FEATURED CD: The Flower Kings - Stardust We Are

[chalkpie]

This band was one of a handful that got me back on the prog train back in the middle-late 90's. I was a member of the Yahoo FK group and met a lot of great dudes, many of whom i consider great pals to this day like Gus, Guy, Bony Marone, Cat Roache, Stevie Gross, Ray, Jim Robinson, and other wackos. I still think that Roine has (had?) a real gift with melodies and at his best was excellent at arranging this stuff in a BIIIIG PROGG way. I kind of lost them after a while, and I still haven't heard their latest 2 albums in their entirety. This band brings back some real wonderful memories for me personally, and I always though that their NF set was really great.

[flowerking]

The best example is probably the tune Stardust we Are. That singsong bit 'stardust we aaaaaarrreeee' I can not stand but the instrumental middle piece is perhaps the best bit of music they have ever done. Those instrumental bits make this album a keeper for me.

Listen to their live version of this on Alive on Planet Earth. Froberg's vocals are excellent.

[Digital_Man]

I had it a long time ago. I remember liking Flower Power better. However, at the time I remember prog fans saying they liked SWA better because FP was too much too soon. Hello? How is that a legitimate criticism of the music? If they had enough sauce for another double album judge it by it's content not whether it was "too much too soon." Wtf?

Anyway, there were some good things on this album and I think "the man who walked with kings" is one of their better instrumentals.

[SteveSly]

Listen to their live version of this on Alive on Planet Earth. Froberg's vocals are excellent.

A good chunk of that album was recorded at ProgDay 98, although I don't think "Stardust" was taken from that performance if I remember correctly.

[progeezer]

My personal musical tastes have changed from mostly symphonic to more & more angular & quirky over the last 10 years, but this is an album that I can still listen to most of and enjoy tremendously, particularly the title epic & "Church".

[3LockBox]

I'd rather hear many of these songs from their first couple of live albums

[miamiscot]

Their best (although all of TFK's records are great.) This one is just terrific from start to finish. No filler to these ears.

[bill g]

I share this sentiment. I have always enjoyed their more instrumental moments and I like Roine's voice (sort of John Wetton with an accent). In fact, the song I like the least on disc one is the one "the other faction of TFK fans" tend to enjoy most (Church of Your Heart).

Disc 2 does meander a bit, if only because it's over 70 minutes and closes with the 25 minute title track. That said, I can only think of a few songs I don't care for.

But, I always listen to Disc 1 more often.

I think I share all those sentiments.

[Ground and Sky's Ghost]

I got this one at ProgDay the year they first performed (1997 or 1998, can't recall exactly which).

1998, and I can be sure of that without looking it up because that was the first year my wife went along with me and was also the last year she went for a long, long time, primarily because of the Flower Kings. She was pregnant at the time, really had to pee and didn't want to use the port-o-potties for fear the smell would make her sick. So she stuck it out until they announced their encore, thinking she was only a few minutes away from relief. And then they played some song that went on, and on, and on, and on for over 20 minutes. I still hear about that on occasion.

I hate to be Mr. Negativity on this thread but for what it's worth - I couldn't stand the band either. I should have let my wife talk me into leaving early.

[Plasmatopia]

Too bad Zappa didn't stick around long enough to cover this as Stardust We Is.

[SteveSly]

So she stuck it out until they announced their encore, thinking she was only a few minutes away from relief. And then they played some song that went on, and on, and on, and on for over 20 minutes. I still hear about that on occasion.early.

I am pretty sure the encore was "Stardust We Are" and yea, it went on for about a half hour. I loved it, but then again we tend to have different tastes. And yes those port-o-potties were particularly ripe that year with the heat.

[DTA]

Hit a sweet spot for me. I never came to like any of the other FK albums nearly as much as this one. I kind of wore out the title track. But the absolute gem here is "The Man Who Walked with Kings." That's just an achingly beautiful piece of music.

It reminds me of Hairless Heart quite a bit. Both excellent songs!

