Flower Kings Appreciation Thread

zumacraig wrote: do y'all think that prog fans listen more to stuff they feel like they should/would like.  i'm just curious.  Kaipa is a great example...they sound good, but don't blow me away.  however, i've spent time listening to the because i feel like i have/want to get into them.   just a thought.

Welcome frinspar!

Personally, I have had times where something that didn't do anything for me last year after 2 or 3 spins, suddenly sounds quite wonderful this year.  In other words, I never get rid of albums (well, there have been less than a dozen exceptions to that rule.......in most cases I knew I didn't like them from the first spin, but tried a few more times).  Though, to be honest, some of them never get rediscovered after those initial few listens.  I guess all I'm saying is that for me, there is no telling whether I'll like an album after 1 listen, or 12 (though I suppose after 6, I'll be pretty sure).  I think my mood is a large factor in this, because a given piece of music may not do much for me one day, but will blow me away the next.

Whether or not it's considered groundbreaking or oh so popular by large numbers of people rarely has any impact on me.  There are a few friends whose opinions I value that could at least get me to give something one more try, but even then if I don't care for it I won't keep trying.

Thanks to the rest of you. 

Zumacraig, I'd have to go with "Flower Power." That album is the most consistently pleasing of theirs that I get the same lift from each time I play it, both discs. "Space Revolver" would be a close second.

On the subject of my favourite prog albums of the new millenium, I've gone with 20 as suggested by Tom.  I've thought a bit about this but I'll bet I've missed a few out.  Anyway the first few are in approximate order, the rest aren't.

The Flower Kings - Paradox Hotel
Glass Hammer - Lex Rex
Porcupine Tree - The Incident
Frost* - Milliontown
Tomas Bodin - I Am
Amplifier - The Octopus
The Flower Kings - Unfold The Future
Steven Wilson - Insurgentes
Phideaux - Number 7
Marillion - Marbles
Transatlantic - The Whirlwind
Opeth - Deliverance
Redshift - Faultline
Arena - Pepper's Ghost
The Flower Kings - Adam & Eve
The Lens - Regeneration
Dream Theater - 6DOIT
Tomas Bodin - Pinup Guru
Opeth - Blackwater Park
Arena - Contagion
Porcupine Tree - Deadwing


As for non-prog, I'd say my favourite 10 are:-

Future Sound of London - Environments 2
Plaid - Greedy Baby
Boards of Canada - The Campfire Headphase
The Black Dog - Silenced
Plaid - Double Figure
Boards of Canada - Geogaddi
Sasha - Emfire
The Orb - Baghdad Batteries
Spooky - Open
Plaid - Spokes

Horizons wrote: Nov wrote: zumacraig wrote: do y'all think that prog fans listen more to stuff they feel like they should/would like.  i'm just curious.  Kaipa is a great example...they sound good, but don't blow me away.  however, i've spent time listening to the because i feel like i have/want to get into them.   just a thought. One band that I keep trying to 'get' is Radiohead. Most of my friends that are serious about music absolutely love them. They are a top 3 band for most of them and several of these friends have no particular liking for prog or other complicated music. I think they have recorded several very nice proper songs (High & Dry, Fake Plastic Trees, No Surprises, etc) but today I've listened to a CD of stuff from Kid A onwards that one of my friends made me. To my ears, it is track after track of half-baked drum and bass experimentation with a few electronic sounds and indecipherable vocals over the top. They are not songs as such but just grooves that go on for 3 or 4 minutes and stop. You can't exactly join in on the chorus  I really don't get it and frustrates me that they are so, so revered and massively popular eveywhere and are able to put on spectacular shows and yet i just don't get it at all. I almost feel like everyone is just pretending to like them to be in with the in crowd. I guess I'm proud that Britain (England!) keeps producing so-called ground-breaking bands like this but I'm just left shrugging my shoulders. Radiohead is fantastic!  Thom is one of the best singers out there, and at times an equally great lyricist.  I adore both their alt-rock sounds, being some of the best in the genre for the past 15 years, as well as the electronic/groove material. The latter is layered and produced so beautifully and can be both complex and accessible.

