01	Love Supreme						19:43
	02	Cosmic Circus						03:12
	03	Babylon						02:34
	04	A Vampires View						08:48
	05	Days Gone By						01:13
	06	Adam & Eve						07:57
	07	Starlight Man						03:31
	08	Timelines						07:43
	09	Drivers Seat						18:20
	10	The Blade Of Cain						05:03

The Flower Kings - Adam & Eve

Released: 2004
Label: Insideout Music America / InsideOut
Cat. No.: IOMACD ? / IOMCD 174/SPV 085-60892
Total Time: 76:33


Reviewed by: Joshua Turner, August 2004
Adam & Eve has the darkness of Retropolis, the light-heartedness of Space Revolver, the symphonic spirit of Stardust We Are, and the experimental nature of Unfold The Future. To settle on one comparison, the album is probably closest to The Rainmaker, however, it is actually a great deal more ambitious.

Adam & Eve does everything that has been done before while trying out an entirely new bag of tricks. The album might only be a single disc, but there is quite a bit to absorb. The music wanders in all directions. Each song is significantly different then the next. The epic pieces are swarming with ideas. You'd need a sponge to soak it all up. The album gets under the skin more and more with every listen.

"Love Supreme" is an epic with many twists. The themes seem to come and go as they please. The song takes numerous listens to fully comprehend, because it's based on a convoluted design. After several visits, the brilliance begins to surface in all kinds of ways. The melody becomes quite unforgettable.

Another epic, "Driver's Seat," comes late in the album. The song is funky and psychedelic. It's a barrel of research monkeys on hallucinogenic drugs. Not one of the chimps has been given the placebo. Towards the center, an unusually long pause comes unexpectedly. The silence brings the action to a screaming halt. During this delay, its internal motors are expertly calibrated and lubed up. When the system becomes operational again, it returns to a comfortable coasting speed. The musicianship is divine, especially in its final moments. The Flower Kings masterfully convey the clincher here. The ending rivals the Transatlantic greats. The earlier epic's finish is not too shabby either. The Flower Kings know how to deliver a punchline.

The highlight of the album is probably "A Vampire's View." It is hard to compare this song to anything they've done before. It is most similar to Steve Hackett's "The Devil Was An Englishman," though it is more song than dialogue. It is actually creepier. The track is a ghoulish piece, which seems to be inspired by Interview With A Vampire. Tinges of Pain Of Salvation and Karmakanic emerge from the catacombs of this condemned characters lair.

Daniel Gildenlow sings more on this album than he did on Unfold The Future. This works in the music's favor. He is a progressive version of Josh Groban. He hits his notes with the elegance of an eagle riding on the air currents. He takes his voice so high he touches the stratosphere. He swoops back down and swiftly strikes his prey with incredible accuracy. With his wings spread wide and sharp talons exposed, he is a menacing figure to behold.

While Daniel sings more, Roine sings less. When he does, his voice is more profound and pronounced than ever. He singing is stupendous on "Starlight Man." This is a rare moment when he sings lead on the album. While providing vocals in a smaller capacity, his concentration is turned exclusively to the guitar parts. In some places, he has completely redefined himself as a guitarist. The album is laced with so many innovative guitar licks that Roine becomes a guest musician in his own band.

Jonas Reingold continues his reign as the elite bassist, Tomas Bodin demonstrates extraordinary ability on the keyboard, and Zoltan Csorsz does some of his finest drumming.

If The Flower Kings interest you, be sure to check out Karmakanic's Wheel Of Life. That album shares a similar disposition as well as several members from the same crew. Not to mention, it might ultimately be the album of the year. The Tangent, which is also heavily populated by garden royalty, is working towards another album as well. The word on the street is that their second album, The World That We Drive Through, will be amazing. This news came long before it was ever finished. Tomas Bodin has even developed his own version of Spinal Tap named Swedish Family. If that's not enough, there is indication more material will be available from these workhorses soon.

While many artists are lucky to release an album every now and then, The Flower Kings bring their fans hours and hours of music every year. That alone has to blow the mind of any progressive rock aficionado. When you consider the quality of their music, the quantity they regularly churn out is almost incomprehensible.

