Customer Reviews

Space Revolver (Bonus CD)

5 star:		(28)
4 star:		(18)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Comparatively speaking, the Flower Kings' music takes awhile to get into. Sometimes prog is easily accessible and it becomes more engaging as you pick up the wonderful nuances of each song. Not so with Flower Kings. While it has it's catchy moments, you can't really appreciate this one until you spend a lot of time listening to it. If you're already a Flower Kings fan, it won't take as long, but it's still a bit of 'work'.

But it's worth it! The two part epic "I Am the Sun" (that opens and closes the album) is brilliant, weaving intricate soundscapes and moving from heavy moments to a more jazzy groove (and many other changes) very smoothly. "Dream on Dreamer" is a strange song that doesn't really seem to serve much purpose aside from moving into the next track. The cool instrumental "Rumble Fish Twist" is a crazy 8-minute ride...it's exhilarating and fun at first, but then it changes and becomes a slow, lugubrious tune that leaves you feeling down (in a good sort of way). "Monster Within", one of the album's longer tracks, took a really long time to really get into (for me, at least), but it's now one of my favorite tracks. The lyrics seem to meander a lot at the end, but the music keeps things concise and focused. "Chicken Farmer Song" is a silly, upbeat tune that remains the catchiest song on the album even if it's the cheesiest (it's probably a guilty pleasure to like it, but whatever...it's cool). "Underdog," "Slave to Money" and "A King's Prayer" are all solid tracks, while "You Don't Know What You've Got" -- which is principally a pop song -- is pretty good but I think it's the weakest here.

If anything is questionable, it might be Roine Stolt's vocal delivery. It takes some getting used to, with his accent and all. The lyrics are pretty wack too...but I like them in a weird sorta way.

All in all this is a good album, but although I like Flower Power and Stardust We Are more. If you're new to Flower Kings, I'd go with one of those. If you're already a fan, pick this one up.

Final Note: The liner notes are very nicely produced, and the picture beneath the CD itself is quite amazing.

Question: if you were to take the master tapes of Yes' "Close to the Edge", ELP's "Brain Salad Surgery", Genesis' "Lamb Lies Down on Broadway", UK's "UK" and Return to Forever's "Romantic Warrior", cut them up ,splice the pieces together, and add some incredible original licks, what would you get? Answer: the Flower Kings' "Space Revolver"! This album flattened me with dazed astonishment minutes after putting it on, and left me mentally out of breath by its end. It took me hours to return to reality after such an epic musical voyage. I am an old prog afficionado of the school of Genesis, early Rush, Yes, ELP, UK, Starcastle, Focus, early Queen, Dixie Dregs, and Kansas, as well as more obscure stuff like Camel, FM, Triumvirat, Nektar and Gryphon, and REALLY obscure but great stuff like Galaxy and Fireballet (you won't find them here). As such, though prog isn't the only music I listen to by a long shot, when I purchase music labeled "prog", I approach it with cautious skepticism. Much of the "prog" of the late 70's and 80's was a vacuous shell of its former self, many groups having sold out to commercialism to survive. In this present era of TrashPunkGrungeDeathMetal, Gansta Rap, Britney and the rest of the DisneyTeenMachine, and TransAmbientTechnoJungleEuroDanceRaveMusik, how glorious it is to hear the jaw-dropping hypersonic dazzle of the Flower Kings' superior musicianship transport me to other solar systems and beyond! This album at least equals any of the aforementioned prog classics, if not surpassing them!

