Author Topic: Flower Kings Official Thread  (Read 230851 times)

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Offline KevShmev

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Flower Kings Official Thread
« on: May 20, 2009, 10:30:45 PM »
This post was in another thread, so I figured this was as good a time as any to start a thread on this terrific band.

Kev, could you please post your rank of FK albums again? I just started with Flower power and I would like to know what should I get next.

My personal ranking of TFK albums would go like this:

1. Flower Power*
2. Paradox Hotel*
3. Stardust We Are*
4. Space Revolver
5. Retropolis
6. Unfold the Future*
7. Back in the World of Adventures
8. Adam and Eve
9. The Sum of No Evil
10. The Rainmaker

*denotes double album

I think Flower Power and Paradox Hotel are their most instantly accessible double albums.  Stardust We Are is magnificent, too, but was so massive and sprawling that it took me a while to get into.  Unfold the Future is really good, but there are some throwaway songs, thus making the overall flow somewhat choppy at times.

I think Space Revolver is undoubtedly their best single album.  It has the awesome "I Am the Sun" epic, which is split into two parts and bookends the record.  The rest of the record is rock solid.

I would save the bottom three on my list till you have gotten into most or all of the others.  Those three are all good, but are generally not as consistently great as all of the others (although all of them does have one or two really great songs).

What do you think of Flower Power so far?



« Last Edit: March 21, 2023, 07:15:03 AM by hefdaddy42 »

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Re: The Flower Kings Thread - because they are awesome and deserve one
« Reply #1 on: May 20, 2009, 10:57:03 PM »
I only have Stardust We Are, and I still haven't really gotten into it, though it does have some fantastic songs.
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Re: The Flower Kings Thread - because they are awesome and deserve one
« Reply #2 on: May 21, 2009, 01:31:34 AM »
One of my favourite ever bands. :tup

Good ranking, although I always find it strange how lowly rate Rainmaker when the rest of your ranking is so similar to mine. I think it's a really good, cohesive and enjoyable album. :)

1. Stardust We Are*
2. Space Revolver
3. Flower Power*
4. Unfold the Future*
5. Paradox Hotel*
6. The Rainmaker
7. Retropolis
8. Back in the World of Adventures
9. The Sum of No Evil
10. Adam and Eve

*denotes double album

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Offline Kyo

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Re: The Flower Kings Thread - because they are awesome and deserve one
« Reply #3 on: May 21, 2009, 05:31:16 AM »
I think Alive on Planet Earth is the best thing they've released so far. The
second disc in particular is just sublime, amazing stuff all the way through.
Best studio album would still be Stardust We Are I guess, at least for me.
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Offline reneranucci

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Re: The Flower Kings Thread - because they are awesome and deserve one
« Reply #4 on: May 21, 2009, 09:13:57 AM »
Thanks a lot Kev! Iīve just started listening to them but I'm sure they're great. I liked Roineīs work with TA and I was always curious about how he sounded with his original band.

I have only listened to the first disc of flowerpower. At the beginning, the songs felt imcomplete but then I learned that it is suppossed to be a 50+ minutes epic. What do I think about it? What makes me love music are the vocal melodies, and in that department they're brilliant, songs like "Simple Song", "Garden of Dreams" and "All you can save" are my kind of stuff definitely. The other thing that caught my attention is that they have a very original sound. It's prog rock, definitely, but for some reason it doesn't feel generic (or "derivative") at all. Sometimes itīs very poppy, sometimes it has a very dark edge (like "indian summer") that isnīt common in the classic prog that I've heard, sometimes it's very atmospheric, and then they go into full-instrumental fireworks mode. I think that they combine the different elements and moods of music very well, they donīt go randomly or mindlessly from one place to another without thinking about the big picture of the album. Their music feels very coherent (well, for a prog band at least) and it goes in a definite direction. I'm listening to Sunny Lane right now and I think it's a great example of that. Man I love this song.

Of course my opinion is based in a very limited part of their material but I'm getting other two albums and see how they compare to what I've listened so far.

Ah, and I  :heart Roine's voice.

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Re: The Flower Kings Thread - because they are awesome and deserve one
« Reply #5 on: May 21, 2009, 09:37:17 AM »
I've only got his solo album The Flower King. Been meaning to get one of the band's albums for awhile now.

