Customer Reviews

Paradox Hotel (2CD)

5 star:		(22)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Well, the Flower Kings have been my favorite band for about 7 years now, yet I've never felt that they produced a solid 5-star cd before this one. Over the years, they've successfully integrated 70's-style prog along with the occasional jazz fusion sequence, original and interesting compositions and arrangements, catchy refrains - and it's all been done with some of the best musicians in all of rock. "Paradox Hotel" showcases their talents like no other recording before it....and it undoubtedly deserves 5 stars!

This is perhaps their most Yessy-sounding cd; and with harmonies and lyrics that frequently intone "heaven", "God" and even the word "roundabout", the Yes comparisons are pretty hard to ignore. (See "Hit Me With a Hit", "Minor Giant Steps", "Man of the World", and the last 3 minutes of "End on a High Note" in particular.) Not as much of the ELP or Crimson sound this time around. In fact, if anything there's a little more "pop" bent to this cd....but don't read that as "commercial". I mean, this IS the Flower Kings, so you still get a good dose of odd meters, polyphony, complex arrangements and clever ideas.

This is just a very even album for them, with more songs in the shorter range (that is, 5 or 6 minutes!), and they just flow together and transition effortlessly. The introspective and compassionate lyrics continue to augment the great melodies. Every song is unique and well-crafted. I echo everyone else: "How do they do it year after year?"

Perhaps what struck me most on this cd is how much they sound like a BAND - not just a bunch of virtuosos from Sweden pieced together to play Stolt's music. And virtuosos they are! Jonas Reingold is still my favorite bass player these days, alternating between thick Rickenbacker and gentle fretless bass. Tomas Bodin showcases the grand piano much more on this album, but there's also plenty of organ, mellotron, and other assorted synths and sound effects. He is GREAT on this cd, and (again) probably my favorite keyboard player since Tony Banks. And Roine Stolt is simply incomparable: inventive solos and riffs, clever modulations, and sweet sounding slides - check out his slide guitar on the 21-minute album opener "Monsters and Men". Sublime. Roine Stolt is a musical genius, and clearly in a class by himself.

New drummer Marcus Liliequist is excellent as well; perhaps not quite as jazzy as former TFK stickman Zoltan Czorsz, but he nimbly leads the group through the 4-3-4-2 time changes on "Unorthodox Dancing Lesson", and sounds perfect for the classic Flower Kings sound. And Hasse Froberg is in great voice on this cd, writes one excellent song himself, and fills in with lots of cool rhythm guitar.

I've seen others compare this album favorably to Stardust We Are and Flower Power. But I sense that Stolt and company tried to touch on themes or sounds that conjure up almost ALL of the TFK back catalog: e.g., ping-pong balls (Retropolis); monsters (Space Revolver, Adam & Eve); the troubled woman ("Elaine" from Rainmaker), underdogs, freedom, dancing, and so on. The album begins and ends with some mission control sound clips from around 1970, perhaps to establish the "hotel as microcosm of Earth" metaphor? And you can still hear the mischievous Scandinavian gnome laughing in various spots throughout the album (a TFK staple). The only thing I kind of miss is the sax playing that Ulf Wallander used to do on the earlier TFK cds. But other than that, this is pure prog heaven courtesy of the Flower Kings.

HIGHLY, Highly, highly recommended.
Paradox Hotel: Check in....and check it out.

I value interesting music that is played and recorded well. This cd's rating was based on:
Music quality = 9.1/10; Performance = 9.5/10; Production = 9.5/10; CD length = 10/10.
Overall score weighted on my proprietary scale = 9.4 ("5 stars")

Ten years into their recording career and nine albums down, the Flower Kings show no signs of getting stale. "Paradox Hotel" is a concept album detailing the motley occupants of a crowded hotel, a metaphor for the diversity of humankind, our potential for great good and great evil.

