Customer Reviews

Alive On Planet Earth: Live 1999 (2CD)

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Very rarely would I suggest picking up a live CD before any studio CDs, but here I will make an exception. "Alive..." really captures the emotion of the Flower Kings music, and will most definitely get you hooked enough to seek out the rest of the bands catalog. The first two songs of the CD "More of This World" and "Church of Your Heart" are songs of the goosebump variety... I honestly didn't know there was still music like this available.

I'm the standard prog-head - grew up on Yes, Genesis, KC, etc. I GUARANTEE that if you come from a similar background, you will be blown away by this CD. Roine Stolt has quickly become - for my money - the finest guitarist/composer of today. His guitar playing is not so much fast as it is straight from his heart - it's a very emotional style, much like Steve Rothery of Marillion.

Anyway, please do yourself a favor and give these guys a try. It's the best new music available in the world. Period. Thank goodness for Roine and the Kings.

The Flower Kings prove that the future of progressive music is in good hands with Alive On Planet Earth. I picked this up a couple months ago in anticipation of Transatlantic, the new supergroup of Mike Portnoy (Dream Theater), Neal Morse (Spock's Beard), Roine Stolt (The Flower Kings), and Pete Trewavas (Marillion). Since then this 2CD set hasn't left my CD changer.

Influenced by the likes of Genesis and Yes, The Flower Kings can be classified as prog-rock. But some of the best moments come when The Flower Kings turn up the intensity, as in "Sounds of Violence" and the closing of "The Judas Kiss". All of the songs are extremely well crafted. Stolt proves to be an equally talented songwriter as Morse, Jim Matheos (Fates Warning), and Roger Waters.

To round things out, this is one of the best mixed live CDs I have ever heard. If you like bass guitar, you'll love this CD. The bass is right where it should be: out in front without sacrificing the other instruments. Whether you want to hear guitar, drums, bass, keyboard, or vocals, all are crystal clear.

We can only hope that bands like the The Flower Kings and Spock's Beard continue to produce CDs like this one. Our ears will be all the better for it.

As I had posted in an earlier review for "Flower Power"...this band has become an obsession...they are *that* good! Along w/Spock's Beard, the best of the new ProgRockers out there, imho.

Amazon recently got a supply of their earlier studio CDs (which I ordered) and after buying and listening to their complete catalog, nothing could have prepared me for their live stuff!

As compelling as their studio work is, nothing compares to live performances by this group. The magnificient vocals, musicianship, and sound are still here...but with new, jamming arrangements from the last few CDs (Flower Power, Stardust We Are) and some older material...and a great cover of Genesis' "Lamb Lies Down On Broadway" to boot!

From the beautiful "Church Of Your Heart" and "Stardust We Are Pt 3" to the *totally* jamming arrangements on "Big Puzzle" and "Judas Kiss"; this CD is a MUST have for all music fans out there. Probably the best examples of live jamming and re-arrangement of studio stuff since the days of the Greatful Dead.

These guys are phenominal musicians who write incredibly intricate music that is powerful, passionate, and delicate. I firmly believe that The Flower Kings will be the Band Of The Decade. This is a great intro to the band if you've never heard their stuff before, and icing on the cake if you have.

Buy this CD...it's wonderful!

The Flower Kings represent the best elements of the progressive rock genre: music that is complex and challenging, yet still provides great melodic hooks, virtuoso musicianship that is not only technically proficient, but emotionally sincere, and thoughtful, joyous lyrics balanced by lengthy instrumental passages. And all of that is here on "Alive on Planet Earth". I'm not a huge fan of live albums, but this one positively shines from beginning to end. Stand-outs are "The Judas Kiss", a version twice as long as the original, and twice as good, "Church of Your Heart", a wonderfully emotional piece, and "The Flower King", an acoustically charged romp that shows a prog band doesn't always have to be totally serious (listen to Roine telling the audience to "shake it" in the opening instrumental section!). These are only the stand-outs for me. There's not a note wasted on the album, whether the band is following a complex musical structure, or improvising just for the fun of it, or even covering a classic like "The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway". Roine Stolt is a fantastic guitarist, and every solo is pure magic. And for a live album, the sound is fantastic. Heartily recommended as your first Flower Kings album, or a worthy addition to your Flower Kings collection!

If you only get one CD this year, this has to be the one! The Flower Kings are the best thing I've heard in 25 years without exception. Anyone who likes Genesis(PG era), Yes, Camel, Dream Theatre will be blown away by this band. I mean BLOWN AWAY!

