THE FANCLUB CD 2002 - A COLLECTION OF FLOWER KINGS RELATED MUSIC

Having missed the opportunity to see The FLOWER KINGS play live due to my weekday schedule this year, I felt something was missing. I have something that has filled the void . for now. This audience recording of a New York City date at the Bottom Line Club April 14th 2002 is a superb representation of their live performances. The greatest FK fan of all, and U.S. fan club coordinator, Brian Dorbuck, with Martin Nielssen, taped the show, then Roine STOLT (guitar, vocals) the group's leader, took the tape and tweaked it a little and now we have an official bootleg live recording to enjoy! He was concerned about the quality of copies that have been circulating amongst fans so this is as good as it gets for a bootleg folks.

Live In New York kicks off the set with the incredible opus "Garden Of Dreams," which runs for nearly 48 minutes! "I Am The Sun" is a great track as well, with many different elements jumping in and out of each of song, which is the typical array of influences found in any song that they do. Anyone that is familiar with the group knows that any of their songs played live could sound much different on any given night because they improvise so much. "In The Eyes Of The World" is a wonderful showcase for lead vocalist Hasse Fröberg's talents. Each track proves to be a place for development in each performance and the vocals play a major role in supporting all of that inventiveness. I imagine it must take a tremendous amount of talent and timing to keep up with the spontaneous nature of everyone in this talented band. Fröberg plays guitar, like STOLT, so it is even more of a challenge to keep pace with all the quick changes and maintain the effortless synchronicity that is apparent in all of their live and studio performances.

This CD is as good as any live recording I have ever heard. Bravo! To the band and their open-ended recording policy for their fans at their shows; otherwise, this album never would have happened. This all came about when fans were asking the group how they could help them recover all the financial losses over the years, well here is how . buy this CD and all proceeds will go right back to the group to assist in recovering those loses. It is a noble cause for a great group of guys that play for their love of music and give respect to all of their listeners.

They are superstars in more than just music, being true to life humanitarians is what each member strives to be. Now you have your chance to help some folks that are always willing to lend a hand and be there when called upon. Even though they have a worldwide following, their popularity has yet afforded them the life of luxury that surely some of their contemporaries enjoy. It is time to give back to a band that has provided such wonderful entertainment for so many years to us all. Buy this CD; you will be glad you did in more ways than I can possibly count.

As a band The FLOWER KINGS are nothing short of phenomenal. There is a reason why this is so. Each group member is a talented individual capable of creating fantastical progressive rock of their own, when they join forces it is a magical slice of musical heaven. On the recent exclusive fan club CD, they stretch out their wings and give everyone a taste of their eclectic talent base. Not only is it special because you cannot buy it in stores, you have to be a fan club member (or a special writer that provides outstanding coverage); it gives you an inside look at individuals that have their own taste and styles. So how is it that they can play together so well? They are not an anomaly, as there are many groups like this, the one exception being that they stay together even though they actively record their own solo projects. I thank the heaven above for that.

If you are a fan interested in receiving the fan club magazine, which chronicles all of the band's travels and plans for recording, it is more than worth it to join and you can do so on the band's website. To receive this Fan Club CD is just the icing on the cake to every other benefit of being a member. This is great stuff and a must for any fan of the band or progressive rock music.

Many thanks go out to Brian Dorbuck and Roine STOLT for providing copies of these fine CDs for my enjoyment and review.

Rating: 5/5 (both CDs) ... Live In New York - Official Bootleg & Fan Club CD 2002

Well, at the time I got this, I liked it better than the official release (which I believe was Rainmaker........Unfold came after this I think.....but even so, it took me a while to really get into Unfold). I obviously can't recommend this to anyone, since it is not available to my knowledge. The fan club no longer exists as far as I know, so you're out of luck there too.

In any case, this is a great collection of tracks. Two songs, "The Instrument...." and "Collect Relapses" are the exact versions available on Flying Food Circus (a great album, and one you can actually get). Also, Welcome to Paradise is on the first Karmakanic album, but this is an earlier, somewhat rougher version, with a longer flower Kings like intro.

Two other songs, "Carpe Diem" and "Soleron" were supposedly going to appear on a Merritt Hemmingson solo CD, but I have no idea if that was ever released. In any case, those two songs are definite highlights of this CD. The other tracks are all quite good, with Raging River Of Fear being a cover (don't know who though) completely performed by Stolt.

I'm giving it 4 stars, but even if you could get it, it would probably be mostly for collectors and Flower Kings fans.

Only for a Good Dressage

Here we find some of the most accommodating and peaceful side of the Swedish group. Most of the material is disposable and filler.

Carpe Diem and Sollerön are compositions of Swedish folk musician Merit Hemmingson, versions are good, no more. Surjanten (composed of Bodin) and Cybersonic Eyes are enjoyable pieces. Raging River of Fear does not say much. Welcome to Paradise is bland.

Indeed, no more than that, and any point of view is essential. You can enjoy it if is fairly one of your favorite band. I am surprised this fanclub cd obtained here better acceptance than Harvest of 2005, which is clearly superior to me.