|   Flower Kings "Unfold the Future" | JoeMc
Dec 4, 2002 8:39 AM | | I was waiting to see what others here thought of this, but if anyone reviewed it I missed it. After seeing the comments below I thought I'd give a shot.
The sound quality is the first thing that struck me about this CD. Every instrument is spatially well defined and crystal clear. I think the music on this two-disc set is better than anything they've done since Stardust We Are. It will likely be years before I know which of the two I like better. This is certainly more of a team effort.
Disc 1 The Bright Side
"The Truth Will Set You Free" WOW! I have seen a lot of people on other boards tear up FK as ripping off Yes, but I think that this 30:40 epic sounds a lot like something I wish Yes could still make. Tomas Bodin called it "the best song Roine every made".Hasse Fröberg vocals are superb. It surely is a Flower Kings classic, and is reason enough to buy the set.
"Far away from the primal instinct
The songs seems to fade away
The river gets wider
Between you thoughts
And the things we do and say"
"Monkey Business"is nice little bash with Roine singing and Hasse doing chorus and backing vocals. It would make a good single (if such things were possible in Progland).
"Black And White"starts slow and quiet with piano and Roine's singing; it eventually builds to a nice keyboard driven melodic ending.
"Christianopel" This instrumental piece reminds me of King Crimson (the end of "Moonchild" maybe) or "The Waiting Room" from The Lamb Lies Down.
"Silent Inferno" Another classic FK track. I love the fact that the dark and brooding music is offset by the Roine's peaceful delivery of the turmoil filled lyrics.
"Quarter to four, and the hours keep draggin'tonight
Nothing is wrong, but you feel that your life ain't quite right
Stare at the ceiling, the wheelin' and dealin'begins
You'll give almost anything now for some real peace within."
"The Navigator" a pleasant, peaceful but preachy little tune.
"Vox Humana" Another quiet little song with a very nice melody.
Disc 2 The Dark Side
The "Genie in a Bottle"is alcohol, and it doesn't seem that either the corporate giant or the invisible nobody find peace in it. Good rock based song with some blues slide guitar, of course since it's Prog they have to divert from the rock drive once or twice.
"Fast Lane" is an odd fast paced Bodin tune with well delivered lyrics. This is not one of my favorites.
"Grand Old World" is another gentle song with a very nice addition of sax.
"Soul Vortex"is an instrumental with a jazz-rock feel that reminds me of ShootOut at the Fantasy Factory era Traffic.
"Rollin the Dice"is a weird, dark Bodin song complete with the devil, his servant and his choir.
"The Devil's Dance School" sounds like the jazz-fusion I used to listen to in college. It should provide a good introduction to the new FK drummer (Zoltan Csorsz) and bass player (Jonas Reingold).
"Man Overboard"is a good short song with melodies that hints at Steve Hackett's Voyage of the Acolyte.
"Solitary Shell" a quiet song with piano and Roine's singing. One of the few songs that reminds me of their earlier CDs. (or maybe Foxtrot era Genesis).
"Devil's Playground" is the second longest track at 24:30. Very dark orchestral beginning, moving to a rocking MI sounding theme, back to dark, then to classic prog (with some very nice lead guitar), then to jazz before a classic FK grande finale. Roine singing with excellent backing vocals (Pain Of Salvation's Daniel Gildenlow). I am liking this more every time I listen to it. It's curious that FK did not include this on their European set. |
| Flower Kings "Unfold the Future" | Demetrio
Dec 4, 2002 9:05 AM | | Thanks for the detailed review, can hadly wait to get my copy of this double cd too.
Best prog regards
Demetrio. |
| Your welcome | JoeMc
Dec 4, 2002 9:16 AM | | I purchased DT's "Images and Words" based on your recommendation and have enjoyed it very much. So a belated Thank you too. |
| Your welcome | Demetrio
Dec 4, 2002 9:21 AM | | Hey, Joe, very glad to know that, since "Images and Words" is my personal favorite DT release.
Demetrio. |
| IMAGES AND WORDS -- D T | MasterCylinder
Dec 4, 2002 9:35 AM | | I own this disc along with most of the DT catalog.
While I&W is great, FALLING INTO INFINITY is incredible followed closely by METROPOLIS Part 2, SCENES FROM A MEMORY. |
| Falling Into Infinity | BarryL
Dec 4, 2002 12:11 PM | | I didn't like Falling immediatly, and had written it off. Then I went to do a DT comp for the car, and realized what a great DT album it actually is. It was the beginning of the refinement of DT, so while it was a bit tame compared to what came before, it fits in nicely with what came after. In retrospect, its great, but at the time I first heard it, it was a bit tame for what I was expecting. |
| Hey Joe | DarrenH
Dec 4, 2002 9:41 AM | | where ya gonna go with that gun?...hehe...Can't help but to think of that great Hendrix tune. Anyway....
Great review. I too am enjoying "Unfold The Future". One of Roine's best and a solid group effort. Very different style to this one versus The Rainmaker. Heck, "Rainmaker" sounds different from anything The Flower Kings have done. The Rainmaker had a overall darker feel to the music. Heavier, more emphasis on guitars. I really liked "Rainmaker" but "Future" is equally just as good.