Songwriter/guitarist Roine Stolt has tweaked with the usual Flower Kings formula a little bit here, but never fear - the results are fantastic. The epic length compositions take the back burner in favor or shorter, riff driven songs, each describing a character in the hotel. Yet none of the complex melodies or beats are sacrificed, and good musicianship is still center stage. New drummer Marcus Lilquist performs admirably in the rhythm section, and the rest of the band turns in A+ performances.

"Paradox Hotel" has a slightly more melancholy feel to it than previous Flower Kings efforts, especially on tracks like "Bavarian Skies" or "Lucy Had a Dream." Nevertheless, the introspective lyrics don't fall into pretentiousness as concept albums often do. Fans of the band will be pleased while newcomers - and this reviewer hopes there will be many - will get a good introduction to this vastly underecognized band.

After having seen the Flower Kings twice within the past year, I was eagerly awaiting the new album Paradox Hotel. In my opinion, this album is as good as anything they've ever done. The music is melodic, challenging, interesting and leaves plenty of space for melodies and themes to develop. Sometimes I think that a good number of very proficient bands forget that if there is to be light, there has to be dark. If there is turmoil, there must be serenity. If there is to be a display of blistering chops, there must be space to offset them. The Flower Kings figured this out long ago. This album is as good as it gets in the symphonic progressive vein. It is true craft. I'm not sure, but it seems to me to be a good point of reference for someone exploring the Flower Kings for the first time.

As much as I've enjoyed the side projects released by the various members (past and present) of The Flower Kings, I always look forward to a new release by the band itself. There's a kind of synergy that's more than the sum of its parts between Froberg's soaring vocals, Stolt's prolific, quality songwriting and spot-on guitar work, Bodin's imaginative (and at times bizarre) contributions on keys, together with the rock-solid rhythm section of Reingold on bass and (now) Liliequist on drums. (Percussionist Bruniusson also turns up here, and does very competent work as always, though on past releases he has occasionally gone a bit overboard IMO.)

After a pair of releases (Unfold the Future and [to a lesser extent] Adam and Eve) that were relatively short on memorable melodies and punchy prog, and long on jazzy jam-band segments, Paradox marks a move back towards the kind of compositions that got me hooked on the Flower Kings back in the days of "Stardust" and "Flower Power"! Although it's too early for me to speculate as to which tracks will attain "classic" status on my mp3 player, "Monsters and Men," "End on a High Note," "Minor Giant Steps," "What if God is Alone," and "Paradox Hotel" are early favorites.

TFKs are a band worthy of your support - along with Neal Morse & Spock's Beard, they kept the "melodic prog" genre alive almost single-handedly through the 1990s, and paved the way for some of the newer acts (e.g. Kino) that are now emerging. Roine Stolt and company just keep pumping out interesting and worthwhile TFK releases, and this one is no exception. Long live The Flower Kings!

Although I did not hate in the least Adam and Eve, this is more of a return to their classic sound. What I want to know is how in the hell can these guys continually churn out memorable albums of double length consistently? Roine Stolt must have two lifetimes of inspiration in that creative head of his. This has lots of layered symphonic keyboards and the lilting voices of Froberg and Roine. I am a cynical, nihilistic, misanthropic individual and The Flower Kings are the only band that consistently move me. Albums like "Stardust We Are" and "Flower Power" drove me almost to tears! This one may upon further spins. Fight homogenized commercialized slop music by supporting true talented bands like the FLOWER KINGS!

I am pleased, no...really pleased to hear this enjoyable album by the most prolific musicians to be found, our beloved Flower Kings.

Many reviews mention a step back to their older sound, which to some degree is true, that is if you consider songs like "The Unorthodox Dancing Lesson" to be an older style. It's a nice change of pace with a strong Zappaesque sense of humor, not to mention the tasty percussives such as marimba and the theft of a considerable amount of 1990 - NOW era King Crimson guitar riffing and, more importantly, harmonic transpositions. How do I know? I steal them all the time on my own little ditties. But hey, who cares? This is fun stuff with more than a little charm that was missing from the more serious Adam & Eve and Unfold the Future, both monster albums (do TFK know what a 40 minute release is? I think not, unless it's a song)

So what do we get here that is so different? Well, first off, Zoltan has gone which, while a shame; he was an amazing drummer, but is replaced with an equally excellent drummer, Marcus Liliequist, who seems to fit with TFK program a bit better.