[Digital_Man]

It reminds me of Hairless Heart quite a bit. Both excellent songs!

Really? It reminds me more of "spectral mornings" for some reason.

[Plasmatopia]

I haven't heard this whole album in a while. Hearing the entire thing was something that was rare even when I had more time for listening than I seem to have now. I agree with TheLongShot's comments that the album is "luxurious" and "takes its time". It's definitely not an album that is leaning forward with an energy that is pushing toward the end from the first note. It just takes its sweet time and meanders whenever if feels like meandering. For that reason I think it sort of loses energy in a couple spots, but reaching the end quickly was apparently not the point. I see it as having more ups and downs than some of the previous single-disc albums. So despite having a lot of great tracks and also having themes that repeat here and there it doesn't seem that cohesive as an "album" per se.

Ultimately I don't think it makes much sense to complain about getting an album that has more music than one personally might want or need though.

[infandous]

I'm a long time Flower Kings fan, so this album is naturally one I love. It isn't, however, my favorite, or even second favorite. Actually, I'm not sure where I'd place. I think it's definitely a classic though, regardless of my opinion. I can't believe it's almost 20 years old!!

Anyway, I agree with Guy and the other poster that mentioned that it "takes it's time". With all their double albums, I tend to listen to one CD at a time, though this one I listened to the entire thing several times when I first got it. I tend to love a lot of the stuff most people call "filler" with TFK's. I think of the short interludes and instrumentals as "palette cleansers". I actually miss that kind of stuff on their more recent albums. This one is part of my favorite era of their music from Stolt's solo album "The Flower King" through "Space Revolver". With the exceptions of "Sum Of No Evil" and "Unfold The Future", that is where my most favorite Flower Kings material lie. The title track is one of their finest epics of all (my second favorite, after Garden Of Dreams). Just This Once is one of my all time favorite songs by them or anyone else.

I do agree that CD2 was a bit more meandering and has a couple tunes I could live without, but on the whole I think it's pretty solid for a double of such length.

[Poisoned Youth]

Anyway, I agree with Guy and the other poster that mentioned that it "takes it's time". With all their double albums, I tend to listen to one CD at a time, though this one I listened to the entire thing several times when I first got it. I tend to love a lot of the stuff most people call "filler" with TFK's. I think of the short interludes and instrumentals as "palette cleansers". I actually miss that kind of stuff on their more recent albums. This one is part of my favorite era of their music from Stolt's solo album "The Flower King" through "Space Revolver". With the exceptions of "Sum Of No Evil" and "Unfold The Future", that is where my most favorite Flower Kings material lie. The title track is one of their finest epics of all (my second favorite, after Garden Of Dreams). Just This Once is one of my all time favorite songs by them or anyone else.

I do agree that CD2 was a bit more meandering and has a couple tunes I could live without, but on the whole I think it's pretty solid for a double of such length.

Wow, mirrors most of my thoughts - even down to really enjoying the song Just This Once.

I, as well, pretty much enjoy all TFK material (including Roine's Hydrophonia and Bodin's first album) up through Space Revolver. Then add UTF and SoNE to the mix as my favorite material after that. Most of the rest I barely reach for with the exception of Roine's Wall Street Voodoo, which is excessive but has some great songs imo.

[BobM]

Every time I bought yet another Flower Kings album I kept hoping for another epic that hit me as hard as Stardust We Are. I think that was the only thing prompting me to buy more as another record came out year after year. This one surely stands out for me.

[Plasmatopia]

This band was one of a handful that got me back on the prog train back in the middle-late 90's. I was a member of the Yahoo FK group and met a lot of great dudes, many of whom i consider great pals to this day like Gus, Guy, Bony Marone, Cat Roache, Stevie Gross, Ray, Jim Robinson, and other wackos. I still think that Roine has (had?) a real gift with melodies and at his best was excellent at arranging this stuff in a BIIIIG PROGG way. I kind of lost them after a while, and I still haven't heard their latest 2 albums in their entirety. This band brings back some real wonderful memories for me personally, and I always though that their NF set was really great.