Ok, First I will point out to all of you that I'm only 16 and that my review here might have a negative effect on people but I assure you that I'm not throwing the bucket on anybodies opinions, I'm just merely making my own :). Ok, I've been listening to prog for a couple of years now and I realize that the definition of progressive rock to me is music that combines many different styles of music in one. They just put that label on it becuase they DON'T know where to place the music in. Is it rock? classical? jazz? country? fusion? it doesnt matter..it's music!! And this cd by the Flower Kings shows how musically open - minded they are. Sure you've got your obvious influence, Genesis and Yes and so on..but I can hear sounds of Hendrix, Beatles, Miles Davis, and The Doors smuged in their too along with 100% of their creativity. Let's go on with the tracks.. 1.I Am The Sun - Beautiful with alot of different moods ranging from spacey and sort of romantic music interludes in the beginning and then coming into a driving bass rythmn that brings on the deep and bizarre vocals of Stolt (very cool) and then from there exploding into all kinds of different styles like a personality disorder. 2.Dream On Dreamer - I can't believe alot of people don't like this. Sure it sounds like jazz but who cares! Keep an open mind..this is some of the spaciest jazz I've heard. It sort of puts me in sort of fantasy night landscape..very moving. 3.Rumble Fish Twist - Oh my god. This is one of the best tracks on the record to me. It's got sort of a black and white effect. It starts off with an attitude that will make performers of swing drop their jaws. I can almost see people dancing to the first part of this song as it spins and whirls around my headphones. Ok, time for a rest. The song then turns into a very mellow classical sounding synth with guitar soloing swirling in a comforting pulse. Breathtaking.. 4.Monster Within - Now you've got a metal influence in the music. These guys don't stop with the variety. Not just metal but all kinds of things are happening in this song that I can't put my finger on. It's also wierd because it has an evil theme to it..about nightmares and fear and such. 5.Chicken Farmer Song - Now were getting a little folky. Song does sound a bit poppy but like I said I don't really care its all music to my ears. The song may sound silly but the lyrics are actually very deep and moving almost. 6.Underdog - Hmmmm country? Whatever! I also hear bagpipes! My god when I heard the beginning to this song I almost passed out..how can these guys have the guts to put bagpipes in their music? They obviously dont care what anybody thinks about it..so they'll do it anyway. Very catchy chorus to this song I think! 7.You Don't Know What You Got - Nice acoustic piece..too short to say much about it though..but it is friendly and playful and fun to listen to. 8.Slave To Money - This song is almost like a carnival ride the way it flows and sort of bounces. Lots of different things happening in this track so keep your ears open. 9.A King's Prayer - Oh now their getting a little on the philosophy side of things. Very deep and peacful song that really kind of makes me feel good about the world for 6 minutes. Lyrics are some of the best on the album 10.I Am The Sun - "sigh" the end of the album. But it closes with a nice mellow finish, finishing up the first song on the album. Sort of like a Pink Floyd effect. Also I hear alot of the Floyd sound on this track as it fades away and the CD stops turning. Well in conclusion I believe this band is one of the best musical acts out there today and its really a treat to hear this music in a world of billboard chart bubblegum pop. I think I'll go listen to Stardust We Are now :).

When I first got interested in the Flower Kings, I'd heard that Space Revolver and Stardust We Are were the places to start. I bought Space Revolver first since it's only a single CD, and boy was I glad I did! Ultimately, Space Revolver is the Kings' best album to date (whereas Stardust We Are is a very mixed bag).

It was the first track, "I Am The Sun (Part 1)" which hooked me in, with its meaty overture and then its thumping bass-driven verses and chorus, covered with guitarist Roine Stolt's smooth voice. Although it trails off in the second half into modern free jazz riffs and arrangements, it's still overall a strong start to the disc. It's unfortunately followed by "Dream On Dreamer", the album's weakest track.

Things quickly pick up again: "Rumble Fish Twist" is an engaging and driving instrumental, and "Monster Within" is a strong and portentious track whose sounds (again heavily driven by the bass) evoke images of old monster movies. "Underdog" is a soaring anthemic piece driven by Stolt's vocals and with a deceptively complex orchestration.

"You Don't Know What You've Got" is a quiet break from the powerful melodies of the previous tracks, a simply arranged piece based around a simple vocal melody. It's followed by the lengthy and varied "Slave To Money".