One last thing, if you liked DT's Images and Words I know you will like Falling Into Infinity. Check it out.
Darren |
| 1 more vote for falling into infinity | richmon
Dec 4, 2002 12:03 PM | | Although it really doesn't get started until the 3rd song, me likeee this disc alot, probably my favorite DT release (I don't have images + words however). |
| I'm having a difficult time getting into this set | Dave_G
Dec 4, 2002 9:35 AM | | "Truth" is classic TFK material, agreed.
I still maintain Roine needs to learn what "edit" means - theres a LOT of "music" on these two cd's, but there is also a lot of "filler" stuff going on, at least to me.
Flower Power is similar to this, too.
I love the Flower Kings but I think their studio recordings could be more edited down.
The Rainmaker is an excellent example of this - it doesn't have a bunch of filler and rocks from start to finish.
I think also TFK is much better live than lots if people realize!
Dave |
| Except | JoeMc
Dec 4, 2002 12:15 PM | | I would agree with you Dave, except the number of times you and I like the same CD (FK or Genesis,for example), yet we rarely pick the same songs as one of the best or even the better ones on the CD. I bet some of what you would call filler are some of the ones I thoroughly enjoy.
I also agree that this set is not as easy a listen as say Retropolis or The Flower King. It took me a couple times to like it. |
| Edit Edit Edit! | Troy
Dec 4, 2002 9:48 AM | | I don't like this album all that much. Though I've only spun it once, my initial reaction is that Roine needs to understand that just because you CAN fill 2 CDs with 140+ minutes of music, doesn't mean that you SHOULD. There is a lot of obvious jammy filler on it, something I've seen on other FK releases, but not in this quantity. I don't think the FKs should do the free-jazz thing. Lose the sax player- there are plenty of great other players in the band which I'd rather see showcased. There is some real sappy stuff on here too. There were moments, near the end of disc one, if I recall correctly, that made my skin crawl, actually, forcing me to reach for the remote- a first for a FK release for me. Sad.
Just like my initial reaction to "Space Revolver", I bet there is 45 minutes of great music on here someplace, I just haven't had the time to figure out where that is yet. I will play it again today.
Dumbo (I like that monikur the best Dave) talked about this the other day. I agree with him, I'd much rather the artist edit themselves to 50 minutes than to stick EVERYTHING on there and make me figure out what's good and what isn't. In ALL art, the artist needs to be able to self edit (or have a good editor) and not release his mediocre work because it dilutes the quality of the good work. |
| We Used To Have To Wait For Filler... | BarryL
Dec 4, 2002 12:23 PM | | Now it's filler on up from the get-go. The filler from 25 years ago is still coming out today by way of demos and unreleased albums. Now the bands just put everything down on tape and release it. At least some put all of the filler on a second bonus disk, and keep the best for the actual official release.
That being said, I've finally made it past track five on the first FK disk, and there is very little filler here. Granted that each track is not a masterpiece, but it doesn't sound like it was created just fill space. So at this point, my assessment of this FK release doesn't match yours, but then again, you're sounding old, bitter, cynical, and attention deprived. You need to get out more. You need Flower Power (should be easy there in the Bay area).
There is more to this world than bits and bytes. In fact, "we're more than magnetic ink, I know we are. "
(Can you name the song that that's from?) |
| Now we're forced to buy it | Troy
Dec 4, 2002 12:38 PM | | I just spun disc 1 on a fast trip into SF and back. Gee, if track 4, "Christianopel", isn't filler, then I don't know what is. It just noodles on and on forever. I also find "Navigator" and "Vox Humana" to be quite insipid and nauseating. YMMV.
Parts of track 1 were great, but over all, way too long at 30+ minutes. It loses it's way a bit int he middle. I liked the last 5 minutes of "Black and White" a lot. I'd cut "Silent Inferno" to 7 minutes, if I was the producer. In fact, this band NEEDS a producer that will say "NO!" when this band gets excessive, just like so many other progressive artists.
I have all the studio releases by this band and each is flawed with excessive filler tracks and/or ridiculous and embarassing lyrical/vocal content. Some are worse than others. I think disc 2 of "Flower Power" is probably the most cohesive disc they've laid down.
"There is More to this World" from "Retropolis" is the song. |
| Defintely cut the Jazz stuff | CZ
Dec 4, 2002 1:14 PM | | I agree Troy - I want FK, guitar-based rock/prog - I'll pull out jazz discs if I want a sax, or free-er form jazz, or fusion. I also don't care for the Camel era where they had Mel Collins on Sax - he ruined it for a while for me.
Cheers,
CZ |
| Just got it last night ... | CZ
Dec 4, 2002 1:10 PM | | Listening to the first track1/side1 right now. So far I like it quite a bit, but the CD is young. I have ALWAYS thought the Flower Kings have some incredibly great music surrounded either by filler or goofy parts. That is why I do not play their albums as often as many other groups.
I don't mind including songs that I don't like, I can just skip them as I listen along. What I hate is long songs that have parts I love, but too much noodling around it, so I get bored or pissed and after a while never listen to them again - and I know I'm missing out on some great stuff I want to hear.
