Flower Kings Appreciation Thread |
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Roj
Special Collaborator Honorary Collaborator Joined: July 02 2008 Location: Manchester, UK Status: Offline Points: 3126 |
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That's a tough call of course, but I've drawn the line at 15 minutes, anything under that I've excluded as otherwise I'd have so many to list!!
And Tom, you better make sure that Paradox Hotel gets the full 5 stars .
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Roland113
Special Collaborator Honorary Collaborator Joined: March 30 2008 Location: Pittsburgh, PA Status: Offline Points: 3843 |
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Oh don't you worry about that, Paradox Hotel is one of my favorites. |
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-------someone please tell him to delete this line, he looks like a noob-------
I don't have an unnatural obsession with Disney Princesses, I have a fourteen year old daughter and coping mechanisms. |
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Roland113
Special Collaborator Honorary Collaborator Joined: March 30 2008 Location: Pittsburgh, PA Status: Offline Points: 3843 |
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^ correction, it's been moved to the 'top 10's and lists' forum?
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-------someone please tell him to delete this line, he looks like a noob-------
I don't have an unnatural obsession with Disney Princesses, I have a fourteen year old daughter and coping mechanisms. |
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progrules
Prog Reviewer Joined: September 14 2007 Location: Netherlands Status: Offline Points: 958 |
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He Roger ! Good to see you back man, I understand you had a nice holiday ? I had a "nice" (=morbid ) chat with Roland in the meantime but still it's a bit empty without one of our regulars.
By the way, it did me a lot of good to see your post in my SC thread. I knew I could count on you !
And now the harsh part: I'm trying to understand what you're saying about the situation with Flower Power but I only partly understand it. It almost gives me the feeling you're a bit reluctant to give it more listens.
On the other hand that happens to me too sometimes. Especially in cases I feel I have to do a certain review but I don't really feel like it and then instead I start playing (and reviewing) other albums.
Is that the idea here ? Or am I interpreting the wrong way ?
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A day without prog is a wasted day
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progrules
Prog Reviewer Joined: September 14 2007 Location: Netherlands Status: Offline Points: 958 |
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O no, that sounds like you're going to make the same "mistake" as me by giving it 5 stars (?).
In one way deservedly but if I do a song by song rating it's not 5 stars by a long way for me. It should be 4.
But Monsters & Men made me go overboard back then and I had to give 5.
On your blog I wanted to suggest Frost* (Milliontown) to you but I checked it out and saw you had already done it and even gave it 5 stars ! To me it was 4,5 actually and Black Light Machine is my ultimate fav.
I would almost like to do a Frost* appreciation thread but two albums is not enough yet and I don't even like their second that much so I think I'll leave it.
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A day without prog is a wasted day
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Roj
Special Collaborator Honorary Collaborator Joined: July 02 2008 Location: Manchester, UK Status: Offline Points: 3126 |
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Hi Henk, hope you're well buddy.
Believe me I can't wait to get to know Garden Of Dreams but I'm simply not going to listen to it unless I can hear the whole of the piece throughout in one go. Due to circumstances recently I've just not had the time to do that. My commute to and from work is about 25 mins, so that's not really an option (it's ideal for a standard TFK epic ). This week I've been listening to disc 2, but GoD will have to wait until next week, when I know I'm going to have the time to give it at least 3 spins. My first hearing gave me a really good impression, but I just want to make sure I do real justice to the super-epic rather than just listen to bits of GoD here and there: that just wouldn't be right.
Talking of Flower Power disc 2, there's quite a bit of patchy stuff on there to be honest, but what can I say about Deaf Numb and Blind. It's absolutely brilliant, a real TFK classic.
So far as Systematic Chaos is concerned, I just can't believe the general poor opinions of it. I think it's a great album. Incidentally I saw DT twice recently and they were absolutely fantastic live. And I already have a ticket to see them when they are in the UK again in October .
Now if only Roine and co could get it together for a new album and tour, together with a couple of dates over here.......
