Author Topic: The Flower Kings Discography: Desolation Rose (2013)  (Read 17975 times)

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Offline The Letter M

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Re: The Flower Kings Discography: Space Revolver (2000)
« Reply #105 on: March 29, 2014, 11:41:54 AM »
This is a pretty solid album, especially as a single disc. I wonder if they knew to "cut out the fat", as it were, as they had removed a lot of instrumental pieces as they were relegated to "Bonus Disc" material.

Recently, I've revisited this album to re-do my remix of the track list and include all of the B-Sides in the album, as well as doing a Tomas-then-Roine version of "Dream On Dreamer" (where a cross-fade switch happens before the 2nd verse). Don't ask me why I thought I needed more double-albums in The Flower Kings' discography (as if they didn't already have enough), but I felt like the album could be a bit more refreshing for me by including all of the material produced from the album's sessions.

I Am The Sun (Part 1)
Space Revolver

The Meadow
A Good Heart
Dream On Dreamer
Rumble Fish Twist

You Don't Know What You've Got
Slave To Money
Last Exit

Monster Within
Chickenfarmer Song

She Carved Me A Wooden Heart
Underdog
Jupiter Backwards

Venus Flytrap
A King's Prayer
I Am The Sun (Part 2)

I set up the album as 6 sides of vinyl, or 2 CDs (with "Monster Within" opening the 2nd disc - a perfect way to open an album, especially with the recurring motif at the end of "A King's Prayer").

I like the B-Side material, especially "Last Exit" and "Jupiter Backwards", with the former being a killer instrumental version of "A King's Prayer".

I've also redone my 25-ish minute version of "I Am The Sun" as a whole song, and it's definitely one of my favorite side-long epics of TFK, or by anyone for that matter.

-Marc.
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Offline ariich

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Re: The Flower Kings Discography: Space Revolver (2000)
« Reply #106 on: March 29, 2014, 02:31:27 PM »
For some reason I wasn't all that keen on Space Revolver when I first got into TFK. Now it's one of my favourites though, some really fantastic songs on it!

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Offline MS394

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Re: The Flower Kings Discography: Space Revolver (2000)
« Reply #107 on: March 30, 2014, 02:12:15 AM »
Just wanted to say that "You Don't Know What You've Got" got a lot of soul, and that the vocal melodies all around the album are very memorable IMO, especially in "Underdog", the epic "I am the sun", and "A King's Prayer" (with a great Stolt solo).

Offline darkshade

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Re: The Flower Kings Discography: Space Revolver (2000)
« Reply #108 on: March 30, 2014, 05:48:55 PM »
I haven't been listening to a whole lot of prog rock or metal for months now, but this thread has been inspiring me to throw some TFK on. I'm only up to BITWOA, but I hope I can catch up by the time you guys get to Unfold the Future.

Offline KevShmev

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Re: The Flower Kings Discography: Space Revolver (2000)
« Reply #109 on: March 30, 2014, 10:18:56 PM »
Better get to work, then ;), cause Unfold the Future will probably be up in about a week and a half (with the next one probably later this week). 

Also, good to see the many comments; I appreciate all of the discussion here. :) :coolio

Offline Nihil-Morari

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Re: The Flower Kings Discography: Space Revolver (2000)
« Reply #110 on: March 31, 2014, 02:51:44 AM »
Better get to work, then ;), cause Unfold the Future will probably be up in about a week and a half (with the next one probably later this week). 

Also, good to see the many comments; I appreciate all of the discussion here. :) :coolio

 :tup
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Offline jingle.boy

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Re: The Flower Kings Discography: Flower Power (1999)
« Reply #111 on: March 31, 2014, 06:59:34 AM »
Yep, better late than never! 

Get better, jingle.boy! And when you do, get to listening. :coolio

Man, what a brutal week (sick).  But, I did trudge through with Disk 2 of Flower Power.  Liked it much better than GoD.  Can't remember the specifics, but some of those instrumental tracks were really on point with me as I listened.  I'll give GoD another go sometime when I can hopefully give it some attention.

Now on to Space Revolver this morning.
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Offline Nihil-Morari

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Re: The Flower Kings Discography: Flower Power (1999)
« Reply #112 on: March 31, 2014, 08:50:39 AM »
Yep, better late than never! 

