THE ROAD BACK HOME

A friend gave me this album probably thinking it was something original and not a compilation. As a double set I was wondering if the songs were at least in their original length since The Flower Kings best stuff were always their epics but, alas, this is not what I saw: many are simply missing and the ones included are heaviy edited to a fraction of their size. I guess it is ok to have some of their shorter, more concise songs put together for the newbies. But since the songs are remixed, some with extra instrumentation and vocals added, plus two new tracks, it should be atractive enough even for a long time fan who has all their studio albums (like myself).

Well, I liked their version of Cinema Show and the unissued track is so so (Well, coming from The Rainmaker, this is not really a surprise). Those remixing and add ons are not particularly effective in most cases (why not remix the original albums?). Even if I like the song selection in general - and some of the new recordings - this is hardly TFK's best. So I have mixed feelings and don't really know to whom it should be rcommended. To the newbies I think Sacnning The Greenhouse is a far better collection (with all its inherited faults, as almost all compilations are prone of). STG at least gives a good overview of their early , best remembered, period. Still The Flower Kings is, like all great prog bands, the kind of group you should listen to each of their albums as a whole.

So in the end I guess only hardcore fans, collectors and completionists will really think The Road Back Home is worth its price. My final rating is 2,5 stars.