Flower Kings Appreciation Thread

^  Pablo, I'm with you there, I don't listen to The Flower Kings (and symphonic prog in general) nearly as much as I had in the past.  I've been on a crossover and Neo kick as of late.  I thought you'd go for Adam and Eve there, I'm thinking that Adam and Eve may actually not get a vote now.

Too cool Proggy, you have my favorite two.  If you like those two and are looking for more, I recommend 'Unfold the Future' or 'Stardust We Are'.

I haven't really been throwing on TFK lately, giving them and some other bands a break. They'll come around again.

Pablo, if those are you're 3 favorite TFK albums, then I definitely need to check out Adam & Eve.


I listened to Paradox Hotel during Hurricane Irene and it proved to be an interesting listen, what with all the wind and rain going on.


Edited by darkshade - September 13 2011 at 09:21

darkshade wrote: I haven't really been throwing on TFK lately, giving them and some other bands a break. They'll come around again. Pablo, if those are you're 3 favorite TFK albums, then I definitely need to check out Adam & Eve. I listened to Paradox Hotel during Hurricane Irene and it proved to be an interesting listen, what with all the wind and rain going on.

The Quiet One wrote: Roland113 wrote: Which one is your favorite? The Flower King: Back in the World of Adventures: Retropolis: Stardust We Are:  Roj Flower Power: Space Revolver:  Nov The Rainmaker: Unfold the Future: The Quiet One Adam and Eve Paradox Hotel:  Roland113 The Sum of No Evil:

I just started going through their catalog, I've started with 'Alive on Planet Earth' and I'm loving every minute, so I haven't even gotten to another album yet. So far though, I'm a big fan.

Edited by TopographicTales - September 13 2011 at 21:53

Roland113 wrote: The Quiet One wrote: Roland113 wrote: Which one is your favorite? The Flower King: Back in the World of Adventures: Retropolis: Infandous Stardust We Are:  Roj Flower Power: Space Revolver:  Nov The Rainmaker: Unfold the Future: The Quiet One Adam and Eve Paradox Hotel:  Roland113 The Sum of No Evil: Pablo got what I meant, I should have said 'copy the last person that posted the list and fill in your entry on the list'  What I'm trying to do is see how many albums get a name after them and which ones are left out. Hope all is well all.

You know, I usually would pick my profile picture (Retropolis), but that is really a sentimental favorite being the first one I ever heard.  I still think it's a fabulous album, and it's also their shortest one, making it one of the easiest to get through and digest.  However, if I really think about it, I guess Flower Power CD1 is my absolute favorite thing they have ever done (really just Garden Of Dreams, though Astral Dog is a wonderful extended Roine solo).  However, the second CD is my least favorite, so maybe I shouldn't pick that album?  I just don't know, they are all so good really.  I guess, in the spirit of this thing, I'll stick with favorite complete album, which would still be Retropolis.

I spent most of the summer listening to the first lineup albums (everything before Space Revolver) on my walks to and from work, and am now on the second half of their albums.  I haven't done this in a very long time (and hadn't listened to any FK's for over a year before I started this back in May or June).  I got to say, much of Adam & Eve I still find rather dull and boring, and missing the spark and "feel" that marks the best Flower Kings albums.  I also still find Monsters and Men pretty boring, though it's not bad by any means.  I feel like that album though, Paradox, doesn't really get into gear until track 4 (though I love Jealousy, it's a very slow mellow song and it follows the very slow and mellow.....and for me, boring.....Monsters and Men).  The rest of the album though, I think is excellent.




Edited by infandous - September 14 2011 at 14:43

infandous wrote:   I spent most of the summer listening to the first lineup albums (everything before Space Revolver) on my walks to and from work, and am now on the second half of their albums.  I haven't done this in a very long time (and hadn't listened to any FK's for over a year before I started this back in May or June).  I got to say, much of Adam & Eve I still find rather dull and boring, and missing the spark and "feel" that marks the best Flower Kings albums.  I also still find Monsters and Men pretty boring, though it's not bad by any means.  I feel like that album though, Paradox, doesn't really get into gear until track 4 (though I love Jealousy, it's a very slow mellow song and it follows the very slow and mellow.....and for me, boring.....Monsters and Men).  The rest of the album though, I think is excellent.

^ Ok ok fine, I'll start the day with Adam and Eve . . . 

Roj M30 wrote: ^ That's interesting although as most of you know I find Monsters and Men to be one of the band's very highest points.  For me it's 21 mins of sheer bliss, but there you go .   As to Adam & Eve, okay, lets assess this one:-   Love Supreme.  First 8-10 mins is as derivative as you'll find from TFK, so Yes it's untrue, but the second half is wonderful. Cosmic Circus.  Cheesy, happy, it's just TFK. Babylon.  Magical, a sublime instrumental.  More evidence as to just how important Tomas is to this band (Garden of Dreams being another example. Vampires View.  Dark and oddball, so therefore in the vein of Bavarian Skies, Circus Brimstone etc.  I just think TFK do these things so well.  Gildenlow's vocals are outstanding. Days Gone By.  Lovely solo piano piece which echoes one from a Tomas solo album the name of which escapes me at the mo'.  Very nice. Adam & Eve.  Fab rocker in the vein of Paradox Hotel, but this is superior imo. Starlight Man.  Uninspiring, the album's low point. Timelines.  Not bad, nice basswork but far from my favourite. Driver's Seat.  Simply stunning and one of their top 5 epics.  Nuff said. Blade of Cain.  Sensational instrumental, incredible guitar work from Roine.   That's why it's a 4.5 bordering on 5 stars for me and easily my favourite of the second half of TFK's 10 studio albums.   Just sayin'.

Fair enough.  However for me, Love Supreme is simply the least enjoyable FK epic there is (though it's a toss up between it and Monster's and Men for me).  Listening to it recently didn't change my feeling at all, and I really focused my attention on it and tried to hear it anew, so to speak.  There are moments where it seems like it is picking up, but it just keeps returning to that melody I just find so cheesy.  But that's just me.  Cosmic Circus, I agree with what you say, but I just cringe every time I hear it.

The rest I agree on completely, except for Driver's Seat.  It has some great sections, but I find it very disjointed (and I even like the part where it "winds down" to silence and then comes back in) and just not a strong epic in any way.  Much better than Love Supreme, but only that one and Monsters and Men are lesser in my view.

So I guess I can never go more than 3 stars because the two epics are just not doing it for me.  Add in two short, cheesy, and not very effective poppy songs (and the FK's CAN make very effective "pop" songs that I enjoy, make no mistake) and the album just never takes off for me.  Still my least favorite, without question.