But the album shines the brightest on the final two tracks. "Kings Prayer" is an outstanding rock song which evokes images of bygone ages, making excellent use of Tomas Bodin's synthesizer skills, a variety of percussion, and Stolt's vocals at their very finest. It goes out with perhaps Stolt's single best guitar solo, which feels a little like Mark Knopfler's style, but much more accomplished.

Finally, "I Am The Sun (Part 2)" comes down from the guitar high to go out with some gentle melodies, tying back to some of the album's earlier sonic themes. It took me a bit to get into this one, but it's an excellent farewell for what is essentially a terrific album.

One problem the Flower Kings sometimes have is that their style hasn't varied greatly over the course of their albums; their style is instantly recognizeable, but so much so one wonders whether they have much range. Space Revolver displays a much greater range and variety of songs than any other Flower Kings album, as well as some of their greatest compositions and performances. If you haven't heard the Flower Kings before, this is a great starting point. The only downside is that it's all downhill from here. Then again, both Retropolis and Back in the World of Adventures are great albums in their own right...

In short, a progressive rock masterpiece. Then again, if you're a fan of modern progressive rock, you probably already own this.

Decades ago, several bands composed long songs that consist of pieces influenced by all sorts of other bands and styles of music. 'Selling England By The Pound' from Genesis, 'Tales from the Topographic Oceans' from Yes... back then, 'progressive' was a term used to describe music, not a genre of music itself. In the mid 1990's, many bands became 'progressive rock', and they composed synthesizor-ridden, 10 minute 'epics'. Behind these mockeries of a form of music is the true modern progressive bands. And among them is the Flower Kings.

The Flower Kings consist of a group of talented Swedish instrumentalists. The band is fronted by guitar legend Roine Stolt, who writes the lyrics, sings, and plays amazing guitar. But by no means is this all Stolt's doing. The whole band is amazing, and especially on this release.

So onto the songs. It starts out with a 15:00 minute epic called 'I Am The Sun (Part I)'. If this song doesn't hook you onto the album, then you'd best put it away and go back to listening to something more simplistic. This track just unloads theme after theme, yet remains very coherent. The next track, 'Dream On Dreamer', is a slow jazzy, soulful ballad that flows right into the end of the first epic track. Its a great break from the musical invasion the first track led.

Track three, 'Rumble Fish Twist', is one of the highlights. Its the only instrumental on the album, and it's essentially an 8:00 jazz-rock fusion, and it's highlights are the absolutely monumental preformances from all band members.

Onward we go to 'Monster Within'. It's the weakest track on the album, but it's still a masterpiece. Not much can really be said about it, really. But the next track, 'Chicken Farmer Song', sounds like an odd country track or something, but it's a serious song about daydreaming. This song is excellent, and certainly has its glorious moments.

'Underdog' is a good track. One of the shorter ones on the album, and it's kind-of an acoustic, anthematic epic. 'You Don't Know What You've Got' is similar to 'Dream On Dreamer', as it's a slower ballad. A calm before the storm, so to speak. And a storm indeed, as the next song is 'A Slave to Money'. At 7:30, it's a longer track, and it builds tension throughout the track. Great song.

And the following 'A King's Prayer' is simply impossible to explain. Starts off as a regular ballad, with an absolutely amazing chorus, and reaches an epic climax, then a masterful instrumental composition supports one of the greatest, most passionate guitar solos of all time, courtesy of Roine Stolt. And if that wasn't enough, 'I Am The Sun (Part 2)' ends the album with another 10:00+ minute epic. This one starts off acoustically, and builds to a reprise of Part 1, to a monumental chorus, then the album ends of a soft note with an acoustic conclusion.

