FLOWER POWER

'Flower Power' is a double-disc album from The Flower Kings, which is a regular occurrence for this band. The first disc is mostly comprised of a nearly one-hour-long epic composition entitled "Garden of Dreams," and the second disc consists of "shorter" songs. I say "shorter" in quotations because the songs on the second disc are still quite lengthy with two tracks being over eleven minutes in duration.

"Garden of Dreams" is one of the greatest pieces from The Flower Kings. I love the way Tomas Bodin arranged the piece, as there are themes heard in the beginning that reprise towards the end. There are odd time signatures galore throughout the piece, especially the use of 5/8, which I adore. Each section flows into each other seamlessly and takes the listener on an epic journey. The guitar solo at the end of "All You Can Save" which leads into "Attack of the Monster Briefcase" is superb. Tomas Bodin's keyboard work on "Mr. Hope Goes to Wall Street" is excellent and borders on jazz fusion. The "Garden of Dreams" section has what I believe to be a synthesized orchestra, giving this part of the piece a magical quality. The band rocks out on "Don't Let the d'Evil In," and "Love Is the Word" contains interesting three-part vocal harmonies. "There's No Such Night" is the emotional midpoint of the composition with Roine Stolt's passionate vocals. Roine Stolt isn't my favorite singer in the world, but his vocals on "Garden of Dreams" are his best ever in my opinion. "The Mean Machine," "Dungeon of the Deep," and "Indian Summer" are the most subdued and instrumentally scarce moments of "Garden of Dreams," which is needed after all the intense music that preceded it. The track gains energy on "Sunny Lane," which is a pleasant song with great Roine Stolt guitar playing. The theme that was introduced during "Attack of the Monster Briefcase" is brought back and makes me emotional when I hear it. The melody and chords are simple, but that's what makes it beautiful. "Gardens Revisited" and "Shadowland" also reprise themes heard earlier in the piece, and lead us to the final section, "The Final Deal," which is transcendent. Roine Stolt's vocal performance moves me to tears and the song ends with a beautiful ambience.

The band decided to place the two shortest songs on the album after the longest track as a joke I presume. "Captain Capstan" and "Ikea By Night" are forty-five seconds and four seconds, respectively. "Ikea By Night" is a rapid Jaime Salazar drum fill that leads into the final track of the first disc, "Astral Dog." This song is a jazz fusion-inspired piece that features excellent lead guitar from Mr. Stolt.

The second disc opens with "Deaf, Numb, and Blind" which has a middle eastern flavor to the music. "Stupid Girl" is a nice pop song that I enjoy. "Corruption" contains interesting organ and overall is a great rock song. "Power of Kindness" reprises themes heard from "Garden of Dreams," and is a pleasant Tomas Bodin keyboard instrumental. "Psychedelic Postcard" is, as the title describes, psychedelic. "Hudson River Sirens Call 1998" is an atmospheric song with choral voices. The next three tracks are underrated Flower Kings songs, in my opinion. "Magic Pie" is a Hasse Fröberg piece, and is genuinely great. I love his vocals, and the song doesn't feel as long as its duration which is eight minutes. "Painter" is my favorite song on the second disc and one of my favorite Flower Kings songs. The chorus is heavenly with the multilayered vocal harmonies. "Calling Home" is another favorite of mine that I don't think gets enough recognition for being a great song. The song at its core is a pop song but it's wearing a prog costume. Sure, it's eleven minutes long and has an atypical structure, but like most Flower Kings songs, the music is catchy and memorable.

In conclusion, "Flower Power" is an excellent album to follow the masterpiece that is "Stardust We Are." If I were to be fussy when contemplating this album through a critical lens, the first disc of the album does overshadow the second disc a bit. The second disc doesn't reach the same high points that were reached on the first disc with "Garden of Dreams." Nevertheless, there are still many great songs and moments on the second disc that, when isolated, are exceptional. If the album was restructured so that the first and second disc were swapped so that "Garden of Dreams" ended the album, maybe I would give it five stars instead of four and a half rounded down.