Flower Kings Appreciation Thread

zumacraig wrote: darkshade wrote: Wheel of Life is a lot better than Karmakanic's latest, though I agree Entering the Spectra is probably the weakest album, though really jazzy and has some great moments. But Wheel Of Life is up there with Who's The Boss In The Factory?. thanks for the opinion darkshade.  Spectra really sounds like a TFK record with back up singers.  i need to check out who plays on what record.  Jonas is such a great composer.  i wonder what a TFK album would be like if each member brought in their best song.  WOW!

The first few songs on Entering The Spectra is essentially TFK with Roine on guitar and vocals, Jonas on bass, and Zoltan on drums. I don't think Lalle was on keys yet, not until Wheel of Life. Jonas played keys and maybe someone else. There's a lot of guest musicians on ETS since it was just meant to be a side project of Jonas at the time. Wheel of Life is the first true album as they were by then working as a band. The first 2 albums have a lot of instrumental play, jazz, fusion, and some metal stuff too. Who's The Boss is the first album where they sound like a true band, and away from the TFK shadow. It's just too bad Zoltan didn't stick around.

Speaking of Zoltan, why is it that he removed himself from the TFK family? Because as far as I know, he quit TFK twice, quit Karmakanic, quit Agents of Mercy. I guess 3rd World Electric too, but it hasn't been confirmed officially.

darkshade wrote: zumacraig wrote: darkshade wrote: Wheel of Life is a lot better than Karmakanic's latest, though I agree Entering the Spectra is probably the weakest album, though really jazzy and has some great moments. But Wheel Of Life is up there with Who's The Boss In The Factory?. thanks for the opinion darkshade.  Spectra really sounds like a TFK record with back up singers.  i need to check out who plays on what record.  Jonas is such a great composer.  i wonder what a TFK album would be like if each member brought in their best song.  WOW! The first few songs on Entering The Spectra is essentially TFK with Roine on guitar and vocals, Jonas on bass, and Zoltan on drums. I don't think Lalle was on keys yet, not until Wheel of Life. Jonas played keys and maybe someone else. There's a lot of guest musicians on ETS since it was just meant to be a side project of Jonas at the time. Wheel of Life is the first true album as they were by then working as a band. The first 2 albums have a lot of instrumental play, jazz, fusion, and some metal stuff too. Who's The Boss is the first album where they sound like a true band, and away from the TFK shadow. It's just too bad Zoltan didn't stick around. Speaking of Zoltan, why is it that he removed himself from the TFK family? Because as far as I know, he quit TFK twice, quit Karmakanic, quit Agents of Mercy. I guess 3rd World Electric too, but it hasn't been confirmed officially.

darkshade wrote: Speaking of Zoltan, why is it that he removed himself from the TFK family? Because as far as I know, he quit TFK twice, quit Karmakanic, quit Agents of Mercy. I guess 3rd World Electric too, but it hasn't been confirmed officially.

i remember reading on this board that roine said he wanted the next 3rd world to be more compositions rather than jams.  i would love that, having had a major Fusion stage in the mid 90s...mahavishnu, miles davis, weather report etc.

^ I'm so excited about BoE, that I might just love it on first listen. The only album from the TFK family that I ever loved on first listen was Unfold the Future.

You mean this set list?

Paradox Hotel
Last Minute on Earth
In The Eyes Of The World
The Truth Will Set You Free
Babylon
What if God Was Alone
Stardust We Are
There is More To This World
I Am The Sun

Pretty solid set list to me. They covered most of their albums, and picked some of their very best songs. Does the band rotate set lists? If not, how do you think this set will look once they add BoE songs?

Horizons wrote: Some of Space Revolver and  Unfold the Future.

Dude, did you play The Chicken Farmer Song from Space Revolver???

Play that one real loud, it should put a smile on your face, big time.


