FLOWER POWER

Another double-CD, the second in a row, for TFK. It features the super-epic 1-hour "Garden of Dreams", various very short tracks, and standard FK quite long songs on the second CD. The second is an excellent addition to a TFK collection, and the first one is... a masterpiece. In this special case, I mean, the 60-minute song + others, it is difficult not considering the main event alone, to rate this outing. Let's see...

The second CD brings new musical constructions form FK, when comparing to the first 3 CD's. The longer songs, as usual again, are the best, with typical symphonic and melodic qualities, where the keyboard of Bodin and the guitar of Stolt are again very good and original, with changes of tempos and time-sigs, with lots of variations "inside" each song. Tracks # 1,2,5,7,9 are excellent, and the others ones are of the same caliber as those on the previous releases.

On the first, "Astral Dog" is very different from what we are used to TFK, being instrumental and having a space atmosphere. The short ones... well... fillers... nothing much to say. BUT, "Garden of Dreams" is... magical. It is, in my view, the best thing TFK has ever composed as of now ! I feel it is a shame that they decided to 'cut' the song into 18 different tracks. Anyway, a suggestion (and warning) : do not play this using 'random' on your player ! Put this thing 'on' from track-1 and let it go for 1 hour ! Everything is built for getting more and more addicted to what you will hear develop. What you will get is a superb construction of music, super-melodic and filled with variations and feelings. After a few listenings, you will discover other things : the musical themes (not one but many) will be played differently, with other rythms and time-sigs, on other parts of the opus. If you like music... that's genious. And, everything during the 25-40 minute period develops into leading to the final climax. It is the best 'climax' prepared I've ever heared ! What a climax... You will feel thrills. I have listened to this many times, and (good indication) I still feel them ! A definite masterpiece ! It is in my Top-5 since the beginning of my 2000-listenings... only because of that song. What a band, creative. I saw them play the song 'live', in 2001, and... Wow ! An hour of magic. Imagine : you hear the beginning, and you applaud after 1 hour ! Ouf... Marvelous. A 5-perfect note.