MEET THE FLOWER KINGS - LIVE RECORDING 2003

You ask me if this music is quality or quantity; I say both! The Flower Kings often plays long songs and here on this live record they play some of their best lengthy ones. I don't think this is a record for anyone and you won't appreciate it anytime, and especielly not the whole at one occation. But this live record is certainly worth its listening time and it's they best way I have ever experienced The Flower Kings!

This is a live recording from Uppsala Stadsteater in february 2003, now ten years ago. Uppsala is the band's home town and the fourth most populated in my Sverige(Sweden). Even if they don't sing in Swedish I am proud my people also has come up with good prog rock, don't just the English and the Italian guys. The cover shows a locust playing drums and that is nice because I think the drummers Zoltan Czörsz and Hasse Bruniusson do a fantastic job to get this working. The other musicians are also Tomas Bodin(keys), Hans Fröberg(guitars, vocals), Daniel Gildenlöw(guitars, vocals, keys, percussion), Jonas Reingold(bass) and Roine Stolt(guitars and vocals).

I understand if you don't have time to listen to everything. But if you hear anything I think you want to hear the rest. "The Truth Will set you free" is a fascinating start. It's unbelievable long, but interesting and very pleasant all the time. My ears like what they hear. So also in the last song "Stardust we are" which is poetic and mild but also intriguing and experimenting. I had problems with this band when I hadn't heard so much, but they can really play. "Humanizzimo" is lovely with strong melodies and "Circus Brimstone" is more experimental and almost instrumental. "Silent Inferno" is a quite ordinary epic and "Garden of Dreams 1+2" are so long and so well spendid time. The majority of these tracks are worth five stars.

It's rather difficult to describe these long songs that include so much. I can you share my feeling of excitement with this music. The well perfomed tracks touched me. The Flower Kings has no original singer which creates wonder and their instruments are ordinary. But with their resources, the manage to do something very special and I am sure this record is worth all stars. Five, in other words!