Flower Kings Appreciation Thread

Biff Tannen wrote: I didn't give The Flower Kings any points because it isn't a TFK album, and I didn't give The Rainmaker or The Sum of No Evil any because they are, IMO, their two least best records, and I wanted to used my points for the best stuff.  I agree that The Truth Will Set You Free is merely good.  Good, but not great.  It meanders a bit too much for me; it could have been a great 20-minute tune.  As far as TFK epics go, The Truth is way down on the list.  It cannot touch Garden of Dreams, I Am the Sun, Stardust We Are, Big Puzzle or Monsters and Men.

M27Barney wrote: I have just given UTF a partial spin. The opening epic is good but nowhere as good as all the earlier epics and I like the Devils playground - but it's spoilt by that god-awful saxophone solo...I am getting a lot more anti-sax (I said SAX) as I get older....I much prefer all other wind instruments over the god-awful saxophone......I used to be more tolerant of it - but now I find it just grates..... Anyway - all the earlier flokis cd's are far superior to UTF - I do like the start and end of the fifth track on CD1 - but again spoilt by a fairly nondescript middle bit..... Am I being too harsh - anyway on my current listening the latest effort by The Agents of mercy is far superior to the flokis last four CD's ... but hey-ho thats just me....Anybody concur?

Biff Tannen wrote: I agree that The Truth Will Set You Free is merely good.  Good, but not great.  It meanders a bit too much for me; it could have been a great 20-minute tune.  As far as TFK epics go, The Truth is way down on the list.  It cannot touch Garden of Dreams, I Am the Sun, Stardust We Are, Big Puzzle or Monsters and Men.

Biff Tannen wrote: I had to look up what The Black Forest was.  Now that I see it is the latest AOM CD, pass.  I got the first CD of theirs, and I cannot stand the main singer's voice.  I don't care how good something is musically, if I do not like the vocals, I will not revisit it much, so that is why I never bothered with any subsequent AOM releases.

^ **avoiding**

I listened to a bit of that. There are some cache riffs and it sounds like tfk. Has some high energy and sounds fresh. At this point I'm avoiding too. I much prefer sitting with liner notes and listening to the entire thing. Very excited!

Roland113 wrote: M27Barney wrote:   Am I being too harsh - anyway on my current listening the latest effort by The Agents of mercy is far superior to the flokis last four CD's ... but hey-ho thats just me....Anybody concur? Uh, no

 

Nov wrote: Biff Tannen wrote: I agree that The Truth Will Set You Free is merely good.  Good, but not great.  It meanders a bit too much for me; it could have been a great 20-minute tune.  As far as TFK epics go, The Truth is way down on the list.  It cannot touch Garden of Dreams, I Am the Sun, Stardust We Are, Big Puzzle or Monsters and Men.  TTWSYF is easily as good as those other epics that you mention and totally blew me away when I bought UTF. It is excellent live as well. Not only that but Roine considers it one of his best ever pieces

Yeah, the only epic I rank above the Truth in that list is Garden of Dreams (my favorite thing by the Flower Kings, ever).

As to the notion that their later stuff is not as good as their earlier stuff, that's pure opinion and not supported by the facts

Though truth be told, I've never been completely happy with any Flower Kings album since Space Revolver (the first new one to come out after my discovery.......well, not counting Alive On Planet Earth, because it was not new material).   However, over the years I've come to realize that Unfold the Future is easily their best album ever, even if it's not my favorite.  Though it's still my second favorite FK's album (Flower Power would be actually, if it was only CD1, but it's not, so it gets 3rd place).

So yeah, I understand people who don't think the stuff since Space Revolver is as good.  A certain magic was lost for me and never returned really, though I think all of those albums are still very good to great (except Adam & Eve, which is my least favorite..........The Rainmaker, my second least favorite, has proven to be a good, but not great, album over the years).

Oh, and I LOVE saxophone.........assuming it's played well, which it always is on Flower Kings albums.  I miss it when it's not there.





Edited by infandous - April 23 2012 at 09:00

i love that tune Citadel on Blackforest.  it's got a not so obvious genesis feel.

It's all about opinions - and since I loved "The Black Forest" from spin 1 - the vocalist appeals because he sounds like Gabriel? - Also Roine Sings - like I said - It's the best CD I have bought in 2011/12 easily....It could have done with being extended a liitle bit,,,,,so that a couple of the tracks get to the 20 min mark, apart from that it's sublime.