Get better, jingle.boy! And when you do, get to listening. :coolio

Man, what a brutal week (sick).  But, I did trudge through with Disk 2 of Flower Power.  Liked it much better than GoD.  Can't remember the specifics, but some of those instrumental tracks were really on point with me as I listened.  I'll give GoD another go sometime when I can hopefully give it some attention.

Now on to Space Revolver this morning.

Just listened to Space Revolver in the car, I really love that album. Have fun!
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Offline jingle.boy

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Re: The Flower Kings Discography: Space Revolver (2000)
« Reply #113 on: March 31, 2014, 09:38:21 AM »
Solid album.  Couple of odd moments (can't remember specifically what tracks as I'm not watching the album listing as I listen), but the bookends of I Am the Sun were fantastic.
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Offline KevShmev

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Re: The Flower Kings Discography: Space Revolver (2000)
« Reply #114 on: March 31, 2014, 09:46:28 AM »
Space Revolver is probably one of their most fun albums, easily, and that is probably a big reason why I find it to be pretty accessible for a newcomer.

Definitely some odd moments, but I usually like their odd moments.  A good example is the 2nd half of Monster Within, when Roine ends that vocal section with, "...built this monster, from withiiiiiiiiiiiiin!", followed by that strange spoken word section, and then climaxing with the guitar playing the main melody while Reingold destroys us with that bass line.  That is awesomeness personified. :hefdaddy

Offline Nihil-Morari

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Re: The Flower Kings Discography: Space Revolver (2000)
« Reply #115 on: March 31, 2014, 09:51:33 AM »
That main theme at 11:30-ish is wonderful
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Offline darkshade

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Re: The Flower Kings Discography: Space Revolver (2000)
« Reply #116 on: March 31, 2014, 07:12:19 PM »
I decided to listen to Space Revolver, and catch up with the earlier albums later.

Well, my opinion on the album hasn't changed. It's a great TFK album, not the best, but solid all the way through, with some great highlights like I Am The Sun, Dream On Dreamer, Rumble Fish Twist, Monster Within, Chicken Farmer Song. I used not care for You Don't Know What You've Got, but for some reason, it hit a sweet spot when it came on, though still the weakest track. The last couple of tracks before I Am The Sun part 2 are epic, and close out the album well before the IATS reprise.

SR is the best album to show a newbie. As almost all TFK albums take a little time to 'get', but I feel like Space Revolver's awesomeness is more apparent, or would take less listens to get into than SWA or Paradox Hotel. There are better albums, and there are lesser albums than Space Revolver, but few TFK albums are as consistently good. This was also one of the first TFK albums I got, before I was even really a fan of the band, so it has sentimental value too.

Offline kirksnosehair

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Re: The Flower Kings Discography: Space Revolver (2000)
« Reply #117 on: April 01, 2014, 01:41:37 PM »
My first was "Alive on Planet Earth" and I was hooked. 

Offline KevShmev

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Re: The Flower Kings Discography: The Rainmaker (2001)
« Reply #118 on: April 03, 2014, 10:33:33 AM »
The Rainmaker (2001)



Tomas Bodin - keyboards
Hans Bruniusson - percussion
Hasse Fröberg - vocals
Jonas Reingold - bass guitar
Jaime Salazar - drums
Roine Stolt - vocals, guitars, additional keyboards
Ulf Wallander - soprano saxophone

----------

1.   "Last Minute On Earth"
2.   "World Without A Heart"
3.   "Road To Sanctuary"
4.   "The Rainmaker"
5.   "City Of Angels"
6.   "Elaine"
7.   "Thru The Walls"
8.   "Sword Of God"
9.   "Blessing Of A Smile"
10.   "Red Alert"
11.   "Serious Dreamers"

(All songs written and composed by Roine Stolt.)