Also gone are Daniel Gildenlow, at least on this set of CDs. Added are exceptional vocals with a bluesy grit on Hans Froberg's part. Man, this guy has really stepped up the quality of vocals starting with "The Rainmaker" album! "Life Will Kill You" has him rocking out as hard as I can remember, and it is evident throughout both Paradox Hotel CDs. While not as immediately noticible in the mix, and often the sign of the instrument doing it's job right is Hasse Bruniusson whipping up an arsenal of percussion and whatnots that contribute mightily to Paradox Hotel.

Meanwhile, Ronine Stolt is having a very interesting mid-life crisis. First with his latest solo album "Wall Street Voodoo" where he devotes a good amount of writing and playing to bluesy riffing that at times reminds of his hero, Frank Zappa, but with a more melodic edge that makes him so beloved. Zappa, while a good guitarist sometimes noodled in extremis. Roine noodles too, but he has a lot more styles on his belt and more gears to adjust to. As a result he can flip from a gorgeous prog-rock melody to a five note blues figure that adds another twenty notes in his string bending technique alone.

I get tired of lots of guitar, or any instrument's solos, and Roine comes really close to my tolerence level, but that's why I appreciate him so. He knows when he's pushing the envelope on a solo and either changes style, gears, or ends it. Also, and something most guitarists in all types of music seem incapable of learning, Roine knows how to start, maintain and finish solos so that you might spend five minutes listening to that solo but he gave you a well crafted piece of music, even if it's indulgent...and let's be honest, most, especially The Flower Kings brand of progressive rock are loaded with indulgences. It's part of what we love about good prog bands!

Take a good look at the cover. Look familiar? It depends on your age and kind of music you listen (listened) to. The cover of Paradox Hotel looks like a Zappa album circa 1974 or so. It's mildly funny, sarcastic and political. And make no mistake, Roine and Hans feel like saying a few things about the political climate of the world we live in. It's not as errie as The Rainmaker's, Last Minute on Earth (or Porcupine Tree's in Absential which is chilling in it's portrayal of life in the beginning of the 21st century). Here on Paradox Hotel we could be talking about the similar gripes of musicians from the 70s as well as 2006's school of artists.

Another nice aspect of the Hotel are it's ambient and beautiful use of synthesizers and keyboards. The other 70s connection is the use of keys as a sound source, and by that I mean a source of sounds new and unique, used to further the quality of the recording. Beyond the 70s reference the last time TFK used sound as a source of exploration so well was Retropolis, one of my favorite Flower Kings albums. Tomas Bodin is masterful at finding the little spacess and filling them with interesting synth and sample based sounds, as are Stolt and bassist Jonas Reingold. Reingold's playing has been a pleasure for his entire stint in the band. He plays many styles an has a knack for finding the best tone from his instrument.

While he and drummer Marcus Liliequist really know how to set up a rhythm, ground it and push the song along without calling undue attention as Chris Squire and Alan White do when they get into their "Lead Bassist, Lead Drummer mode when they start getting intense.

A telling lyric by Stolt, "You're stuck between the Flower Kings and dreams inside revolving doors" as the closing song of CD 2 and the album, Blue Planet, moves off in a vapor cloud of guitar, synth and a weather report from an astronaut in outerspace.

