RETROPOLIS

To the reviewers who say this album is "retro", I say, "well duh!!!" Of course it is retro, it is meant to be. In fact, all songs but the title track (and, I believe, the short Bodin compositions) were written in the 70's. Basically Stolt wanted to record some old stuff of his that he still liked, using modern equipment. As to plagerism, I will have to disagree. Yes, Rhythm of the Sea sounds like Crimson meets Genesis, and yes There is more to this world sounds more like Yes than Yes does. But this is not necessarily a problem. All music is a result of influences, no matter how innovative a musician or band may seem. Chances are, they are "borrowing" to some degree or other from earlier styles and musicians. This album just happens to take as its primary influences well known prog bands from the 70's. And since most of the material was written in the 70's, I don't think it is any surprise that it sounds like 70's prog. Because it IS 70's prog. Anyway, this is my favorite Flower Kings album for this and many other reasons (it was the first one I ever heard). It is not the most original and inventive album ever made, but I'm reasonably sure that NO "prog" album is. As long as you love the 70's prog greats and are not expecting something totally new and different, this is an excellent album.