I'm sure I'll like and listen to parts of this, but I won't play the whole thing.
The Flower King is still my favorite FK disk - it has a fun feel to it. Actually the one I play the most is Troy's FK comp he sent me long ago - not too much BS filler there. Thanks Troy - that one and the Spock's Beard one get lots of player time!
Maybe the best thing to do is to listen to the 2 CD sets, and condense it down to one CDR, and file the original away.
So - should I get Rainmaker? I don't have it yet, but maybe since it is a single CD release it is more cohesive and consistent.
Cheers,
CZ |
| Absolutely get Rainmaker!!!! | Dave_G
Dec 4, 2002 1:25 PM | | It is excellent.
Minimal to none filler crud.
It's as good as The Flower King, harder, but still great.
Dave |
| IMO, Don't Bother With Rainmaker. | BarryL
Dec 4, 2002 2:38 PM | | I listened to it yesterday and thought it was good, but with these bad attitudes, Rainmaker ain't gonna make it. It doesn't have the positive vibe of other FK disks. It also has sax playing.
I thought the only reason we buy so many CDs is to make comps to eliminate the songs we don't care for. Let's face it, 80% or more of music is crappy, so why set special standards for FK? |
| Huh? | Dave_G
Dec 4, 2002 3:35 PM | | Surely you jest?
Rainmaker is excellent, at least to my old ears!
Dave |
| Huh! | Troy
Dec 4, 2002 4:39 PM | | He doesn't jest, and stop calling him Shirley.
I don't like Rainmaker much either for the same reasons as Barry. |
| Will you still respect me in the morning? | BarryL
Dec 5, 2002 6:57 AM | | I like Rainmaker. There are some great tunes on it, including Serious Dreamers and Last Minute on Earth. Elaine is okay. If I recall, the song The Rainmaker itself is six minutes of filler.
My point was that if you people are going to nitpick every song, and analyze it to see if bars 32 through 36 (or 32 through 132) are really necessary to the integrity of the overall song, then don't bother with The Rainmaker. If you want four minute pop songs, then look to 80's Genesis or Fountains of Wayne. If you want really focused Flower Kings, go right for Scanning The Greenhouse, and wait for comps from your friends. There is more to this world that we see with our eyes. Have some patience, guys and gals.
By the way, what's with that song Vox Humana on the new FK CD? No wonder Troy went for the remote. I'm glad they chose to sequence it last. |
| Special Standards | Troy
Dec 4, 2002 4:42 PM | | I don't do that, really. There are many, many bands with solid all the way through albums in every genre. In a perfect world, they'd be edited down to a singel killer disc.
Yes, that is what comps are for. Thanks for CZ saying my FK comps prove this theory. |
| Special Standards | BarryL
Dec 5, 2002 7:12 AM | | While I really love to get double CDs for the price of a single, it is probably true that I would be a much more satisfied consumer with a much tighter selection of songs. So the equation is value versus listening aesthetics.
I think Porcupine Tree has this right. Wilson puts out finely crafted albums. There are short songs, and there are long songs. Then a few years later he puts out the outtakes, but is upfront about it. The recent release Metanoia is a whole CD of instrumental doodling outakes. While I don't think it's very interesting, at least I knew what I was buying. The sticker refers to it as improvised music to be filed under self-indulgent. In other words, its not really a Porcupine Tree official release.
The other problem with most bands today, and we've been through this a hundred times over the years, is that they don't take the time to really treat their music creativity as an art. There is little craftmanship involved, to hone the melody and structure into a powerful piece of music. That's the difference in my opinion between Close To The Edge and TFTO, which works in some places (side one in particular) and not in others (side two in particular). Relayer was a much better effort, but only because, I think, they took so much heat for Tales.
Bands like FK are putting out a double CD every year, and Stolt is working on other side projects. That's a lot of output, and while I admire that kind of creativity, it leaves little room for self-editing and fine craftsmanship. Neil Morse is suffering from the same problem, which is why I think he's abandoned his calling for now. There's too much pressure for creative quantity at the cost of overall creative quality. And the latter is the really hard part. That's why Troy is right: these guys need good producers.
So, where's the new Eddie Offord? |
| Dang - now I gotta buy Rainmaker ... | CZ
Dec 4, 2002 5:08 PM | | so I can determine who's full of crap - Dave G, or Barry and Troy. I'm full of crap myself, so I should be an excellent and qualified judge.
Cheers,
CZ |
| What is the matter with you people? | tim30
Dec 5, 2002 11:09 PM | | Stolt is a prolific artist with a unique vision. He creates works of art that most are unable and others wouldn't have the balls to make. I do not understand people that do not like his music because they can't enjoy a sax in their music, the jazzier tunes or the long songs and cds.. They are a generous and talented band that give you different styles and moods that most bands could not do. Variety is one of their best virtues. You guys talk like you want them to be like every other band. You want shorter songs no horns no jazz. NO VARIETY! Their songs are art. Most bands cant comprehend how to make these long songs. They are very good if one would have the attention span to relax and actually listen to the whole song. Open your minds. |
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