Honestly, I don't hear any of this when I hear Radiohead (admittedly, I have not heard much......but none of it was from radio or other "mainstream" sources........always "choice" selections from fellow progheads who thought they were great).

darkshade, I have had that experience a few times in the past.  I first heard Gentle Giant via their "Playing the Fool" live album which a friend gave me a cassette copy of.  I listened to it several times but just didn't "get it".  I would play it occasionally after that to see if I liked it and never really did, until one day when it just blew me away.

I didn't like The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway at all the first few times I heard it, but pulled it out 6 months later and really liked it a lot (still my least favorite Gabriel Genesis album, but I do like it and love some of the songs as much as their other stuff).

So, yeah, I don't give up on music quickly unless it's a style I just know I won't be able to get into (like extreme metal or rap, for instance).

Still hoping that Banks of Eden will be one of those for me


Edited by infandous - January 14 2013 at 13:59

I'm guessing you've heard Kid A and Ok Computer? If so I'd go with In Rainbows. It's my 3rd favorite of theirs, sometimes passing Ok Comouter for second - depending on the day.

infandous wrote: I just had to share this insane CD order I just made.  Here are the items:  King Crimson "Larks Tongues In Aspic (CD/DVD-A)"    Poison "10 Great Songs"  Yes, I have a live in girl friend.  But I think it was a fair trade off to be able to get Larks, since my old copy has been missing for years and it's my favorite Crimson album of them all.  Plus her album was only $5, while mine was $20.  Crimson wins

Roj M30 wrote: On the subject of my favourite prog albums of the new millenium, I've gone with 20 as suggested by Tom.  I've thought a bit about this but I'll bet I've missed a few out.  Anyway the first few are in approximate order, the rest aren't. The Flower Kings - Paradox Hotel Glass Hammer - Lex Rex Porcupine Tree - The Incident Frost* - Milliontown Tomas Bodin - I Am Amplifier - The Octopus The Flower Kings - Unfold The Future Steven Wilson - Insurgentes Phideaux - Number 7 Marillion - Marbles Transatlantic - The Whirlwind Opeth - Deliverance Redshift - Faultline Arena - Pepper's Ghost The Flower Kings - Adam & Eve The Lens - Regeneration Dream Theater - 6DOIT Tomas Bodin - Pinup Guru Opeth - Blackwater Park Arena - Contagion Porcupine Tree - Deadwing As for non-prog, I'd say my favourite 10 are:- Future Sound of London - Environments 2 Plaid - Greedy Baby Boards of Canada - The Campfire Headphase The Black Dog - Silenced Plaid - Double Figure Boards of Canada - Geogaddi Sasha - Emfire The Orb - Baghdad Batteries Spooky - Open Plaid - Spokes

zumacraig wrote: Roj M30 wrote: On the subject of my favourite prog albums of the new millenium, I've gone with 20 as suggested by Tom.  I've thought a bit about this but I'll bet I've missed a few out.  Anyway the first few are in approximate order, the rest aren't. The Flower Kings - Paradox Hotel Glass Hammer - Lex Rex Porcupine Tree - The Incident Frost* - Milliontown Tomas Bodin - I Am Amplifier - The Octopus The Flower Kings - Unfold The Future Steven Wilson - Insurgentes Phideaux - Number 7 Marillion - Marbles Transatlantic - The Whirlwind Opeth - Deliverance Redshift - Faultline Arena - Pepper's Ghost The Flower Kings - Adam & Eve The Lens - Regeneration Dream Theater - 6DOIT Tomas Bodin - Pinup Guru Opeth - Blackwater Park Arena - Contagion Porcupine Tree - Deadwing As for non-prog, I'd say my favourite 10 are:- Future Sound of London - Environments 2 Plaid - Greedy Baby Boards of Canada - The Campfire Headphase The Black Dog - Silenced Plaid - Double Figure Boards of Canada - Geogaddi Sasha - Emfire The Orb - Baghdad Batteries Spooky - Open Plaid - Spokes Absolutely love Boards of Canada!!  too bad they dont have more stuff...but in a way, that's kind of cool.

Yeah, nothing for 7 years from BoC now, don't think there will be anything more from them.  I think one of the guys emigrated to New Zealand or something.

Zuma, if you like BoC you're pretty much guaranteed to like the others on my non-prog list (if you've not heard them already).  The Future Sound of London album is one of the best ambient cds I've ever heard.