I like guitar solos...well-played, virtuoso (I didn't say 'shred'), passionate, guitar solos. This album is full of 'em. Roine Stolt is the best guitarist that nobody has heard of. But as good of a player that he is, the songwriting of this band (mostly by Stolt) is even more incredible. Where have these guys been all my life? This is the second Flower Kings CD I have heard. I also have their most recent studio disc, 'Flower Power' (which is also great), but none of the songs from that disc are present on this live recording. Thus, I have not heard the studio versions of any of these songs (save the Genesis cover). In any case, this is true prog for the year 2000. The Genesis/Yes influence is there, but oddly, I don't listen to either of those bands...but I love FK. The combined lyrics, musicianship, songwriting, vocals--and since this is a live disc--performance, of the Flower Kings surpasses both of those bands combined. Don't believe me? Check out 'The Judas Kiss,' 'Big Puzzle,' and especially, 'Eyes of the World' and 'Church of Your Heart.' And speaking of Yes, I'll take Roine Stolt over Steve Howe any day of the week. Listen to 'Sounds of Violence' and tell me if Howe could pull off that kind of emotion. Howe is technically great, but plays with all the emotion of a dead fish. (Roine also plays on the new release from Transatlantic, which I also highly recommend).

I've rambled long enough...get this disc--you won't be sorry!

I have tired to like the Flower Kings but they always leave me unsatisfied. I own two of their discs, and still listen to them repeatedly thinking they will grow on me, but they never do. Maybe I have their weakest discs? Some of the songs on this live outing are very good... "Sounds of Violence", "Big Puzzle", but many songs are rubbish and this inconsistency leaves me unimpressed.

This 2000 release presents a nice overview of the Flower Kings 1990s output. There is some solid playing and even a cover of The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway (Genesis, 1974). Unfortunately, I just did not feel that the energy levels were very high. I also do not think that their skills at improvisation are very good - this is a far cry from some of the landmark live rock albums out there.

Two keyboardists were featured on this two-disc set. Although I enjoyed listening to Tomas Bodin play on Disc 2, I have to admit that his replacement on Disc 1 plays just as well - I could not hear any substantial difference. On the sections where the group cuts loose - one of the highlights of a live album-it sounds like any pub band jamming away. This is odd because the North American stadium rock groups that the Flower Kings are stylistically closest to always put on a good show. Admittedly though, I enjoyed most of Big Puzzle, and there are a few other inspiring moments here and there. Nothing really stands out as distinctive though.

The sound quality is excellent. Apart from random hooting and hollering, audience noise is only present at breaks in the playing between tracks. The CD booklet features some arty images of the group and the distinctive cover art of Flower Kings albums.

All in all, this is a well-recorded live album and should appeal to fans the Flower Kings 1990s material. Unfortunately, I did not enjoy it too much because of the low energy levels and the fact that I am not the biggest fan of stadium rock.

This live album from The Flower Kings holds a special place for me since parts of disc 1 were recorded at ProgDay 1998 which I attended. It was indeed a magical show and the performances captured on this two disc set are all strong and represent some of the best of early flower kings material. Although this live CD was released after "Flower Power" it was recorded prior to that studio disc, so none of the material appears here. The majority of this album is culled from the band's first 3 studio efforts along with one Tomas Bodin solo track and an energetic cover of Genesis "Lamb Lies Down On Broadway". This album is a great representation of the band's live show and proof that they can pull of their complex material in a live environment. Disc one opens with "There Is More To This World", "Church Of Your Heart" and "The Judas Kiss" all of which are great. "Nothing New Under The Sun" and "The Lamb" close things out. Disc two opens with "Big Puzzle", "Sounds Of Violence" and "Three Stories" all of which are great with some nice heaviness and improvisation from the band. But, it is the last 3 tracks where things really all come together. "In The Eyes Of The World" is a great rocking track and the set closer for this tour. Encores are the soaring "Flower King" which although was first released on a Roine Stolt solo disc of the same name, has become the band's theme song. I like the live version here better than the studio version. The finale of "Stardust We Are Part III" is powerful and majestic as it should be. I remember being at the ProgDay festival on this tour as the band performed this with the sun setting over the trees. It was one of those live Goosebumps moments for me and I still rank it as one of my concert going highlights. Disc one was recorded in North America without keys man Tomas Bodin. In his place is Robert Engstrand who fill in nicely. Bodin appears on the 2nd disc recorded in Japan. The album is very well recorded and the sound is almost as good as in the studio. If you are not currently a Flower Kings fan and would like to check them out, this would be a great album to start with.

A good way to start with the band. Very good selection of the early Flower Kings music, of course, some songs are missing but overall, they made a good selection. The sound is very good, the only complaint I have is this one....where is the crowd on cd number two...they are very quiet !

Anyway, buy it for the music, not for the applause :)