Offline KevShmev

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Re: The Flower Kings Thread - because they are awesome and deserve one
« Reply #6 on: May 21, 2009, 11:56:27 AM »
Good ranking, although I always find it strange how lowly rate Rainmaker when the rest of your ranking is so similar to mine. I think it's a really good, cohesive and enjoyable album. :)

I like The Rainmaker, but it just sounds unfocused and somewhat cluttery at times.  Plus, it is their worst-"sounding" album to date.  The drums sound very flat, and the overall thing just sounds like the band wasn't quite sure what they wanted to to.  Still, I adore "Serious Dreamers," and "Last Minute on Earth" is pretty damn good, too.

Thanks a lot Kev! Iīve just started listening to them but I'm sure they're great. I liked Roineīs work with TA and I was always curious about how he sounded with his original band.

I have only listened to the first disc of flowerpower. At the beginning, the songs felt imcomplete but then I learned that it is suppossed to be a 50+ minutes epic. What do I think about it? What makes me love music are the vocal melodies, and in that department they're brilliant, songs like "Simple Song", "Garden of Dreams" and "All you can save" are my kind of stuff definitely. The other thing that caught my attention is that they have a very original sound. It's prog rock, definitely, but for some reason it doesn't feel generic (or "derivative") at all. Sometimes itīs very poppy, sometimes it has a very dark edge (like "indian summer") that isnīt common in the classic prog that I've heard, sometimes it's very atmospheric, and then they go into full-instrumental fireworks mode. I think that they combine the different elements and moods of music very well, they donīt go randomly or mindlessly from one place to another without thinking about the big picture of the album. Their music feels very coherent (well, for a prog band at least) and it goes in a definite direction. I'm listening to Sunny Lane right now and I think it's a great example of that. Man I love this song.

Of course my opinion is based in a very limited part of their material but I'm getting other two albums and see how they compare to what I've listened so far.

Ah, and I  :heart Roine's voice.

I am right there with ya, regarding Roine's voice.  In fact, after hearing TA, as much as I liked his guitar-playing, his voice is what made me want to check out TFK.  The other singer, Hasse Froberg, is good, too (he normally does more lead than he did on the GOD suite...I think the "Garden of Dreams" song is the only one he did all of the lead for in it); he has more range than Roine, but not as much character, IMO.  The contrast usually works really well, though, and, yes, they consistently write tremendous vocal melodies.

I like your descriptions of the GOD suite.  As a whole, that is probably one of my three or four pieces of music ever.  Like you said, it is all over the place stylistically, but still manages to sound coherent, and it flows wonderfully.

I had the record for a while before I even got around to the second disc, but there are some absolute gems on it, so don't sleep on it. :)

I've only got his solo album The Flower King. Been meaning to get one of the band's albums for awhile now.

Use this thread as your guide.  I would be more than happy to give recs and suggestions. :)

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Re: The Flower Kings Thread - because they are awesome and deserve one
« Reply #7 on: May 23, 2009, 04:23:40 AM »
I've had the live set Meet The Flower Kings! for several years, but am now about to dive more fully into their discography.  I am looking forward to it.
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Re: The Flower Kings Thread - because they are awesome and deserve one
« Reply #8 on: May 28, 2009, 09:19:16 PM »
OK, I got Flower Power and Paradox Hotel, and I'm floored.  Simply amazing.  I need more listens to fully digest, obviously, but that is a lot of music, very well made, with great lyrics as well.  Wow.

Can't wait for my next acquisitions!
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Re: The Flower Kings Thread - because they are awesome and deserve one
« Reply #9 on: May 28, 2009, 11:03:34 PM »
End on a High Note is probably the most uplifting song they have ever put together. I love it so god damned much. And Rhythm of the Sea goes down as one of my favourite songs of all time.

I need to get the rest of their albums someday (I only have Paradox Hotel, Retropolis and The Sum of No Evil).
I felt its length in quite a few places.