If you are not diggin TFK right away don't worry.  TFK more than any other band need repeated listens before the music comes into focus.  TFK simply do so much it is very hard to process everything right away.   I thought I was pretty hip, handling YES, Tales & Relayer and ELP and such, but for The Flower Kings I need to play a new album like twenty times and then I say:

"Hey...

Then I say:

"I bet Infandous & Nov understood this about 10 listens ago..."

Then, I say:

Holy Moly!   This stuff Rocks!!!!!!!!!  

So take your time with TFK and don't give up. 




Edited by dennismoore - June 09 2012 at 13:43

Hi Everybody! 

Sorry, I haven't been around, I have been real busy with stuff and quite frankly I realized:

I sit at my keyboard and type on this forum and I listen to music on a logitech 5.1 system and i thought....
Crap, we talk about the best music in the world, yet I listen to it "cheese-ball style", so I took matters into my own hand and took over a room in the house (I hope my wife will get over it THIS century...) And I put together a 5.1
system out of the 2006 Denon Receiver I have with 5 speakers I came up with.  The front 3 are Definitive Technology, so I am doing OK there....

Anyway, I am limited 5.1 wise with the 2006 receiver as the new super high fidelity formats like DTS-HD and Dolby True HD need HDMI audio and my receiver can't accept that, so , I have been learning bout what 5.1 formats I can play through my system, and I ended up with:

DTS 96KHZ/24 bit 5.1
Dolby Digital 48hz/24 bit 5.1
DVD-Audio  (via analog into the receiver)
SONY SACD (via analog into the receiver)

and, if I upgrade the firmware on my 2006 Denon I think I can get it to accept HDMI from my Oppo combo player
to play:

DVD-Audio via digital
SONY SACD (Which uses encrypted DSD) via digital

So....

It was frankly quite annoying to figure this all out, damn the greedy record companies for making it damn near impossible to navigate all the music formats, but it is very much worth it.

I have found that DTS 5.1 is actually quite good and sounds breath-taking.

Ok, here is why I am boring you lot with all this crap.....    Drum Roll please......

I have been to the mountain!!!!!!!   I have experienced real 5.1!!!   It is to die for!!!!!

After playing the 5.1 mixes of:

RUSH: Fly By Night, Farewell To Kings & Signals
Pink Floyd:  Dark Side & Wish You Were Here
Jethro Tull: Aqualung

It is beyond belief good.  I wish I could have all you guys over and check it out.

So.....    Now we need to contact Roine and have him mix some Flower King CDs in 5.1.

If any band could shine in 5.1 it would be TFK....

Anyway, that is my story.  I still have work to do, digging up walls and running cables to make the system look nice,
but it is at least functional.  Anybody who may be on the fence about 5.1 should definitely make the move and go for it.

"I bet Infandous & Nov understood this about 10 listens ago..."


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zumacraig wrote: i'm jealous dude.  for me, ignorance is bliss.  i don't want to know what i'm missing :)  as far as 5.1 mixes, i know steven wilson has some and don't forget Moving Pictures.

Ok, ok, I wasn't gonna mention it, but....

I have Moving Pictures.... AND....

All the Porcupine Tree 5.1 mixes that Steven did.

       


RUSH - The Camera Eye in 5.1 is just like going to heaven.

Can I tell you how the new 4.0 mix of Gentle Giant - Free Hand is beyond belief???

Oh.... and the first 6 ELP records were just mixed in 5.1 by Steven Wilson himself and coming out this year!

Dude, go for it!  (5.1) it is NOT that expensive.  a few hundred buck for a receiver and the same for some speakers.
Any DVD player can play the DTS 5.1 tracks, so you don't need to go all the way to DVD-Audio or Sony SACD.

I always find absolute steals for gear & technology here:

http://www.techbargains.com/

Check it out and you will have a 5.1 setup in no time.

PM me for more details.....

DM

darkshade wrote: Funny new interview with Roine, talks about BoE and new drummer Felix.