Flower Kings Appreciation Thread

2016 is too far away for me.......

Tom Ozric wrote: Roj wrote: ^Ahh don't worry about that, anything and everything is up for discussion in this thread .  Sometimes we'll go several pages without a mention of TFK. The Raven is my favourite SW album for sure, I love all the tracks on it.  It's dripping in atmosphere too so that's another plus.  I think he took all his influences, added a modern twist with brilliant production and came up with a cast-iron prog classic.  I really like Insurgentes too, GFD is even better and second only to The Raven in my SW rankings.  I like HCE a lot, just not as much as the previous two. I haven't got around to HCE yet, I have an LP copy of it reserved with Syn Phonic, but soon it will come to me. I gotta say that it's pretty tough to choose between GFD and Raven. Luminol is a total kick-ass track, one of the best he's done. And that monster bass riff from Nick Beggs just seals the deal (my current fave bassist/stickist )

I love Meet The Flower Kings, it has a fantastic setlist.  I don't think you'll get too many offers from people here to donate their TFK collections to you somehow .

I've always been a bit on and off about TFK's input.   Based on a recommendation, the first album I heard was World of Adventures.   When I heard the title track, I thought it was the most amazing band I had ever heard...but the rest of the album was only just OK.

I picked up Space Revolver on a really big haul one day (when I walked out of the store with about 10 CD's)...but I only spun it once, and it didn't grab me immediately. Maybe I should spin that today.

zumacraig wrote: infandous wrote: I've been listening my way through the entire FK catalog for the past few weeks on my walks at lunchtime.  Man, Space Revolver is a GREAT album.  I might have to rethink my rankings of their albums now...... However, I'm only through Unfold, still an incredible album and quite an achievement.  I think now more than ever that Zoltan was the catalyst for that burst of amazing creativity.  He really makes that album what it is.  Still my favorite FK drummer, even if Salazar was the one who played on all the albums of my favorite era of the band. Next up will be Adam & Eve, which is still one of my least favorite of theirs (though we'll see if I still consider it my absolute least favorite, since Banks seems like it might be that). It's been so long since I've done this, and some of these albums (A&E in particular) I haven't listened to in years.  I'm most looking forward to Paradox Hotel though, as it's been a really long time since I spun the whole thing (a couple tracks have come up on random over the years) and aside from Monsters and Men, I really liked that album. Anyway, it's a good time of year for the Kings, in the summer time.  I still think that The Flower King through Space Revolver is my favorite string of albums by the band, but even The Rainmaker (which at one time was my least favorite FK album) sounds better than I remember, even the songs I didn't care for (Sword of God in particular I used to skip all the time).  It's been good to hear it all again though.  Makes me start thinking about what might happen next with the band.  Last I heard they were still a going concern, just focused on other projects.  I think 2016 was mentioned by Tomas and Roine as the year for them to work on a new FK album.  We'll see, I guess. This is interesting.  I like A+E okay.  I could do without the title track and the vampire song.  I think Love Supreme is way too repetitive and Driver's Seat has some goofy parts.  I like that tune though, especially the intro.  The rest is great.  Babylon might be high favorite instrumental of theirs.  That being said, I think BoE is a masterpiece .  Numbers just flows like the best epics and all the shorter songs are great.  Even the bonus disc, except the instrumental.   Anyway, you've inspired me to check out Paradox Hotel again.  The only one I don't own.

It's funny, you and I share quite a few similar tastes in music, but in this case, we are almost opposite.  "A Vampires View" is the song that saves A&E for me, and it's by far my favorite from the album, though I agree that Babylon is a great instrumental (though far from my favorite of the Flower Kings, or even of Tomas' instrumentals for TFK's.......that honor would go to Rumble Fish Twist for Tomas instrumentals on FK albums, and Theme for A Hero for FK instrumentals in general).

I agree with you completely about both epics on A&E though..........I just listened to Love Supreme and I just can't get into that track.  The melodies just don't speak to me and it just seems like an overstretched pop song to me (though, that said, there is a quieter part with Roine's vocals that I like more than I remembered).  Driver's Seat has it's moments, but just doesn't hold together as an epic very well for me.

I will get to BOE in a week or two, but I listened to it in my car not too long ago, and while I like the first few minutes of Numbers (and a bit in the second half), I can't keep my attention on it for most of it's duration.  The tempo never goes above a moderately slow pace, there is loads of repetition, and the melodies just don't resonate with me.  That said, I like all the other songs on it fairly well, with the second track being my favorite and a typical strong FK track.  I think it was good that on the last album, Roine didn't feel obligated to include a 20+ minute epic.........the last one that I really loved was Love Is The Only Answer.  I can't say that the ones since then haven't had a good flow, because they all seem like single tracks as opposed to multi-section epics, but unfortunately for me, they fail to hold my attention and I just don't get much, if any, enjoyment out of them.  I do like that the last two albums have been more concise, with bonus CD's added for the extra material that would have otherwise made the albums 70+ minutes, but I can't say I have loved them.  I had been thinking of Banks as my least favorite FK album, but I think that will still be A&E now that I've heard it again for the first time in ages.

infandous wrote: and Theme for A Hero for FK instrumentals in general

Quoted for truth .

We All Need Some Light is their best ballad. It's also cool they did My New World on that live set. One thing I could do without is Portoy's banter. Also, a TA song that has not held up for me is Suite Charlotte. I get that it's a tribute, but, meh.

As for BoE it does make for a great prog-pop album if you dropped Numbers. That would've been crazy if they'd made the epic the bonus track

BTW-any of y'all going to the current Rush tour? The set list looks interesting. I saw Hold Your Fire, Presto, Time Machine and the Clockwork. The last one was a snooze. I know this might be the last tour, but I'm sitting out. I am going to see BritFloyd though. It's a huge production!

Edited by zumacraig - May 29 2015 at 08:45

Have rush done anything worth listening to since moving pictures.....bet they haven't got one track over 7 mins since then - like Genesis - such a sad decline of brilliant musicians !!!

I'm going to see Rush on June 14th.  Personally, I always enjoy their live shows and try and see them every time they come to town.

Unpopular comment #2:  I really like Transatlantic's Shine.  It is a beautifully done and sung song. 

Hm...two tracks just a tad over seven mins.....I was expecting a couple of tracks @ over 15 mins each perhaps!