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Re: The Flower Kings Thread - because they are awesome and deserve one
« Reply #10 on: May 29, 2009, 09:46:10 AM »
End on a High Note is probably the most uplifting song they have ever put together.
Well, it's definitely awesome.  I can't really make sweeping generalizations yet.
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Offline KevShmev

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Re: The Flower Kings Thread - because they are awesome and deserve one
« Reply #11 on: May 29, 2009, 11:01:36 AM »
OK, I got Flower Power and Paradox Hotel, and I'm floored.  Simply amazing.  I need more listens to fully digest, obviously, but that is a lot of music, very well made, with great lyrics as well.  Wow.

Can't wait for my next acquisitions!

This post just put a huge smile on my face. :)

Thrilled you are digging them, hef!  :) :) :)

End on a High Note is probably the most uplifting song they have ever put together. I love it so god damned much.

Agreed.  It is the perfect sunny day song.

  And Rhythm of the Sea goes down as one of my favourite songs of all time.

That is definitely one of the most underrated songs.  Very cool laid back vibe in that one. :coolio

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Re: The Flower Kings Thread - because they are awesome and deserve one
« Reply #12 on: May 29, 2009, 11:03:08 AM »
Thanks so much for the suggestions, Kev.  I'm more excited about exploring this band's output than any new discovery from recent memory.  :tup
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Offline KevShmev

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Re: The Flower Kings Thread - because they are awesome and deserve one
« Reply #13 on: May 29, 2009, 01:58:30 PM »
*smiles*

And I know it is early, but if you have any particular favorites yet, by all means let us know what they are. :)

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Re: The Flower Kings Thread - because they are awesome and deserve one
« Reply #14 on: May 29, 2009, 02:03:16 PM »
This post was in another thread, so I figured this was as good a time as any to start a thread on this terrific band.

Kev, could you please post your rank of FK albums again? I just started with Flower power and I would like to know what should I get next.

My personal ranking of TFK albums would go like this:

1. Flower Power*
2. Paradox Hotel*
3. Stardust We Are*
4. Space Revolver
5. Retropolis
6. Unfold the Future*
7. Back in the World of Adventures
8. Adam and Eve
9. The Sum of No Evil
10. The Rainmaker

*denotes double album

I think Flower Power and Paradox Hotel are their most instantly accessible double albums.  Stardust We Are is magnificent, too, but was so massive and sprawling that it took me a while to get into.  Unfold the Future is really good, but there are some throwaway songs, thus making the overall flow somewhat choppy at times.

I think Space Revolver is undoubtedly their best single album.  It has the awesome "I Am the Sun" epic, which is split into two parts and bookends the record.  The rest of the record is rock solid.

I would save the bottom three on my list till you have gotten into most or all of the others.  Those three are all good, but are generally not as consistently great as all of the others (although all of them does have one or two really great songs).

What do you think of Flower Power so far?


For how much we tend to disagree on a number of things, we are on the same page when it comes to this band. I think Paradox Hotel and Stardust We Are are their two best, which doesn't really conflict with your list considering the three albums I don't have from them are Flower Power, Back in the World of Adventures, and Retropolis. I'd perhaps change the order a little, but I fully agree on your bottom three as well.
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Re: The Flower Kings Thread - because they are awesome and deserve one
« Reply #15 on: May 29, 2009, 02:57:55 PM »
They really love the double albums, don't they?
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Re: The Flower Kings Thread - because they are awesome and deserve one
« Reply #16 on: May 30, 2009, 01:50:18 AM »
I watched Part 1 of The Truth Will Set You Free from "Meet The Flower Kings". I instantly loved it. A great amazing prog band.  :tup :tup :tup
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Re: The Flower Kings Thread - because they are awesome and deserve one
« Reply #17 on: May 30, 2009, 05:16:05 AM »
I watched Part 1 of The Truth Will Set You Free from "Meet The Flower Kings". I instantly loved it. A great amazing prog band.  :tup :tup :tup
That entire album/DVD is amazing.  That was my introduction to the band, several years ago.
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Re: The Flower Kings Thread - because they are awesome and deserve one
« Reply #18 on: May 30, 2009, 07:46:09 AM »
The Flower Kings are really great.

Flower Power, and especially Garden of Dreams are in my opinion among the most beautiful music ever made.

I knew TFK for a while but never really understood their music until I bought the special edition of Meet TFK, and I was blown away.
Right after that I heard the studio version of Garden of Dreams and the Stardust album, and I became a fan.
2 years ago it became slightly less, but after buying the SE of Instant Delivery my love came back.
 