----------

The Rainmaker, released in the fall of 2001, was the band's 6th album. It was also the first new album by the band after I became a big fan, and sadly, it was also extremely disappointing.  At first, I wondered if my expectations were too high given how crazy I had gone over the first five albums, but time has not been kind to this record.  Okay, it's not bad or anything; it actually is a solid record, but, while it has some great moments - the main riff in Last Minute on Earth, the harmonies in Serious Dreamers, the acoustic bit in the middle of Road to Sanctuary, etc. - it is lacking anything I would call truly awesome.  I do think Elaine is a really nice tune; definitely a sleeper.  And Serious Dreamers is mostly really good.  But some of the vocal melodies are really clunky and just not overly pleasing to the ears.  This is the first FK record where Hasse Froberg really could be called the lead vocalist - he sings the lead on four of the eight songs, including all three 11-minute plus songs - and while I'm not sure it is his fault, from a personal standpoint, I don't think it's a coincidence that what I consider the two least best Flower Kings records are the ones that feature the highest percentage of Hasse Froberg lead vocals.  Not trying to dump on him, but anybody that knows me knows that I greatly prefer the vocals of Roine Stolt.

Another problem with this record is the sound of it.  It's like they tried to crank up the sound of the drums, for example, as they have more punch and are more in-your-face than normal, especially the snare, but they also managed to sound muffled and stiff at the same time.  The lush, organic sound that is usually customary with a Flower Kings record is absent for much of this record.  Basically, it sounds like they tried a few different things, from songwriting to sound and production, and mostly missed the mark, but hey, you've got to give them props for trying, right?  Like I said, the result is still that of a mostly solid record, but it is just disappointing, given how great many of their other albums are, especially the five that preceded it.  It's a bummer for Jamie Salazar, the original drum who departed the band after this record, that his swan song with the band was such a disappointing one.


Offline The Letter M

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Re: The Flower Kings Discography: The Rainmaker (2001)
« Reply #119 on: April 03, 2014, 11:15:27 AM »
I will say that this album is probably one of my least listened to albums up until recently. I went back and re-did my tracklist remix to include the bonus tracks, and as quirky as they are (from Tomas' "Valkyrian" to songs that would end up as part of Bodin and Karmakanic albums), they kind of break some of the monotony of the average-album. The bonus tracks are all pretty good, actually, and they help compliment some of the mediocre material on this album.

Last Minute On Earth
Violent Brat
Agent Supreme
Blessing Of A Smile
Red Alert

World Without A Heart
Road To Sanctuary
The Rainmaker

Except From Valkyrian
City Of Angels
Elaine
The Woman With No Shadow
Mr. Hope Goes To Salzburg

Thru The Walls
Sword Of God
One Whole Half
Serious Dreamers

Of the main album's tracks, the epics are definitely some of the better tracks, but I also enjoy the duo of "Blessing Of A Smile" and "Red Alert", as well as the title track.

Still, being a mediocre TFK album still makes it a GOOD music album, especially compared to other band's good/great albums! Unfortunately, this album has the luck of being sandwiched between two of my favorite TFK albums!

-Marc.
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Offline Orbert

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Re: The Flower Kings Discography: The Rainmaker (2001)
« Reply #120 on: April 03, 2014, 11:16:29 AM »
This one has never really grabbed me.  I've already admitted that I tend to put on a Flower Kings album and just let it play, so I'm not intimately familiar with specific tracks or even albums, but I know I don't reach for this one very often.  Actually, not at all.  Maybe it's the cover.  But after giving it the requisite couple of spins, I don't remember anything grabbing me.

Offline kirksnosehair

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Re: The Flower Kings Discography: The Rainmaker (2001)
« Reply #121 on: April 04, 2014, 02:05:11 PM »
I've always loved this album.  It's not in my top 3 TFK albums, but still up there, probably in the top 5. 


"Last Minute On Earth" is one of my favorite songs ever. 

Offline hefdaddy42

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Re: The Flower Kings Discography: The Rainmaker (2001)
« Reply #122 on: April 05, 2014, 06:14:10 AM »
Hopelessly behind, just starting Flower Power now.
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Offline hefdaddy42

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Re: The Flower Kings Discography: The Rainmaker (2001)
« Reply #123 on: April 06, 2014, 05:00:15 AM »
Flower Power was great although after the massiveness of Garden of Dreams, the rest is somewhat of a blur.

