. 1946) is well remembered from the country's highest acclaimed prog band FOCUS. Being a founding member, he was the group's other main composer beside the organ & flute playing frontman Thijs Van Leer on each of the classic era albums. Of the two, Akkerman was the more strictly devoted to instrumental music with a strong classical / Old Music influence.

In the latter half of the 70's Akkerman left Focus in order to continue and concentrate on his solo career. During the halcyon days of Focus, Akkerman released Profile (1972) and Tabernakel (1973) that are unsurprisingly ranked among his best solo albums in ProgArchives, whereas especially the 80's output is concidered very uneven. But enough of this background information and onto this album. [Btw, the album info is inadequate here. For example Focus members Pierre van der Linden (dr) and Bert Ruiter (b) are fully involved.]

The first side is filled by 'Fresh Air' (19:50), a progressive suite in seven movements. I like the mysterious early part with softly played electric piano. The suddenly entering electric guitar turns the music into a loud and hectic self-indulgence and endless soloing, as if it was coming straight from prejudical nightmares of an anti-prog person without a better knowledge of the genre. Frankly, I think this goes on far too long, without a clear direction. Around 13:00 it slows down and returns to the mysterious calmness, gradually building up the tension in a majestic way -- until the harsher-sounding guitar and frenzy drumwork take over again. The final parts are like a battle of good and evil. Indeed my reception of this epic is very ambivalent: some moments are glorious but most of it is hollow and hostile showing-off that IMHO doesn't sound enjoyable at all.

The second side consists of short tracks. 'Kemp's Jig' is a Medieval/Renaissance lute piece familiar from GRYPHON's debut album. 'Etude' written by Matteo Carcassi is a brief classical guitar piece, not among the finest I've heard. On his own 'Blue Boy' Akkerman & co. rock out joyously with a funky groove.

'Andante Sostenuto' is a beautifully serene, romantic classical guitar piece composed by Austrian Anton Diabelli (1781-1858). Listeners of the likes of Steve Hackett, Anthony Phillips or John Williams will be pleased. 'Maybe Just a Dream', Akkerman's tenderly melodic composition for a band, would have been a fine Focus number too, and so would his acoustic solo piece 'Minster/Farmer's Dance', although classic Focus albums include better pieces in this style.

The album ends with a simple and merry blues rock piece 'Stick' of which I'm not thrilled at all. Is this album a classic? Probably so. Definitely it's a work of an extraordinarily gifted musician, but terribly patchy, and far from the excellence of Focus in their prime. My rating is a modest 3 stars.