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Roland113
Special Collaborator Honorary Collaborator Joined: March 30 2008 Location: Pittsburgh, PA Status: Offline Points: 3843 |
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I ran into what you're describing on Garden of Dreams, I got it, listened to it once and dropped it out of my rotation for a while. No real reason except that it didn't connect with me at first. After a few months, I pulled it back out and started spinning it regularly and developed an appreciation for the CD. I'm currently in the same phase with a few other Flower King's CD's, most notably 'World of Adventures' and 'The Flower King'. Part of my 'one review a day' mantra is to force myself to listen to those albums that I've been meaning to spin more often. |
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-------someone please tell him to delete this line, he looks like a noob-------
I don't have an unnatural obsession with Disney Princesses, I have a fourteen year old daughter and coping mechanisms. |
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Roland113
Special Collaborator Honorary Collaborator Joined: March 30 2008 Location: Pittsburgh, PA Status: Offline Points: 3843 |
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Henk, Nah, I don't think it's a mistake, my gut feeling was that it was a five star CD but I gave it one last critical listen over my last two commutes. I don't think there's a weak song on the pair of CD's. It's their most consistent double CD the whole way through, even more so than Stardust. For Stardust, I about 3/4ths of the way through the CD and I start wanting to skip tracks. Paradox however, every song is solid to me. Regarding Frost*, it would have been a great recommendation. Agreed on Black Light Machine, I keep meaning to download the opening keyboard sound from the Frost* Forum to set it as the ring tone on my phone. I really like the second one as well. It's very different from Milliontown, but still fantastic. The time changes are so much smoother on the second one that you don't realize they've shifted half the time. Also, Andy Edwards really kicks it on the album. |
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-------someone please tell him to delete this line, he looks like a noob-------
I don't have an unnatural obsession with Disney Princesses, I have a fourteen year old daughter and coping mechanisms. |
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Roland113
Special Collaborator Honorary Collaborator Joined: March 30 2008 Location: Pittsburgh, PA Status: Offline Points: 3843 |
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Sorry guys, I do not share the same love of Systematic Chaos. Nothing on that album does it for me as of my last listen. I will say this, it's on that list of albums that I want to review which means I need to give it a few more listens. My hope is that it will click for me with a few more. Crossing my fingers, |
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-------someone please tell him to delete this line, he looks like a noob-------
I don't have an unnatural obsession with Disney Princesses, I have a fourteen year old daughter and coping mechanisms. |
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Roj
Special Collaborator Honorary Collaborator Joined: July 02 2008 Location: Manchester, UK Status: Offline Points: 3126 |
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This isn't my problem at all, I'm desperate to overdose on Garden Of Dreams, the only problem is finding a spare hour!!! I really don't want to listen to bits of it here and there, it's gotta be all in one go.
I've been giving cd2 a working over this week. Deaf Numb & Blind is outstanding and the Bodin instrumental Power Of Kindness is really superb. GoD will get the full works from me in the next few days.
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Roj
Special Collaborator Honorary Collaborator Joined: July 02 2008 Location: Manchester, UK Status: Offline Points: 3126 |
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My mobile phone is also my mp3 player so I can have any song as my ringtone . Black Light Machine has already been my ringtone previously, as has IQ's The Wake and There Is More To This World. Tom, I even thought of using Just This Once, just for you . My ringtone is currently Constant Motion by DT!!! Cool eh?
Your right about Andy Edwards, he is a fantastic drummer. He's back with Frost and was outstanding when I saw them live recently. Also, just listen to the drumming on the Frequency album, absolutely superb and much better drumming than on their earlier albums IMHO.
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progrules
Prog Reviewer Joined: September 14 2007 Location: Netherlands Status: Offline Points: 958 |
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It really means a lot to me that you guys both love Black Light Machine. Even though I really love the epical title track BLM is even much better for me. At first I only liked the guitar solos which are absolutely mindblowing but now I even really appreciate the entire song. But to be honest: John Mitchell is the one that really kicks ass for me. Incredible and that's why I was so disappointed with the second release. I mean, it's really original but John is nowhere to be found on that album and I can't stand that !