On to Space Revolver.  This one is great so far!  Excellent revisit!
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Offline Nihil-Morari

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Re: The Flower Kings Discography: The Rainmaker (2001)
« Reply #124 on: April 06, 2014, 06:09:26 AM »
I've always sort of skipped The Rainmaker, like most of you, as it seems. The very first TFK track I heard was Last Minute On Earth, I remember I burned it on a CDR back in the day when that was something special. (I made my own PROG I - XII compilation albums  :metal)
But when I finally gave it a serious chance a couple of months ago the album really clicked. It doesn't really have a highlight, which makes it sorta bland, but it's nowhere near bad. I need to give it a couple more spins to maybe fully appreciate it, but it's really a TFK album that stands out (at least since it's different from all albums)
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Offline KevShmev

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Re: The Flower Kings Discography: Unfold the Future (2002)
« Reply #125 on: April 11, 2014, 12:25:16 PM »
Unfold the Future (2002)



Tomas Bodin - keyboards
Hasse Bruniusson - marimba, glockenspiel, dulcimer, other percussion
Zoltan Csörsz - drums
Hasse Fröberg - vocals, guitars
Daniel Gildenlöw - backup vocals, lead vocals on "Fast Lane", "Rollin' the Dice" and parts of "Devil's Playground"
Jonas Reingold - bass guitar
Roine Stolt - vocals, guitars, keyboards
Ulf Wallander - soprano saxophone

----------

Disc 1:

1.   "The Truth Will Set You Free"
2.   "Monkey Business"
3.   "Black and White"  (Bodin Stolt)
4.   "Christianopel"  (Bodin, Zoltan Csörsz, Jonas Reingold, Stolt)
5.   "Silent Inferno"
6.   "The Navigator" (Bodin, Stolt}
7.   "Vox Humana"

Disc 2:

1.   "Genie in a Bottle"
2.   "Fast Lane"  (Bodin)
3.   "Grand Old World"
4.   "Soul Vortex"  (Bodin, Csörsz, Reingold, Stolt)
5.   "Rollin' the Dice"  (Bodin)
6.   "The Devil's Danceschool"  (Reingold)
7.   "Man Overboard"
8.   "Solitary Shell"  (Bodin, Stolt)
9.   "Devil's Playground"  (Bodin, Stolt)
10.   "Too Late for Tomatos"  (Bodin, Csörsz, Reingold, Stolt)

(all songs written and composed by Roine Stolt, except where noted)

----------

We now move on to the band's 7th album, Unfold the Future; it's also their 3rd double album. It is arguably their most ambitious and daring double album, yet I find it to be the least rewarding of their four double albums. For starters, the opening track, the 31-minute epic The Truth Will Set You Free, is an absolute bitch to get through, and even if I can get through it, there is still two hours worth of music left! :lol  Honestly, Silent Inferno is the only song from Disc 1 that I listen to with any regularity. The aforementioned opening epic (The Truth...) is a good song, but it's way too long, and shortening it by around 10-12 minutes could have resulted in a much better tune.  I adore the beginning of Black and White, thanks to that lovely melody, but then the song goes off into instrumental wankery for the remainder, which really threw me at the time, as they never overplayed, but the combination of that hyperactive keyboard lead and the equally hyperactive bass line is just too much; it sounds too busy and messy. The other songs on Disc 1 are all pretty good, but nothing I would go out of my way to hear. The best of that bunch is The Navigator, but the same melody can be found in the vastly superior Solitary Shell on Disc 2.  Vox Humana merely regurgitates one of the least interesting melodies of The Truth... epic.

Speaking of Disc 2, most of it is aces: Genie in a Bottle is fun and quirky; Fast Lane, featuring new member Daniel Gildenlow on lead vocals, is very much of a sleeper tune, the first half making it one of my favorite TFk songs to drive to, before slowing down and ending in glorious fashion; Grand Old World, which kicks off with the same melody that kicks off The Truth..., is a great laid back, relaxing tune; Soul Vortex and The Devil's Danceschool both show off the band's fusion tendencies, albeit in very different ways; Rollin' the Dice is an enjoyable rocker; Man Overboard is one of the best songs under four minutes they've ever done; Solitary Shell is gorgeous, featuring Roine singing over a lovely piano lead; Devil's Playground, the best epic on this record, is much darker and rocking than the long epic on Disc 1, and is much more consistent and epic, IMO. And finally, Too Late for Tomatos, which I don't really think of as a bonus track, is a helluva jam, as new drummer, Zoltan Csorsz, shows off his bad ass chops.