Keeping in mind that my words simply do not do justice to a masterpiece such as this, I cannot recommend this higher. Yes, there will be critics of this particular band, because they simply cannot fathom what is going on in each of the songs. And yes, it tends to take a few listens to understand what you're listening to. But rest assured, your time and devotion is appreciated once it sinks in just how wonderful this recording is. Everything flows into everything, so instead of listening to ten separate tracks, you feel like you're listening to one. And at 76 minutes, its a shock that there's no filler.

And thats what makes this a masterpiece.

This is the first Flower Kings cd I have heard. I'm told it's not their best, but it was the only one at the store the other day, so I bought it. I ordered Stardust We Are, so don't fret. Anyways, I heard of this band through the "Customers who bought this cd bought..." link here at Amazon while looking at Spock's Beard cds. The reviews for all their albums seemd enthusastic, so I took the plunge.

Needless to say, I'm impressed. This is the most original prog music I've heard in some time. My opinion of this album started off not so great, I was told that Roine Stolt was one of the best guitarists going today (which he is)' but when I popped in this cd and the relatively guitar-light I Am The Sun, Part I started up I thought "Man, this song is good, but there's really not that much guitar...". In fact, the song starts out very psychadelic sounding, with big synth lines and distorted guitar, sounding almost like a cross between early Pink Floyd and early Jimi Hendrix. A good track, but not quite what I expected.

I quickly learned that the next track, Dream On Dreamer, is something of a throwaway. But track 3, the intrumental Rumble Fish Twist, is incredible. Here we get excellent guitar work ("Finally!", I thought) along with stellar keyboard work and bass playing.

The rest of the cd alternates between other excellent pieces (Monster Within, Slave To Money, A King's Prayer, and Sun Part II) that feature more top-notch musicianship, and more experimental (but still good, for the most part) songs such as Chicken Farmer Song and You Don't Know What You've Got.

Roine Stolt's voice turned me off at first, but I quickly grew to like it. I also realize, after looking at the credits, that this band has two good singers in it... and one hell of a guitarist, keyboardist, and bassist. The drumming is pretty good too. Overall, I would rate this cd as very good, but not great. I'm going to look into more Flower Kings albums.

I have been listening to this CD now since July of 2000 and I still am finding new things. I recently listened to it on a powerful stereo system that a friend of mine owns and we were both blown away by the sounds and the compositions of the tracks. This band is the best band around right now and I am a true fan of most prog music especially King Crimson, Genesis, Marillion, Fish, Todd Rundgren, Zappa, etc. These guys are right up there with the best. I also bought the earlier Flower Kings CDs, but I am most impressed by this one and Stardust We Are. Alive On Planet Earth is very good also. This CD is also better than the Transatlantic CD (which I also like). As for the guy who thinks the sax parts sound too much like Kenny G. seems he has not listened much to Mel Collins on the early Crimson tracks - that is what the sax parts sound closer to when I listen to it. Try again. This is my second review of this CD and it just keeps getting better. I hope they continue down the track that they are on because they are really becoming an amazing band. Great stuff!

The Flower Kings compares to the "Yes" of the 70's. They are the premiere progressive band of the new millenium where each album brings added changes but with such subtlety The Flower Kings "sound" stays intact. These changes make each Flower King album an adventure in listening; fresh and not stale. However, this album has two somewhat dramatic changes that make this album different from the other studio releases; the loss of Michael Stolt on bass (replaced by Jonas Reingold), and the addition of occasional saxophone bursts by Ulf Wallander. The music takes-on a heavier/darker sound. On first listen, this turned me off but on subsequent plays, I began to warm-up to the "new" sound. Sure it still sounds like The Flower Kings, and Roine still lets us know what a great, unique guitarist he is but the overall sound is more experimental, playful and adventurous than previous FK studio efforts. After playing this disk many times over (like I used to have to do with my old Yes LPs) I began to really enjoy this CD (still need to get use to the saxophone). This album could be the FK's equivalent to Yes' "Relayer". Thomas Bodin's keyboards are quite prevalent which I consider a huge plus! Bodin is underrated as a keyboard player but he really shines on this album. I recommend "Space Revolver" to those already into the "Kings" but the double CD "Alive on Plant Earth" is the MUST HAVE, that is if you enjoy "live" albums. If your new to the Flower Kings, the "From The Greenhouse" compilation would be a good start.