It's typical of all the songs on Paradox Hotel. It speaks of the oddities of life, brings them to fore, how many weather reports from space do you hear? Pet themes of spirituality are all over the album. As someone that abhors an industry of "Christian" music, and note, this is me speaking, not TFK, but I loathe the industry and often political tool and propeganda to present the, as I once heard it called, "the real alternative rock, where we keep the perverts out and spread the gospel." And I mention this because I have nothing bad to say about sincere beliefs that are part of ones spiritual context, be it Christian, Jewish, Musilim, Buddest, etc." The problem I often have, and doesn't plague me at the Paradox Hotel, questions are asked, ideas considered and I'm not being told what a low-life scum I am for not sharing the exact same thoughts, even though I do and this aspect of the album sits well with my current thoughts and concerns.

Now, I haven't mentioned CD1 yet. That's right, and for the most part I'm not going to other than say it is of equal quality in terms of performance, content and cagey use of Flower Kings ideas that get a good working over. In part, two CDs are a lot to review, and in part because the 2nd CD didn't seem to have as much said of it, so I tried to fill that void.

Here's some things to consider as they involve a lineage between Paradox Hotel and "Retropolis". Besides the strong sense of spirituality there's a fairly strong amount of looks back to the space program, the musical shift to the melodic rather than the abstract, something that I usually applaud in a band, however, The Flower Kings did give five or six CDs of their sound infused with Jazz Fusion ala the John McLaughlin school of intensity and tons of odd meter music, again, both areas I like, yet I am comforted by TFK backing off a bit and discovering themselves. In many ways it's like listening to a group of people reaffirming their goals and beliefs, and boy do they do so, particularly on the only epic track, Monsters & Men, preceeded by the ambient voice over electronica begging of the album, Check In.

Although we hear a lot of the Yes side of TFK in Monsters & Men much of Paradox Hotel sounds like the Flower Kings...yeah, to some of you that means "X" part Yes, "X" part Genesis, 23.76% whoever they sound like to you. After all this time the Flower Kings have their own sound and like those of us that spend too much time trying to explain bands by who they sound like (take it from me, that bunch of comparisons gets unwelcomed real quick!) I'm not sure why, but I feel a sense of contentment and happiness. This very well my be my favorite TFK album as further listens occur.

When I first listened to CD1 I wasn't sure about the lyrical tone of "Jealousy" and "Hit Me With A Hit" which seemed a tad, shall we say bitter? And as it turns out that is the intent. Rather than bitching about life Roine describes those that do, taking a Spock's Beard-esque happy melody in the latter and talking about "cutting corners to make fit" for making a radio happy song. Then it goes into a somewhat extended, half the five and a half minute song that alternates between hard edged Beatlesque rock with some very tasty odd metered, chromatic music as the antidote, I'd imagine, to the cheaply made song. It's nothing new, but it's nice to hear and it takes a whiney song and makes it good.

If you like TFK but felt they lost their way for a few albums, chances are you will love this album. It is the first Flower Kings album, and a double one at that, that I feel is filler free!

Lastly, I read this was a mostly live in the studio kind of album with a "White Album" kind of relationship for the band. I see the comparison although Paradox Hotel sounds like the band minimized it's contact with the many side projects they were involved with and put more time into the band. As a result there is lots more fine playing, more consistant songwriting and focus on the melodies within the songs, meaning that a good tune like The Unorthodox Dance Lesson might get pounded by some reviewers. Not that it isn't good, it is wonderful, but by the terms of this album it is a bit complex and daring, whereas on previous albums there would have been no question as to it's being a fine song.

In the end, this is a Flower Kings double CD. Long time detractors will find two CDs full of reasons to complain. Fans will be really happy to get a new album that moves a bit differently from the prior direction of the band. As stated, and stated again, to a degree the direction is slightly retro, but it's also one of the most focused and enjoyable albums the Flower Kings have put out in many years.

Roine and Hans are in spectacular voice, are talking about subjects they seem genuinely interested, perplexed or excited about. Beyond spirituality, morality and personal responsibility are themes from this grand new album.