Speaking of Csorsz, I think most would agree that he is by far the best drummer the band has had, yet oddly none of the three albums he played on are among my favorites.  When the overall playing is as good as it always is with this band, songwriting is what matters the most, and whether it is coincidence that the best songwriting has taken place on albums where he wasn't there or not, it is what it is, at least for me.  Despite not being a big fan of Gildenlow's main band, Pain of Salvation, most of his contributions to TFK were aces, especially his vocals at the end of Devil's Playground, which are absolutely killer.

Also, old prog fans should recognize the Onward melody in Devil's Playground, shortly before the 14-minute mark. That was one of those instantly recognizable tributes or whatever that I caught on my very first listen back in 2002.

I know a lot of TFK fans love this album to death, and while I can see why, it just isn's favorite of mine.  It is very good, yes, but great? No. One of their best? No way.  But a very good TFK album is still a winner. :)


Offline Nihil-Morari

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Re: The Flower Kings Discography: Unfold the Future (2002)
« Reply #126 on: April 11, 2014, 01:12:18 PM »
I totally agree with you, it's just too long and much. Too much 'jam-tracks', not enough real songs with a head and a tail.
The only thing I disagree on, is that I totally adore The Truth. The first official release I bought from TFK was the deluxe edition of Meet TFK, and hearing a band playing a 30-minute song like that live, was breathtaking. But because of that this album suffers from the same disease that Flower Power suffers from. I just can't get past the glorious first track. I believe I've made it through the entire double-album in one session only once.

And about the drummer question: I love what Marcus Liliequist has done on Instant Delivery, it's a shame he never recorded anything else with TFK (or did he?)
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Offline The Letter M

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Re: The Flower Kings Discography: Unfold the Future (2002)
« Reply #127 on: April 11, 2014, 01:30:49 PM »
UTF is a Top 3 TFK album for me, and not just because it is a double-album (because you all know I love those), and not because it's the band's longest album to date. It has some genuinely great moments, great songs, and I love the opening epic. I don't feel it's bloated at all, but then again, I am a sucker for epics, and this album has them in spades.

Hearing Daniel Gildenlow on the album is a treat and he works very well with the band! Zoltan is another warm welcome and his drumming fits the music perfectly, with the frantically fast-paced fusion pieces and the jazzy jams scattered throughout the long album. Come to think of it, this might be one of the longest studio albums I own and love! I can't think of many studio albums that come near or surpass this length.

-Marc.
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Offline KevShmev

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Re: The Flower Kings Discography: Unfold the Future (2002)
« Reply #128 on: April 11, 2014, 10:47:01 PM »


And about the drummer question: I love what Marcus Liliequist has done on Instant Delivery, it's a shame he never recorded anything else with TFK (or did he?)

He plays on the Paradox Hotel album, which we should be getting to in the next week and a half or so. :)

Offline The Letter M

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Re: The Flower Kings Discography: Unfold the Future (2002)
« Reply #129 on: April 12, 2014, 12:54:55 AM »


And about the drummer question: I love what Marcus Liliequist has done on Instant Delivery, it's a shame he never recorded anything else with TFK (or did he?)

He plays on the Paradox Hotel album, which we should be getting to in the next week and a half or so. :)

In addition to being on TFK's Paradox Hotel and subsequent live album Instant Delivery, he also appeared on Roine Stolt's Wall Street Voodoo before being on his first TFK album. He was also on Circus Brimstone's (instrumental TFK band) Brimstoned In Europe, as well as Karmakanic's last album In A Perfect World, Tomas Bodin's I AM, and Tomas' Eggs & Dogs project/band's album You Are (the follow up to I AM).

So despite only being on one TFK studio album, he made his impact on his fellow former Kings and has appeared on many other TFK member's albums prior and since his stay in the band.

-Marc.
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Offline Nihil-Morari

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Re: The Flower Kings Discography: Unfold the Future (2002)
« Reply #130 on: April 12, 2014, 02:53:02 AM »


And about the drummer question: I love what Marcus Liliequist has done on Instant Delivery, it's a shame he never recorded anything else with TFK (or did he?)

