Flower Kings Appreciation Thread

infandous wrote: Interesting Unfold discussion. Even though it's not my favorite FK album, I think it's their best.  It's the most diverse and, yes,  the most mature composition-wise.  It's certainly the only album that reflects their live show properly (they always do improv in the live shows, and they are always looser live.......even when they had Salazar, and even on Instant Delivery, though that last is certaily the least loose to my ears). But the main thing I think for me is that it is their first album that doesn't remind me of other bands or have overt references to them (the chorus of The Truth being an exception, sounding very much like Yes).  I feel like it was the album where their style came into it's own really. Of course, I like the earlier albums better.  But that doesn't mean Unfold wasn't a huge step up for them.  It's a peak I don't imagine they will ever hit again (of course, I still love everything they have done and will probably love whatever they come up with next).

Very much my exact thoughts

Interesting Unfold discussion.

Even though it's not my favorite FK album, I think it's their best.  It's the most diverse and, yes,  the most mature composition-wise.  It's certainly the only album that reflects their live show properly (they always do improv in the live shows, and they are always looser live.......even when they had Salazar, and even on Instant Delivery, though that last is certaily the least loose to my ears).

But the main thing I think for me is that it is their first album that doesn't remind me of other bands or have overt references to them (the chorus of The Truth being an exception, sounding very much like Yes).  I feel like it was the album where their style came into it's own really.

Of course, I like the earlier albums better.  But that doesn't mean Unfold wasn't a huge step up for them.  It's a peak I don't imagine they will ever hit again (of course, I still love everything they have done and will probably love whatever they come up with next).

progrules wrote: infandous wrote: Finally, to Progrules, I should mention that all those reviews were written over the past several years........but were posted before I figured out how to have my name be a link to my profile page.  So they were all missing.  I had wanted to rewrite and edit many of them, so I decided to do it.  So, yes, I cheated a little   (but, in my defense, some of them, like Flower Power, are considerably more detailed than they were originally)   Like I suggested I made a recommendation for you in the collaborator zone but the only one who reacted was Cacho stating exactly what you are saying in the above statement. Personally I don't really care how someone posts his reviews as long as they post them, especially if they are about TFK and related ! Talking about TFK related: I saw your review about I AM by Tomas and noticed you gave it 5 stars. Slightly overdone maybe but it surely is a great album. I always wondered how someone could pick an avatar and not even review the album, but there it was (finally)

Yeah, well again, that I AM review was done back around 2006 or so.  I fleshed it out a bit and posted it under my current alias.  I understand why Catcho would bring that up, but I also think it's kind of unfair that I had all those reviews written, but none of them are associated with my "official" profile page and review listings.  That is why I'm updating and re-submitting so many of them.  I DO feel a bit guilty since they are, for the most part, not new (I'm also skewing the ratings......but I'd be quite happy if the admins would delete the old ones from the system.....something that may not be easy for them to do so I haven't asked).  But I also want them to show up in my profile page and be editable.

In any case, I don't mind if they don't promote me for whatever reasons.  I'm just happy the site exists and that I can contribute in my own small and insignificant way

As to I AM, I don't think 5 stars is overdoing it at all.  I don't give a lot of 5 stars (though I don't give many 1 or 2 stars at all either), but that album just moves me on a very personal level, musically and lyrically.  So I had to do it (my original review gave it 4 stars, but 3 + years later, I think it deserves the full 5 as I still listen to it more than some Flower Kings albums).




Edited by infandous - May 22 2009 at 07:10

cacho wrote: Hey guys! Been curious about one thing.... I've always found Unfold The Future, at least Disc 1, to be TFK's best effort, in the sense of maturity and compositions... By no means my favorite, but everytime I listen to it(listening to it right now), I find it very unique, and truly more elaborated than the rest. Not grabbing from the first listens, yet very rewarding after many listens. Of course, most of this is due to the very notable jazzy leanings and, probably, TFK's most complex arrangements. What do you think?

^  I waffle a bit on Unfold the Future, there are times when I absolute love it and other times that it's merely another great Flower Kings CD.  It could stem from my relatively low tolerance for jazz.  I generally prefer the English symphonic stylings rather than the more American blues and jazz influence.  I appreciate that it's a great album but it doesn't do it for me all of the time.

Unrelated, what happened to the Captain, I haven't seen him post in a while.

angelmk wrote: yeah, TFK has fan even in Macedonia, that is practicaly Mars,just diferent name

Then, I am from your neighborhood's planet.  Greetz.

yeah, TFK has fan even in Macedonia, that is practicaly Mars,just diferent name 

Edited by angelmk - May 20 2009 at 08:53

AstralliS wrote: I've introduced myself in THE FLOWER KINGS via "The Flower King" achievement few years ago and it was a real revelation for me. I've got interested to this Swedes, discovered how "far" they've gone. Also got my hands to the other projects of Roine and simply he's one of the greatest minds on the scene nowadays. It's thanklessly to compare TFK with some other acts, but I've always been looking at the other bands/projects Roine featured as TFK's siblings. Kaipa is remarkable, I simply cannot find the words to describe that greatness. The Tangent and Transatlantic. What more to say? I bet you people know already everything about this two masterpieces. And, I have to share my delight with you about Transatlantic reunion. Someone would say it's gonna be a progressive album of the year. :) And finally, these days actual Roine's project, Agents of Mercy. I really enjoyed it, it's a blast, indeed. I was trying to find Roine's solo album from the beginnning of his career, called "Fantasia", but didn't have so much success with that. Anyone listened? At the end, as this is topic about The Flower Kings, I will not prolong this anymore and as a final conclusion, I can freely say that TFK is the band which definitely marked out my life.

Excellent first post here AstralliS

Good to see that TFK have fans in Serbia as well

I've introduced myself in THE FLOWER KINGS via "The Flower King" achievement few years ago and it was a real revelation for me. I've got interested to this Swedes, discovered how "far" they've gone. Also got my hands to the other projects of Roine and simply he's one of the greatest minds on the scene nowadays. It's thanklessly to compare TFK with some other acts, but I've always been looking at the other bands/projects Roine featured as TFK's siblings. Kaipa is remarkable, I simply cannot find the words to describe that greatness. The Tangent and Transatlantic. What more to say? I bet you people know already everything about this two masterpieces. And, I have to share my delight with you about Transatlantic reunion. Someone would say it's gonna be a progressive album of the year. :) And finally, these days actual Roine's project, Agents of Mercy. I really enjoyed it, it's a blast, indeed. I was trying to find Roine's solo album from the beginnning of his career, called "Fantasia", but didn't have so much success with that. Anyone listened?

At the end, as this is topic about The Flower Kings, I will not prolong this anymore and as a final conclusion, I can freely say that TFK is the band which definitely marked out my life.

Yeah, they generally are.  They are mostly pretty quiet though (unless you get to know them well, I am told).

The other thing I forgot to mention was when I asked Jonas if it was hard doing the bass line for The Truth Will Set You Free (on the original album recording).  He said, no, not hard at all.  Just long.  As a musician I felt rather humbled by that comment, as the song strikes me as something hard to play.  But I guess for Jonas, it's just another day at the office so to speak