 :tup
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Offline KevShmev

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Re: The Flower Kings Thread - because they are awesome and deserve one
« Reply #19 on: May 30, 2009, 09:34:11 AM »
Ya know, even though a lot of TFK fans go nutty over "The Truth Will Set You Free," I have never been overly crazy about it.  I mean, I like it, but it is so long, that it feels like a chore to listen to the whole thing, as opposed to most of their other epics, most of which hold my attention from start to finish.  

And does this band have a lot of long songs or what?  Here is a list of all of their songs from their studio albums that are at least 10 minutes (not counting bonus tracks):

"World of Adventures" 13:37
"Big Puzzle" 13:35
"Retropolis" 11:08
"There Is More to This World" 10:07
"In the Eyes of the World" 10:39
"Circus Brimstone" 12:04
"Stardust We Are" 25:04
"Garden of Dreams" (18-track suite) 59:26
"Deaf, Numb & Blind" 11:11
"Calling Home" 11:20
"I Am the Sun, Part I" 15:04
"Monster Within" 12:56
"I Am the Sun, Part II" 10:41
"Last Minute on Earth" 11:52
"Road to Sanctuary" 13:50
"City of Angels" 12:05
"The Truth Will Set You Free" 31:02
"Silent Inferno" 14:22
"Devil's Playground" 25:27
"Love Supreme" 19:44
"Driver's Seat" 18:21
"Monsters & Men" 21:20
"End on a High Note" 10:44
"Minor Giant Steps" 12:14
"One More Time" 13:05
"Love Is the Only Answer" 24:29
"The Sum of No Reason" 13:26
"Life in Motion" 12:34

 :eek :eek :eek

And the scary thing is, almost all of those songs are at least very good.  The only ones I am not overly fond of are "One More Time" and "Life in Motion."

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Re: The Flower Kings Thread - because they are awesome and deserve one
« Reply #20 on: May 30, 2009, 09:37:10 AM »
"World of Adventures" 13:37
"Big Puzzle" 13:35

"Retropolis" 11:08
"There Is More to This World" 10:07
"In the Eyes of the World" 10:39
"Circus Brimstone" 12:04
"Stardust We Are" 25:04
"Garden of Dreams" (18-track suite) 59:26

"Deaf, Numb & Blind" 11:11
"Calling Home" 11:20
"I Am the Sun, Part I" 15:04
"Monster Within" 12:56
"I Am the Sun, Part II" 10:41

"Last Minute on Earth" 11:52
"Road to Sanctuary" 13:50
"City of Angels" 12:05
"The Truth Will Set You Free" 31:02
"Silent Inferno" 14:22

"Devil's Playground" 25:27
"Love Supreme" 19:44
"Driver's Seat" 18:21
"Monsters & Men" 21:20
"End on a High Note" 10:44
"Minor Giant Steps" 12:14
"One More Time" 13:05
"Love Is the Only Answer" 24:29
"The Sum of No Reason" 13:26
"Life in Motion" 12:34
The bolded ones are my favourites. Yes, I really really love their epics.
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Re: The Flower Kings Thread - because they are awesome and deserve one
« Reply #21 on: May 31, 2009, 06:42:41 AM »
Yeah TFK write awesome long songs for the most part.

But I agree Kev, The Truth Will Set You Free isn't all that amazing. I mean, it's definitely good and has some great bits, but it just feels like it goes on for too long. Comparing it to something like Stardust We Are which is only a few minutes shorter but feels like it just whizzes by, it doesn't really stand up that strong.

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Re: The Flower Kings Thread - because they are awesome and deserve one
« Reply #22 on: May 31, 2009, 08:26:57 AM »

The bolded ones are my favourites. Yes, I really really love their epics.

No love for "Devil's Playground," eh?  I think that is one of their best songs, of any length.

But I agree Kev, The Truth Will Set You Free isn't all that amazing. I mean, it's definitely good and has some great bits, but it just feels like it goes on for too long. Comparing it to something like Stardust We Are which is only a few minutes shorter but feels like it just whizzes by, it doesn't really stand up that strong.