As I listen to the CD while I type this, I will give my impressions. First off, after hearing the CD several times I can say that it is currently one of my faves (along with Spock's Beard "V" and Happy The Man's first album. 1. I Am The Sun: A very good epic prog piece. Many different moods in this piece, of which I will try to compare to other artists: Vocally, in the slow parts, it at times reminds me of "Rock Island" era Tull. Musically, I hear bits of Deep Purple, acoustic guitar a'la Howe, and other Yes motifs. Good tune. 2. Dream on Dreamer: A waste of CD space? It's alright, but doesn't suit my taste. No drums, spacey mellow lyrics, Fender Rhodes piano, guitar harmonics, and a sax player noodling through the whole thing. 3. Rumble Fish Twist: Excellent-Excellent-EXCELLENT!! Instrumental with outstanding playing from all members. Phenomenal Drumming. It reminds me of Yes's 'Sound Chaser" with Deep Purple's Jon Lord, and Brand X-style bass soloing, with overtones of Ozric Tentacles...then the fast part fades into a Marillionesqe synth wash. 4. Monster Within: Another excellent song. I can't put my finger on what this sounds like to me. Excellent hook song, but to intelligent to ever be on commercial radio. Certain voicing and sounds in this song remind me of 1960's police show music. The middle pipe organ part sounds a lot like a certain section in Saga's "Generation 13" CD. Certain parts also remind of Klaatu's heavier moments. I also keep thinking of Deep Purple for some reason as I listen to this, as well as harder Marillion. 5. Chicken Farmer Song: Reminds me of when Magellian tries to sound majestic...I don't care for this one too much. 6. Underdog: Bagpipes and country-style git-pickin'. Vocally, this reminds me of recent ELP, except when the high harmonies and horn synths kick in--this sounds like "Big Generator" era Yes to me. As a matter of fact, it almost sounds as if Trevor Rabin is singing! Excellent ending! 7. You Don't Know What You've Got: One of those "sit on the dock at sunset, sail away with crickets chirping, I wish I had a margarita" songs. I would probably like if it weren't for the Sesame Street harmonica parts. A low point on the CD. 8. Slave To Money: Again this reminds me of ELP or 3 at the beginning. Goes into a nice swing feel, then into a heavy prog feel. Then a quiet carnivalish section...the into a long Gentle Giantish section. An impressive song, lyrics aside. 9. A king's Prayer: Another Tull sounding song. Good, but doesn't really get groving until 3-1/2 minutes into the song. 10: I am the Sun, Pt.II: A good closing reprise. There's those Tull vocals again. A nice finish. Overall: I would give this 4.25 stars if possible..better than most good albums, but not quite an "almost masterpiece". I comfortable prog CD to listen to for newbies to the genre, but may not be heavy enough for the proggers that like Dream Theatre or Symphony X. Recommended, especially to Jethro Tull fans who like heavier prog than Tull puts out.

As everyone else who's reviewed this says, no one can compete with the FK on melodic, jazz/fusion based progressive rock. But what really got me (and kept me coming back) is Stolt's voice. There are a lot of very talented progressive rock bands making it now (Dream Theater, Spock's Beard, Porcupine Tree, etc...), but none of them has captured (or recaptured) that special combination of vocals and music that exemplified the Yes/Rush/ELP of the seventies. The Flower Kings have, and yet, instead of regurgitating the same old progressive rock lines (concept albums, adding symphonic music, etc...) they use those tricks and much more.

If you don't like this album, then you have no concept of progressive rock and shouldn't be buying it anyway.