He plays on the Paradox Hotel album, which we should be getting to in the next week and a half or so. :)

In addition to being on TFK's Paradox Hotel and subsequent live album Instant Delivery, he also appeared on Roine Stolt's Wall Street Voodoo before being on his first TFK album. He was also on Circus Brimstone's (instrumental TFK band) Brimstoned In Europe, as well as Karmakanic's last album In A Perfect World, Tomas Bodin's I AM, and Tomas' Eggs & Dogs project/band's album You Are (the follow up to I AM).

So despite only being on one TFK studio album, he made his impact on his fellow former Kings and has appeared on many other TFK member's albums prior and since his stay in the band.

-Marc.

Haha, Marc, there isn't a question you can ask on this forum, that you've got an overcomplete answer to. Thanks!
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Offline hefdaddy42

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Re: The Flower Kings Discography: Unfold the Future (2002)
« Reply #131 on: April 12, 2014, 05:27:36 AM »
Just now listening to The Rainmaker for the first time in several years.  Definitely not bad, but just as definitely the least of the albums so far.
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Offline darkshade

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Re: The Flower Kings Discography: Unfold the Future (2002)
« Reply #132 on: April 12, 2014, 06:30:47 PM »
I don't know when I'm going to really be able to catch up to you guys, but I'll say this. UtF is my favorite TFK album, and you can't talk about the album without talking about The Devil's Playground. That epic was a sleeper for me, but one day, it clicked, and now I get goosebumps every time I listen to it.

Also, as a jazz fan, I like the jammy tracks.

Offline KevShmev

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Re: The Flower Kings Discography: Unfold the Future (2002)
« Reply #133 on: April 12, 2014, 11:53:02 PM »
I actually like all of the jammy tracks on UTF, too; I just don't love them.

Devil's Playground is definitely all kinds of awesome.  That is easily a top 10 TFK track for me, and maybe even top 5.  It's that great. :hat

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Re: The Flower Kings Discography: Adam & Eve (2004)
« Reply #134 on: April 18, 2014, 11:54:46 AM »
Adam & Eve (2004)



Tomas Bodin – keyboards
Hasse Bruniusson – percussion
Zoltan Csörsz – drums
Hasse Fröberg – vocals, guitars
Daniel Gildenlöw – vocals
Jonas Reingold – bass guitar
Roine Stolt – vocals, guitars, keyboards

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1.   "Love Supreme"
2.   "Cosmic Circus"
3.   "Babylon"  (Bodin)
4.   "A Vampire's View"
5.   "Days Gone By"  (Bodin)
6.   "Adam & Eve"
7.   "Starlight Man"
8.   "Timelines"  (Reingold, Stolt)
9.   "Driver's Seat"
10.   "The Blade of Cain"

(All songs written and composed by Roine Stolt, except where noted)

----------

We now move on to the band's 8th studio album, Adam & Eve.  This is a record of which I have never had a consistent opinion. How much I like it really goes in waves, and I think what throws me is that there is nothing on I would call one of their absolute best tunes, but it is a really good listen from start to finish, especially since it sounds tremendous.  This is arguably the best sounding TFK record to date, which is easy to tell when you crank it up on a good stereo.  The low end in particular is fabulous - the drums have never sounded as awesome with the Flower Kings as they do on this record - and the overall feel is very organic and lush. 

I like both epics a lot, but both tend to sound a bit stitched together at times.  The first half of Love Supreme kind of has The Truth... disease in that it goes on a bit too long, although that main theme is pretty great. Once the second half kicks in, it is pretty awesome the rest of the way.  On the flip side, the first half of Driver's Seat is pretty magnificent, as it features all three lead singers at one point (Gildenlow, Froberg and finally Stolt).  The second half of it is good, and the reprisal of the original main theme at the end is nice, but for such a long song, a more climatic and satisfying ending could have made it that much better.  Having said all of that, I still like both a lot; but neither are in the same league as previous epic classics like I Am the Sun, Stardust We Are or Garden of Dreams.

They did attempt some different things on this record.  A Vampire's View, sang by Gildenlow, is kind of a creepy slow burner, and the title track, also sang by Gildenlow, is kind of a crazy rocker, with some unusual vocal melodies. Both sound fairly unique within the context of the band's discography and I do like both songs, even if I don't love either.  The latter ends with an absolutely gorgeous solo piano by Tomas Bodin, called Days Gone By.  Two other gorgeous instrumentals - Babylon (which sounds like a sunset) and The Blade of Cain (the climax of the record) - are noteworthy, as well.

