Flower Kings Appreciation Thread

H'm - take a chance on me.....we used to sing an alternative version when I was at school...

Well, got my tickets for Flower Kings / Neal Morse in Philly!  The only downside is that I would have skipped Steven Wilson if I had known this was happening, but both Roine and Hasse seemed to make it clear that there would be only Rosfest and the Canadian festival and that was it for North America this year.  I hadn't planned to spend that much money, what with the "wife" (we're not married, though we might as well be) wanting a cruise this summer or fall.  Luckily, I think I'll be able to swing it all, thanks to a hefty tax return from Uncle Sam.  Anyway, I'm totally psyched that I'll get to do both, in the space of less than a week!  Better get me some new ear plugs I guess........

Spring is in the air.
This is when I start loving music (even more than I do during the colder months). TFK may start to creep into my listening cycle soon. 

john-westover wrote: best band on the planet

Welcome John! You're in good company.

dennismoore wrote: M27Barney wrote: Nektar - Recycled - is that a good CD?   Absolutely.  Go buy it.  Make sure you get the 2002 or so remaster...   Maybe the most underated album of all time...

Hmm - An english band - that has produced 12 Studio albums from 1971 - 2012...wonder how come I've never had these brought to my attention - Tom would hate them - Double mellotrons I see - no mention pf a saxophonist - looks like I may go for a litle toe in the water - "A tab in the Ocean" is the highest rated ?? Or should I go for the compilation - Nektar....Hope they blow my gruddies off....coz thats a helluva back catalogue to catch up on...

Edited by M27Barney - April 05 2013 at 06:25

Biff Tannen wrote: I say, bring on a double album! The so-called filler is a big reason why those double albums are so great.  It adds diversity, and a short, transitional song can be a bit of comedown/breather after a long proggy track.  I think the last two albums, while both good, suffered a bit over the long haul by not having enough diversity.  It was like full-on prog from start to finish (even the shorter songs sounded very prog), and without the extra treats and decorations that often make their albums so unique and (again) diverse.  Those need to come back.  Plus, in the case of the last two albums, both very long songs fell under the category of merely being good, so it's almost like, when they keep it short and simple, yet still thrown on one super long song, if you don't absolutely love that song, the album as a whole isn't gonna kick your ass.  To make a comparison, I will point to Unfold the Future.  The Truth Will Set You Free is a good song, but not great.  But take that away and there is still like 90+ minutes of music (!!), much of which I love way more than The Truth..., so it is like a little bit of everything for everyone.

I totally agree with this, with the exception that The Truth is one of my top 5 FK epics and is great without question.  However, I think I like Devil's Playground just a bit more.  Of course, UTF is their best album overall, so there is a lot there to love! 

Stardust I would only remove a song or two.  Flower Power I could do without most of CD2, but since it's there, I'll say it's still pretty enjoyable.

M27Barney wrote: TFK's output has been prodigious - but some of the doubles do suffer from much weaker tracks outside the absolute toblerone stonking epics.... GOD is now officially my No one FK track - and anybody who disagrees with that FACTOID will cause me to bloomingwell brindle with indignation.....

I agree! I agree!    

The Truth Will Set You Free is enjoyable, and has some absolutely sick bass playing in it, but it doesn't have that wow factor me.  Plus, if I am gonna listen to a song for 30 minutes, the ending had better be totally awesome - you need that payoff to justify the length - and it just doesn't have that, especially when compared to the totally majestic, incredible endings of other long songs like Devil's Playground, I Am the Sun, Garden of Dreams and Stardust We Are. To me, The Truth... is similar to Numbers and Love Is the Only Answer in that they are good songs, but not great, and I just don't listen to them very often because why spend 24-30 minutes on a song that is ultimately going leave me a bit hollow at the end. But hey, not every epic they do cannot be totally awesome, right? 

Edited by Biff Tannen - April 05 2013 at 11:41

Haven't listened to the band much recently, but off memory:
9. Monsters & Men

GOD is in fact FAR TOO SHORT....I reckon...you can never have TOO much of a GOOD thing....