Having seen enough negative reviews I felt like writing (and writing, and writing) about this very enjoyable album. This is the first Flower King double album I can't think of whittling down to a single disc on my m:robe player. I'm looking forward of getting out of the house for a reason to put the album on and grooving to is as I go shopping. Priced as it is, I think this is a easy album to take a risk on. Ironically, many of the shorter songs remind me of what I liked in Spock's Beard, but enjoyed a bit more as the type of tunes run from the weirdly Broadway by means of Germany on Bravarian Skies, a not so happy look down memory lane, hate and attempts at ironic black humor.

Lastly, the live-in-studio experience suits the Kings well. The recording is excellent as usual but more immmediate and spirited. I'd say Paradox Hotel reminds me of Let It Be Naked, where the Beatles were still in the fun part of making an album, playing the music and not worrying about the big honking choir and orchestra reversing the intent of a live in the studio album. The Kings seem quite happy here. I hope there was a videography of these sessions as I get the feeling fun was had by all, and as we all know, fun is contagious. Perhaps that's why I'm so into this album already. No matter, for the first time in memory TFK come off as "light" even when they're rocking out and progging with great complexity.

TFK is one of my favorite bands. They had a four-album streak that is nothing short of amazing (Retropolis, Stardust We Are, FlowerPower, Space Revolver). After that, someone decided that the band needed a new direction. However, this move produced one of the biggest disappointments ever IMO with The Rainmaker, which was just awful in every respect. Following that, a new vocalist, Daniel Gildenlow, was recruited but Stolt's writing style clashed with his vocal style. This resulted in two more mediocre albums by TFK standards (Adam & Eve, Unfold the Future). Fortunately, Gildenlow refused to enter the US for political reasons and the band cut him.

Now we have here a new TFK album, Paradox Hotel that harkens back to the glory days. I have to admit that I was reluctant to give this album a chance but after a few listens, I realized that this thing is greatness. It's consistently good from start to finish. Froberg and Stolt have never sounded better. Some may complain about the more mainstream bass and keyboards but it's nice to play these songs for people who aren't into Prog Rock and listen to them say, "Wow, who is that? That's great stuff!" Besides, do we really need more weird keyboard noises? Anyway, this album has quickly moved up the ranks to become one of my all-time favorites. As for the folks below who complain about the sub-par lyrics, I thought the same thing at first but there is a lot of subtlety here (less is more) and I would suggest giving it another try. For example, the person taking their last breath at the end of Blue Planet and the song fading out with the astronaut looking down at earth is just plain clever. Not to mention interwoven themes of death and the afterlife, Paradox Hotel being a metaphor for life's ultimate transition...

It's simply unbelievable. Whenever The Flower Kings releases a new album, it becomes an instant favourite of mine. Such was the case with their 2004 release Adam & Eve, perhaps their darkest work. With Pain of Salvation frontman Daniel Gildenlow doing the lead vocals on a couple of tracks, the album was simply different with its exquisite rhythm work, excellent guitars, and rich vocal harmonies. Though the album wasn't received as well as some of their earlier releases, it managed to be the only Flower Kings release that I listened to for over eight months straight.

Now, the Swedish prog rockers are back with Paradox Hotel, their new album. Unfortunately Daniel Gildenlow is no longer part of the band, and also gone is the band's long-time drummer Zoltan Csorsz who has left for personal reasons. The new drummer is the equally amazing Marcus Liliquist who you may remember from his exceptional performance on keyboardist Tomas Bodin's last solo album I Am. Liliquist's drumming is decidedly less busy than Csorsz' and he also has a less jazzy approach to rhythm. He is more direct and likes to keep it simple, still adding in some of the finest rhythm work, such as the nuanced percussion on "Pioneers of Aviation", complete with a multitude of sound effects including church bells; or the excellent brush drums on "Hit Me with a Hit", a relatively catchier and vocal-driven piece. Stolt's lead tone on this track is at its warmest and most arresting, while Jonas Reingold lays down a funky bass line throughout.

