Flower Kings Appreciation Thread

dennismoore wrote: darkshade wrote: dennismoore wrote: [QUOTE=darkshade] Do you enjoy Pat Metheney or Al Dimeola? From my last.fm 13 Return To Forever 393 22 Jim Hall & Pat Metheny 287 24 Pat Metheny Group 271 43 Al Di Meola 156 55 Pat Metheny 98 Yes   Cool, I love Pat Metheney, but I am not ashamed to admit his more recent work is too good for my limited brain to process. Pat & Lyle are true mind-blowers.   Al Dimeola - Casino is one of my desert island must have records.  Start to finish perfection.

Pat Metheny's The Way Up (2005) and Orchestrion (2010) are some of the most progressive jazz / fusion from him. I have other albums where he's on it, and the trio stuff. I'm not a big fan of his solo albums or group albums that go into the smooth jazz territory, though I have a couple. I'm a big fan of "Parallel Realities Live" (1990), the line-up of which is Pat Metheny, Jack DeJohnette, Herbie Hancock, and Dave Holland.

Al's first 3 solo albums are really good, but after Casino I don't really know a lot of his stuff, aside from a few things.

darkshade wrote: I love the new DT album, although I kind of over-listened to it. On the surface it seems like it's nothing new, but it's a much more complex album than they've probably ever released; so I say keep listening to it, as its beauty will reveal itself in time. @ zumacraig - Make sure you get Octavarium, the title track is one of the best prog pieces in the last 30 years. Very epic, not unlike The Flower Kings. The album itself has a few classic DT songs.

Yeah, I'll listen more.  I put my first impression here, because I wouldn't write a review after one listen.  I love the Octavarium album, though my favorite DT is still 6 Degrees Of Inner Turbulence.  The title epic is my favorite thing they ever did, and it's amazing on the Score DVD.

I really have to be in the mood for them though, as I'm just not a fan of prog metal generally.  I do like older Pain of Salvation though, but that is really it for me with prog metal.

darkshade wrote: You should check out the Pat Metheny Group live album "The Road To You: Live In Europe". It blows every PMG studio album up til that point (early 90s) out of the water. It was also my first Pat Metheny album so I love it for that reason too. You're wife might really like it.

Adam and Eve has been my go-to FK album for a while.  i am really falling in love with the epics.  just so optimistic.  

It is now time for beastly Adam and naked Eve.

infandous wrote: I know this doesn't have anything to do with the Chicken Farmer Song .................... but I've finally checked out the latest Dream Theater album. I guess on the good side it doesn't have "growls" and the lyrics don't make me cringe or remind me of poor 5th grade attempts at short stories.  The skill of the players, is, as always, impeccable.

^ UtF doesn't have a title track, and whatever song you're thinking of, there's totally more stuff going on than one song. I agree that Space Revolver is the best starting point to get into the band. From there you can choose to go backwards for the more symphonic/rock stuff, or go for the later albums for the more jazzy/eclectic stuff.

ghost_of_morphy wrote: Altair wrote: Wow, I've never heard of these guys, they sound pretty interesting to say the least. Does anyone have a recommendation for a good starting point?       Back in The World of Advenures or Stardust We Are would be both be appropriate starting points.

Edited by dennismoore - March 22 2012 at 13:40

I love the new DT album, although I kind of over-listened to it. On the surface it seems like it's nothing new, but it's a much more complex album than they've probably ever released; so I say keep listening to it, as its beauty will reveal itself in time.

@ zumacraig - Make sure you get Octavarium, the title track is one of the best prog pieces in the last 30 years. Very epic, not unlike The Flower Kings. The album itself has a few classic DT songs.

I know this doesn't have anything to do with the Chicken Farmer Song ....................
but I've finally checked out the latest Dream Theater album.

I guess on the good side it doesn't have "growls" and the lyrics don't make me cringe or remind me of poor 5th grade attempts at short stories.  The skill of the players, is, as always, impeccable.

However, I think Portnoy was right..........they REALLY need a break.  This has to be the most generic thing I've ever heard from them.  I suppose die hard fans might be happy that they have focused on what made them so well known, but it all comes across as very bland and flat.  Sure there are some crazy instrumental sections with lots of notes and weird time signature changes, but I just don't hear anything ever remotely new or interesting.

I suppose I could say the same about Neal Morse and it would be more or less true, but for some reason his "formula" works really well for me.  The Dream Theater one doesn't seem to.  Hearing this makes me appreciate the previous 3 albums more, because at least they tried different things (even if they weren't particularly successful much of the time).

Anyway, I've only listened once all the way through, so I'll give it more listens.  It's certainly not bad, and I have to say that LaBrie sounds much better than he has in a long time, so that's another plus I guess.