Very, very true.  To me, a great long song is one of that flows by effortlessly.  Every time I listen to "The Truth...," there are numerous times I think, "When it this song going to end?"

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Re: The Flower Kings Thread - because they are awesome and deserve one
« Reply #23 on: May 31, 2009, 09:49:12 AM »
Went food shopping and on the drive I had my Ipod on shuffle and Touch My Heaven came on from Instant Delivery.  I love that solo!
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Re: The Flower Kings Thread - because they are awesome and deserve one
« Reply #24 on: May 31, 2009, 01:08:13 PM »

The bolded ones are my favourites. Yes, I really really love their epics.

No love for "Devil's Playground," eh?  I think that is one of their best songs, of any length.
Haven't given that one a chance. I will in a moment  :biggrin:



Went food shopping and on the drive I had my Ipod on shuffle and Touch My Heaven came on from Instant Delivery.  I love that solo!

I really love that version. Froberg is great, and this one shows that he has improved in his singing a great bit.
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Re: The Flower Kings Thread - because they are awesome and deserve one
« Reply #25 on: May 31, 2009, 11:05:13 PM »
Went food shopping and on the drive I had my Ipod on shuffle and Touch My Heaven came on from Instant Delivery.  I love that solo!

You and me both.  That is one of my favorite Roine solos, although he has so many that I love, if I tried to list my favorites in order, it would be very difficult.


The bolded ones are my favourites. Yes, I really really love their epics.

No love for "Devil's Playground," eh?  I think that is one of their best songs, of any length.
Haven't given that one a chance. I will in a moment  :biggrin:

Word.  :coolio

Went food shopping and on the drive I had my Ipod on shuffle and Touch My Heaven came on from Instant Delivery.  I love that solo!

I really love that version. Froberg is great, and this one shows that he has improved in his singing a great bit.

Oddly, I am not always a fan of Froberg's singing.  Sometimes, he sounds great, and other times, he can sound rather meh.  It all depends on the melody.  He occasionally can sound a bit too wimpy (a good example would be the chorus of "Starlight Man" from Adam and Eve).  Overall, the contrast between Froberg and Stolt's voices works well, but I always like it much better when Roine is the main singer. 

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Re: The Flower Kings Thread - because they are awesome and deserve one
« Reply #26 on: June 01, 2009, 06:28:53 AM »
I would prefer Roine to be the main singer if he was a bit more constant. There are shows where he doesn't hit a single note.
Froberg on the other hand improved a lot, but still isn't a great singer either.
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Re: The Flower Kings Thread - because they are awesome and deserve one
« Reply #27 on: July 04, 2009, 06:55:37 PM »
I'm not sure why, but I enjoy "Sum of no evil" a lot more than, say, "Paradox Hotel". I wouldn't rank it that far down. I think it might be because I prefer Zoltan over any of the other FK drummers - Zoltan and Jonas has got to be one of my favorite rythm sections, so anything with Zoltan on it just... I dunno, it swings more. In my opinion. But of course, that's all it is. Opinions.

Overall, I love the FK sound, but sometimes the songs do go on a bit longer than they ought to, as someone else mentioned. It doesn't really bother me in a live situation (last time I saw them, they played well over 2,5 hours, until Roine had to apologize and walk off stage. Jonas had a bad back, and just couldn't play anymore that night), but when listening to a cd, it tends to drag on sometimes.

Oh, and sorry for the thread resurrection. But it was such a great topic. I really do hope they find the opportunity to release another album soon (although it seems like it could be some time).

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Re: The Flower Kings Thread - because they are awesome and deserve one
« Reply #28 on: July 05, 2009, 05:51:04 PM »
I'm not sure why, but I enjoy "Sum of no evil" a lot more than, say, "Paradox Hotel". I wouldn't rank it that far down. I think it might be because I prefer Zoltan over any of the other FK drummers - Zoltan and Jonas has got to be one of my favorite rythm sections, so anything with Zoltan on it just... I dunno, it swings more. In my opinion. But of course, that's all it is. Opinions.

See, to me, it is more about the songs than the playing.  I think Zoltan is by far the best drummer they have had, but the three albums he has played on would rank 6th, 8th and 9th, respectively, on my list.  In other words, the songs make the records, not the players (since everyone they have had on every instrument has been, at worst, very good at what they do).