Oh and Roger: Dt is indeed fabulous live. I think they ar even better live than studio although there's nothing wrong with DT studio ! I want to see them too again, they are here in October so I'm gonna book !
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A day without prog is a wasted day
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Roland113
Special Collaborator Honorary Collaborator Joined: March 30 2008 Location: Pittsburgh, PA Status: Offline Points: 3843 |
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^ We're kind of digressing here, but I agree on the John Mitchel front, he's a great guitar player with a knack for pumping out great solos.
Henk, I assume that you're familiar with John's work in Arena? If not, I highly recommend 'Contagion'. John really shines and Clive Nolan does a great job as well. Contagion has become one of my all time favorite albums. |
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-------someone please tell him to delete this line, he looks like a noob-------
I don't have an unnatural obsession with Disney Princesses, I have a fourteen year old daughter and coping mechanisms. |
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The Quiet One
Prog Reviewer Joined: January 16 2008 Location: Argentina Status: Offline Points: 15745 |
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Hey guys, sorry if I'm changing the topic, but what do you think of The Rainmaker? (might have discussed it before...)
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J-Man
Prog Reviewer Joined: August 07 2008 Location: Philadelphia,PA Status: Offline Points: 7826 |
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It's alright. I haven't reviewed it yet, but it's on the fence between a 3 and a 4. It's not their best, but I'm soo biased to these guys it's impossible for me to say they've done anything bad. |
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Check out my YouTube channel! http://www.youtube.com/user/demiseoftime |
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Roj
Special Collaborator Honorary Collaborator Joined: July 02 2008 Location: Manchester, UK Status: Offline Points: 3126 |
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Hi Pablo, how's things?
If The Rainmaker was by anybody else it would probably be a contender for their best album. As for TFK, I'd have to rate it as one of the weaker albums if only because there's a few duffers. Through These Walls and Elaine are really average.
However, there's some great stuff on Rainmaker too. I absolutely love Sword Of God, the chorus is one of the best I've ever heard. Last Minute.. is fantastic, Serious Dreamers is excellent too with some amazing Bodin soloing and I also really rate Road To Sanctuary. And what about Red Alert? Surely the best 1:13 of music you could ever hope to hear. Whilst I know it's a bit of a Road To Sanctuary reprise it surely should have been at least 5 minutes longer
I'd rate Rainmaker about 4.25 stars, which isn't bad for a "weaker" album. What do you think Pablo and everybody else for that matter?
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J-Man
Prog Reviewer Joined: August 07 2008 Location: Philadelphia,PA Status: Offline Points: 7826 |
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Rainmaker is definitely one of the best albums that has the lowest rating in a band's entire discography. Falling Into Infinity By Dream Theater is another one. It proves how consistent The Flower Kings are.
They really haven't made a bad album. Edited by progrocker2244 - July 01 2009 at 07:43 |
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Roj
Special Collaborator Honorary Collaborator Joined: July 02 2008 Location: Manchester, UK Status: Offline Points: 3126 |
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^ Very much agreed .
It appears that Pennsylvania/Pittsburgh is indeed a bit of a prog haven with a particular fondness for TFK! And you get both 3 Rivers and Nearfest too!!
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progrules
Prog Reviewer Joined: September 14 2007 Location: Netherlands Status: Offline Points: 958 |
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Best songs of Rainmaker
Road to Sanctuary = 4,75 *
Serious Dreamers = 4,75 *
Last Minute on Earth = 4,25*
City of Angels = 3,75 *
The rest is mwah to me. At best mediocre for TFK. The album as a whole still got 4 stars from me (easily)
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progrules
Prog Reviewer Joined: September 14 2007 Location: Netherlands Status: Offline Points: 958 |
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My first "acquaintance" with John was actually Arena, that's where he became famous. I don't think he ever did anything as great as on Black Light Machine with Arena though. The performance that comes closest is The Visitor, the title track at the end where he closes the song with another terrific solo.
On Contagian he was very good but not outstanding. Do you have a track as an example from that album ?
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