STARDUST WE ARE

This was definitely a great album for me to start on my FLOWER KINGS collection because their is so much music to offer in their first two CD set. I had a feeling that when i saw how long their songs and how many cd are two disc sets that i would be hearing a lot of different instrumentation in songs DANG I WAS RIGHT. THE FLOWER KINGS has really started to become one of my favorite new prog rock bands (my other favorite is of course Spock's Beard) as this album has so much diversity from all sorts of different styles. The band not only contains that new heaviness we hear in some new prog rock bands (spock's beard and some porcupine tree) but they also combine that with several styles in this album as well. They've been able to create wonderful YES inspired instrumentations in song length and have also that great YES inspried melody as well, some instrumental improvisation that is inspired by King Crimson, and also some weird Zappa inspried sound effects but also some Zappa like guitar solos from the Smooth jazzy style of Roine Stolt. At first when i listened to this album i was like HOW DOES EVERYONE LIKE THIS ALBUM ITS NOTHING BUT SOUNDS. boy was i wrong their is a great deal of musicianship in both disc in fact i don't think there is a one disc is better than the other ordeal sure both do have different styles but they both deliver a great deal of awesome music. If your a freshman in the Flower Kings start with this Cd and work your way on up but don't forget to get the first two cds of course. 4 stars