Also, I think Timelines is one of the more underrated songs the band has ever done; great vibe, it's dominated by Roine vocally (which is always good), and is dynamically an enjoyable listen.  On the flip side, Starlight Man is a major disappointment, and probably the biggest tease the band has ever done.  It has a super cool lead guitar line, and the verses are splendid and sound like classic TFK, but then the chorus comes in and it's like, "Oh shit, really?"  The entire life is sucked out of the song by that wimpy chorus.  I can't even fault Froberg, who sings the chorus, for it, cause I am not sure who could have made that chorus sound not wimpy.  But even the best bands have their occasional misses! Hehe.

Overall, like I said, I like this album a lot, and I appreciate the different sounds and styles that we got on it.  I just can't call it one of their best, but it certainly is not one of their least best either.  It's just a very good record by the Swedish proggers.  :hat


Offline kirksnosehair

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Re: The Flower Kings Discography: Adam & Eve (2004)
« Reply #135 on: April 18, 2014, 12:29:00 PM »
I have to say I largely agree with that assessment, Kev.  I really never connected with this album.  To this day it's TFK album I listen to the least.  The epics here don't work for me.  But I like most of the shorter songs, especially "A Vampire's View" which is, as you said, very unique.


The sound of this record is, indeed massive.  I have no beef whatsoever with the production.  The artwork is kind of weird, but in a cool way. 


It was my second time seeing them live when they toured in support of this album.  This band is awesome in a live setting.  Too bad they couldn't ever seem to make it work with Zoltan long enough for him to tour with the band.  Dude just absolutely slays on the drums.  The guy they have now is a fine drummer, but Zoltan is in another league - in the same class with guys like Portnoy, Mangini, Wildoer, Priester, Minnemann et al.




Offline hefdaddy42

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Re: The Flower Kings Discography: Adam & Eve (2004)
« Reply #136 on: April 19, 2014, 03:33:12 AM »
As I continue to be behind, I am starting Unfold The Future right now.  Be back with you in a year or so lol.
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Re: The Flower Kings Discography: Adam & Eve (2004)
« Reply #137 on: April 19, 2014, 06:31:07 AM »
Yeah... sorry I fell behind to.  I've been traveling solid for work over the past 2 weeks, and away again next week.  I'm still at Rainmaker.

In listening up to Space Revolver, I've come to the conclusion that TFK is the kind of band that I thoroughly enjoy, but because they initially passed me by as they were recording, there's just too much to digest in order to really comprehend them.  Genesis and Yes fall into this category as well.  For whatever reason in the 80s as I was going thru my musical discoveries, I never connected with them.  In the mid-2000s, that's what happened with TFK.  Now that there's a dozen albums (and four of them doubles), it's hard to conceive how I can 'catch up'.  It'd be like asking someone to discover Rush right now - which may be ok for people without deep musical libraries and tendencies, but for me, I've already got enough new bands (to me) from the past 10 years to continue to enjoy and explore.

I'll try to catch up on the listening at some point, but no promises.  I am following though.

This thread (and Bob's others in the past), are making me consider doing a Zeppelin one.
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Offline KevShmev

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Re: The Flower Kings Discography: Paradox Hotel (2006)
« Reply #138 on: April 24, 2014, 12:01:12 PM »
Paradox Hotel (2006)



Tomas Bodin - keyboards, vocals
Hasse Bruniusson - marimba, percussion
Hasse Fröberg - vocals, guitars
Marcus Liliequist - drums, percussion, vocals
Jonas Reingold - bass guitar
Roine Stolt - vocals, guitars

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Disc 1:

1.   "Check In"  (Tomas Bodin)
2.   "Monsters & Men"
3.   "Jealousy"
4.   "Hit Me with a Hit"
5.   "Pioneers of Aviation"
6.   "Lucy Had a Dream"  (Bodin, Stolt)
7.   "Bavarian Skies"  (Bodin, Stolt)
8.   "Self-Consuming Fire"
9.   "Mommy, Leave the Light On"
10.   "End on a High Note"

Disc 2:

1.   "Minor Giant Steps"
2.   "Touch My Heaven"  (Bodin)
3.   "The Unorthodox Dancing Lesson"
4.   "Man of the World"  (Bodin, Jonas Reingold, Stolt)
5.   "Life Will Kill You"  (Hasse Fröberg)
6.   "The Way the Waters Are Moving"  (Bodin, Stolt)
7.   "What If God Is Alone"  (Fröberg, Reingold, Stolt)
8.   "Paradox Hotel"  (Bodin, Stolt)
9.   "Blue Planet" 

(all songs written and composed by Roine Stolt, except where noted)

-----------

Paradox Hotel is the band's 9th studio album, and itis fitting that we are now on to this album this week, as we have had some gorgeous spring weather all week, and I got into this record back when it was released in April of 2006 during similar-type weather.  I mention the weather because, to me, The Flower Kings have always been a band best listened to in spring and summer.  Once spring rolls around, and the weather routinely hits 70, I know it's time for some TFK. :)

I know a lot of fans don't rank this one very high - it seems to usually finish in the middle of the pack for many - but it is probably my favorite from start to finish. I love the simple and laid back nature of much of it - many of the songs were written on piano and/or acoustic guitar, and then allowed to mushroom into full-band, full-fledged tunes.  It gives it a feel and vibe, really unlike any other TFK album.  Oh sure, the prog elements are still all over the place, and we still have the standard long pieces, all of which are outstanding, but while TFK albums started to sound a bit busy at times, thanks in large part to Zoltan Csorsz and his absurd chops on the skins, this one scales it back quite a bit in that regard. New drummer Marcus Liliequist does a very good job, even if he isn't as technically proficient as his predecessor.  It ended up being the only TFK album on which Liliequist would play.

I always love when Roine sings a lovely melody over a simple backdrop, and on this album, we get not one, but two songs - Jealousy and The Way the Waters Are Moving - that are mainly just Roine's voice and Tomas Bodin's piano (with some other minor accompaniment here and there).  Plus, the four-song run near the end of Disc 1 - Lucy Had a Dream through Mommy, Leave the Light On - is one of my favorite 23-minute runs from any TFK record, as they explore some dark themes and tones not often heard in their music, much less for nearly 23 minutes straight.  I love it.  And then they came out of it with the sunny and bright End of a High Note, which is a fitting title for the song that ends Disc 1.  The climax to that song is one of the most uplifting things I've ever heard, and I remember recommending that song to any and everyone who would listen back in '06. :lol

Disc 2 is probably a bit more upbeat, and features a lot more lead vocals from Hasse Froberg, and both of those factors manage to give it a different feel from Disc 1, yet it still maintains the proggy/simple balance, keeping the cohesive alive and well.  Pointing out the standouts from it is probably pointless since nearly everything stands out; the only slight hiccup is the instrumental, Unorthodox Dancing Lesson, which has kind of an awkward main riff, but the King Crimson-esque solo section is outstanding.  Blue Planet and What If God is Alone? remain personal favorites of mine, but opinions vary, as always.

To touch on the proggy stuff, Monsters and Men has always been a controversial track.  Many fans, myself included, love it, but many fans do not.  Even Roine himself does not like it a lot, as he feels it didn't live up to the potential.  I remember a few years back him expressing frustration that several unnamed band members frequently dogged it during the recording, so you have to wonder if Roine feels they didn't put forth their best work in it cause they didn't believe in it as a song.  If Tomas Bodin is one of them, since he and Roine went through a period back then where they weren't getting along really well, that seems crazy to me, as that song has some of the Bodin's best piano work to date, although I could see someone thinking his organ and synth work was fairly average in it, but that song didn't really call for that kind of stuff.  We'll probably never know.  What I do know is that I love this record to pieces, and this is the TFK album I go back to the most.  I feel that it features the best and most focused songwriting of the band to date.  If someone asked me, "What do you love about the Flower Kings?", I would direct them to this album; that pretty much sums it up. :coolio


Offline kirksnosehair

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Re: The Flower Kings Discography: Paradox Hotel (2006)
« Reply #139 on: April 24, 2014, 01:15:45 PM »
Top 5 TFK album for me.  Hardly anything that I feel the need to skip.  "Bavarian Skies" is the only track I actively dislike. 


I had no idea that "Monsters & Men" was so controversial.  What's not to like about it? I think it's pretty great and they killed it live!  I'd love to hear more about it, why it was dissed by other band members, etc.