The album is divided into two CD's, and contains songs from four members. Although Roine Stolt is still the primary writer, there are several pieces penned by Tomas Bodin, such as the weird intro track that introduces a concept; some tracks written by Stolt, Bodin, and Reingold together; and even a track by solely Hans Froberg. Needless to say, the result is a very diverse yet perhaps slightly laidback album. For a start, Paradox Hotel is no where near as dark as its predecessor, but it is progressively rich in powerful arrangements, riveting strings (give "Bavarian Skies" a listen with excellent vocals by Froberg), and elaborate guitar work. The vocal harmonies are still first class, while the band's love for Yes is still evident in much of their songwriting attitude. The second track from Disc One: Room 111, "Monsters & Men", at over 21 minutes, is bound to become a future classic for the band. The piece goes through several movements, each haunting in a different way, and sees the band juxtaposing elegant piano melodies and slick guitar riffs; Bodin adds swells of analog synths to the mix and Stolt's bluesy guitar work recalls his recent solo album Wall Street Voodoo. So diverse is the song that every imagineable genre is brought into the track, starting with classically inspired orchestration and concluding with wild fusion guitar that also bleeds into folk music before returning to its blues leanings.

One song that stands out for its interesting lyrics on the first disc is "Jealousy", portraying an ironic look at the devil envying the suffering of human beings. The song is graced by a distant female choir whose vocals are so fragile yet also vital to the track's success. There are so many aspects to this disc it would be impossible to mention each of them. But I believe the acoustic guitars that open the rocking "Selfconsuming Fire" do deserve a special mention.

On the second disc Room 222, which is a bit more improvised and drawn-out in it expression, the band continues to expand on their retro-prog sounds, with adventurous synth layerings and multiple vocal parts on "Minor Giant Steps"; or Bodin's heart-breaking piano song "Touch My Heaven" (complete with passionate vocals and sparse guitar notes); or "The Unorthodox Dancing Lesson" with its monstrous rythmic anchor in 13/8 timing. "Man of the World" is another track that allows some bass ownage, perhaps because Reingold is one of the guys who wrote it. This track is also a nod to the band's earliest works, touching on jazz and utilising cool acoustic guitars as well. Last but not least, Stolt's vocals on "The Way the Waters Are Moving" are some of his most emotive and moving I've heard, be it with Flower Kings or solo.

Perhaps the reason why each song on Paradox Hotel flows so well is that the material on it was all recorded in seven days before the band added their vocal harmonies and edited the tracks accordingly. This album is one of the most spontaneous Flower Kings releases ever, and there's no reason why it should let any of their fans down, unless they were strictly expecting the band to follow the dark route opened up with Adam & Eve. Two discs, over 135 minutes of music, Paradox Hotel is another album that will rank high in prog rock circles' 2006 lists.

This band is really great, I have to admit that after two or three sessions with this double cd, I was a bit dissapointed.
As time goes by and few other listening, I have to admit that my first opinion was wrong, yes, this is another major creation in the Flower Kings's history. Greatly done ! This cd stands also in the high standard for musical achievement like "Stardust we are" or "Flower Power", among the best from the band ! Monster and men is another wonderful "epic"...good job guys !

I'm not prone to even typing reviews, much less "Flowery" ones. But TFK have quickly become my new favorite band. After hearing bits and snips here and there I finally purchased "Adam and Eve" last year and have been playing it to the point that I may have to buy a new copy already! Paradox Hotel for me is a real treat. Being a Yes freak relic from the 70's my favorite track is Minor Giant Steps, reminds me of Close to the Edge I guess. The concept of the album is sort of an Earth_as_Hotel theme, the songs being vignettes of the "residents" of the hotel, "some good, some bad" as quoted from the title track. The intro and outro of the 2 cd piece feature a look at the earth from space, with some cleverly placed sound bites from NASA peppering the album. A well thought out, cleverly composed concept. Kudos to The Flower Kings, truly the Kings of Prog Rock in the new millenium!