Oh, and sorry for the thread resurrection. But it was such a great topic. I really do hope they find the opportunity to release another album soon (although it seems like it could be some time).

I wouldn't be surprised if they are finished.  It doesn't seem to be financially viable for them to tour anymore, and I am not sure the band wants to remain "just" a studio band.  We'll see.  But from '95-'07, they released 10 studio albums, and they are now on the verge of going two straight calender years without anything new, which is unheard of for them, so that is not a good sign.

Offline reneranucci

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Re: The Flower Kings Thread - because they are awesome and deserve one
« Reply #29 on: July 05, 2009, 06:01:30 PM »
Itīs good weīll have some new RS material with Transatlantic  :)

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Re: The Flower Kings Thread - because they are awesome and deserve one
« Reply #30 on: July 05, 2009, 06:31:24 PM »
I've only heard of these guys. Wasn't Daniel Gildenlow a member?

Oh, and recommendations please. As long as they make deep and interesting stuff, of course  :P

Offline KevShmev

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Re: The Flower Kings Thread - because they are awesome and deserve one
« Reply #31 on: July 06, 2009, 10:44:22 AM »
I've only heard of these guys. Wasn't Daniel Gildenlow a member?

For two albums, but thank goodness his contributions were pretty limited. 

Oh, and recommendations please. As long as they make deep and interesting stuff, of course  :P

Uh, read this whole thread. :)

Offline Icebear

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Re: The Flower Kings Thread - because they are awesome and deserve one
« Reply #32 on: July 06, 2009, 12:58:17 PM »
I'm not sure why, but I enjoy "Sum of no evil" a lot more than, say, "Paradox Hotel". I wouldn't rank it that far down. I think it might be because I prefer Zoltan over any of the other FK drummers - Zoltan and Jonas has got to be one of my favorite rythm sections, so anything with Zoltan on it just... I dunno, it swings more. In my opinion. But of course, that's all it is. Opinions.

See, to me, it is more about the songs than the playing.  I think Zoltan is by far the best drummer they have had, but the three albums he has played on would rank 6th, 8th and 9th, respectively, on my list.  In other words, the songs make the records, not the players (since everyone they have had on every instrument has been, at worst, very good at what they do).

Oh, and sorry for the thread resurrection. But it was such a great topic. I really do hope they find the opportunity to release another album soon (although it seems like it could be some time).

I wouldn't be surprised if they are finished.  It doesn't seem to be financially viable for them to tour anymore, and I am not sure the band wants to remain "just" a studio band.  We'll see.  But from '95-'07, they released 10 studio albums, and they are now on the verge of going two straight calender years without anything new, which is unheard of for them, so that is not a good sign.


I know what you mean. And I agree that the songs are more important than the players. I've had a hard time getting into some of TFKs longer songs. They sound a bit too samey to my ears. As an example, even though Zoltan plays on The Truth shall set you free, I can't really come to terms with that song as easily as I can with the songs on Sum of no evil. But I'll confess that I haven't really listened that much to some of their earlier material, so I have some work to do...

I'm not sure they're finished. From what I gather, the last tour(s) really took a heavy toll on the band financially, so I think you're right in saying that's why there's been so little action lately. But as long as they have something to say, I think they'll be back. At least I hope so.  :D

We might see a lot less touring, but let's hope it doesn't come to a complete halt.

Offline ScottOfRedemption

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Re: The Flower Kings Thread - because they are awesome and deserve one
« Reply #33 on: July 06, 2009, 03:45:00 PM »
I love them, but I feel they have SO much music, and a lot of it is sorta forgetable or similar. So I like to listen to their albums, but I'm not particularly paying attention, or remembering "oh I love this song!" Its more like 2 hours of awesome music.

But has anyone heard One Whole Half? its a rarity from the rainmaker (I think) sessions.

and its AWESOME
https://www.last.fm/music/The+Funeral+Drums/Chaos+on+the+Rise
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It feels kind of weird saying this out loud, but...Scott is exactly right.

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Re: The Flower Kings Thread - because they are awesome and deserve one
« Reply #34 on: July 06, 2009, 03:45:50 PM »
This thread inspired me to watch Instant Delivery today. :D
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