Review by Keith "MuzikMan" Hannaleck
No rating supplied
The AMG.com site classifies The Flower Kings' music as complex, trippy,
cerebral, and sophisticated. Okay, I will go with that, its one of
the best explanations of their sound I have ever heard, and felt it
was important to point out, not to mention the rave reviews they received
for this release. This is my final review for the Swedish prog-rockers.
I now have to wait for a new release to hear more. Did I get my fill
you ask? Hell no! I want more. It has been a complete joy to listen
to every album, and this 1995 release "Back In The World Adventures"
was another musical voyage beyond compare. I have gushed and given
glowing reviews with very little criticism to this group on literally
every recording, and rightfully so I might say. There are few groups
that have put together such a regular recording schedule as they have,
and the sheer volume of material is mind boggling. They deserve the
accolades and top-notch coverage. They are a classy bunch of guys
that give it all up for their fans, and you can tell when you listen to every song.
Roine Stolt was not only the lead guitar player when this was recorded
and released, he was the lead singer. His magical touch with the guitar
and his contagious accented vocal style gave the group a unique and
irresistible sound that drew in not only the prog rockers, but rock
and pop listeners as well. This particular album is a fine example
of the way they presented themselves as a mulit-hued combination of
sounds and feelings. Anyone with a love for music and a beating heart
can understand what TFK is all about.
"World of Adventures" opens the door and welcomes you back to the
fantasy land of TFK, and one of their future show stoppers, "Big Puzzle,"
is the grand finale. Both songs clock in at 13 minutes plus. They
are both prog-rock nuggets as pure and sweet as honey right from the
hive. With power-pop hooks and a solid prog-rock foundation, Stolt
and his group lure you in and make you part of their story, whether
you want it to happen or not, it just does. It's a magical mystery
tour with a tripped out Beatlesque twist to it all. When it comes
to music, life doesn't get any better than this. Standby, because
once you think you have heard the best TFK album of all they come
out with another one that's even better. I was beside myself listening
to this CD. Seven years ago they sounded almost as good as they do
today, and they have improved with each successive album. My final
conclusion is that they have always been fantastic; they have just
gotten more fantastic in varying degrees with the passing of time.
Get their entire catalog; you will love every minute of it.
1. World of Adventures (Stolt) - 13:37
2. Atomic Prince/Kaleidoscope (Stolt) - 7:49
3. Go West Judas (Stolt) - 7:47
4. Train to Nowhere (Stolt) - 3:49
5. Oblivion Road (Stolt) - 3:47
6. Theme for a Hero (Stolt) - 8:32
7. Temple of the Snakes (Stolt) - 1:23
8. My Cosmic Lover (Stolt) - 6:46
9. The Wonder Wheel (Stolt) - 4:17
10. Big Puzzle (Stolt) - 13:34
Meet The Flower Kings of 1995:
Hans Bruniusson - Percussion, Drums
Ulf Artan Wallander - Sax (Soprano)
Jaime Salazar - Drums
Tomas Bodin - Synthesizer, Flute, Piano, Organ (Hammond), Mellotron, Mixing, Effects
Roine Stolt - Guitar, Keyboards, Vocals
Michael Stolt - Bass, Guitar, Voices
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