Those were the days...although I had a lot to learn and wish I hadn't said some of the stupid things I said back then, lol. But I agree - it was great to have "met" all of you back then which then of course led to meeting in person eventually.

[Rufus]

Remember seeing them on tour just prior to it's release. The played a very shortened version of the title track and remember the chorus just giving me shivers, beautiful song that has stayed with me since the first time I heard. Just couldn't wait for the album to come out and it didn't dissapoint!

[Hobo Chang Ba]

I listened to this for the first time in nearly 8 years last weekend and I must say I was pleasantly surprised by most of the album. While there are a few things I would probably leave off a playlist, the majority of the album I would keep.

I have a love/hate relationship with most of FKs music. This album is no exception.

For me there is this huge difference in quality between the instrumental parts and tunes (which usually I love) and the singsong parts (which I do not love and sometimes even hate).
The best example is probably the tune Stardust we Are. That singsong bit 'stardust we aaaaaarrreeee' I can not stand but the instrumental middle piece is perhaps the best bit of music they have ever done. Those instrumental bits make this album a keeper for me.

.

And this pretty much sums up my decision process there. There were more instrumental parts than I recalled and that really keeps it going through the 2 hours.

[zumacraig]

Like all of the earlier FKs releases, this one is a combination of brilliance and filler. They could have easily made an era-defining prog release had they limited this to 1 CD of In the Eyes of the World, Church of Your Heart, Merrygoround and Stardust We Are, perhaps with Circus Brimstone or 1 or 2 other shorter tracks thrown in. I never listen to this whole thing, just select songs. But just on the strength of the title track, this is well worth having.

Bloated albums is a bit of an issue for Flower Kings. Stardust is what it is, but it definitely could've been a killer single album or a double if kept to 40 minutes each. To me, the song Stardust We Are is THE 3rd wave prog epic. I also like how the main theme shows up in a few of the instrumentals. Other standouts are Church Of Your Heart, Circus of Brimstone, End of Innocence. The lyrical content is great too. So refreshing.

[zumacraig]

Every time I bought yet another Flower Kings album I kept hoping for another epic that hit me as hard as Stardust We Are. I think that was the only thing prompting me to buy more as another record came out year after year. This one surely stands out for me.

I think Numbers on Banks of Eden nails it.

[zumacraig]

I'm a long time Flower Kings fan, so this album is naturally one I love. It isn't, however, my favorite, or even second favorite. Actually, I'm not sure where I'd place. I think it's definitely a classic though, regardless of my opinion. I can't believe it's almost 20 years old!!

Anyway, I agree with Guy and the other poster that mentioned that it "takes it's time". With all their double albums, I tend to listen to one CD at a time, though this one I listened to the entire thing several times when I first got it. I tend to love a lot of the stuff most people call "filler" with TFK's. I think of the short interludes and instrumentals as "palette cleansers". I actually miss that kind of stuff on their more recent albums. This one is part of my favorite era of their music from Stolt's solo album "The Flower King" through "Space Revolver". With the exceptions of "Sum Of No Evil" and "Unfold The Future", that is where my most favorite Flower Kings material lie. The title track is one of their finest epics of all (my second favorite, after Garden Of Dreams). Just This Once is one of my all time favorite songs by them or anyone else.

I do agree that CD2 was a bit more meandering and has a couple tunes I could live without, but on the whole I think it's pretty solid for a double of such length.

I thought Adam+Eve was your favorite

[saucyjackstl]

I have a love/hate relationship with most of FKs music. This album is no exception..

For different reasons then you list, I am the same. I have often thought about what would have happened if they constructed this as a single instead of double CD. There are so many parts I like but others that just seem to underwhelm.

[ca1ore]

Though I am not much of a FK fan, this album is outstanding. This and Space Revolver are the only ones that still get regular play chez moi.