In the end, Adam & Eve is one stick in a hearty bundle. When these projects are brought together as a collection they are unbreakable, leaving it difficult to direct any criticism their way. Their output for the year is impressive and this album is no exception. Any fan should be happy to have this album. Adam & Eve is a fantastic album. It's the baby's breath in a beautiful bouquet.

Rating: 4.5/5

[See also Clayton's review -ed.]

More about Adam & Eve:

Track Listing: Love Supreme (19:50) / Cosmic Circus (3:00) / Babylon (2:41) / A Vampires View (8:50) / Days Gone By (1:10) / Adam & Eve (7:50) / Starlight Man (3:30) / Timelines (7:40) / Drivers Seat (18:22) / The Blade Of Cain (5:00)

Musicians:
Roine Stolt - Vocals, Guitars
Hasse Froberg - Guitars, Vocals
Jonas Reingold - Bass, Bass Pedals
Zoltan Csorsz - Drums
Tomas Bodin - Keyboards

Guest Musicians:

Hasse Bruniusson - Percussion and Voices
Daniel Gildenlow - Guitars, Voice, Keys and Percussion

Contact:

Website: www.flowerkings.se
Note: will open new browser window

Discography

The Flower King (Roine Stolt)
Back in the World of Adventures (1995)
Retropolis (1996)
Stardust We Are (1997/2000)
Scanning The Greenhouse (comp) (1998)
Edition Limitee Quebec (1998)
only 700 copies!
Unnamed 3-track EP (1998)
given away free at Japanese concerts; incl "She Cared Me A Wooden Heart," "Space Revolver," and "Jupiter Backwords"
Flower Power (1999)
TFK fanclub disc (2000)
free CD exclusive to fanclub members only
Alive On Planet Earth (2000)
Space Revolver (2000)
Space Revolver Special Edition (2CD set) (2000)
The Rainmaker (2001)
The Rainmaker - Special Edition (2001)
Unfold The Future (2002)
Live In New York: Official Bootleg (2002)
Fan Club CD 2002 (2002)
Fan Club CD 2004 (2004)
Adam & Eve (2004)


Meet The Flower Kings - Live Recording (2003) (DVD)



A Flower Kings Special Edition
by Clayton Walnum

Back in the golden years of prog, I was obsessed with music. So much so that, on the eve of a new Yes release, I could barely sleep at night. My friends thought I was pretty weird. We'd go into the record store, and they'd watch perplexed as I frantically pawed through the new releases, looking for Fragile, Close To The Edge, or whatever the new Yes album of the time was called.

"What the hell is the matter with you?" they'd ask.

"I can't help that I've got feathers growing under my arms."

"No, not that!"

"Is it the webbed fingers then?"

"No. Why do you get so worked up over a new Yes album?"

I never had a good answer. I guess I didn't know myself. All I knew was that bands like Yes, ELP, Genesis, King Crimson, and Gentle Giant always transported me to amazing places in my head. It was a natural high. I was a prog junkie! Although at the time I don't think I'd yet even heard the term "progressive rock."

The second time I saw Yes (at the Palace Theater in Waterbury, CT, where they were sharing a three-way bill with, of all people, the J. Giles Band and the Edgar Winter Group), before the show I was so excited, I couldn't eat. Everybody shook their heads and moved away from me on the bench. But to be honest, that was probably more to do with the feathers than because I couldn't eat.

The funny thing about a new Yes record is that, after all the excitement, I hardly ever liked it on the first listen. A new Yes album always had to grow on me. I hated Close To The Edge the first time I heard it. I hated it at first, as much as I adored it a few weeks later. Good prog is like water to a sponge: it has to sink in.

So here we are in 2004, and the Flower Kings, one of my current favorite prog groups, has just released a new album titled Adam & Eve*. And, as with those earlier Yes albums, I was disappointed with the first listen. Much of this disappointment had to do with expectations. To me, the Flower Kings excel at symphonic fare, and I often don't care for their more song-oriented pieces. Again, this has to do with expectations. I don't have a problem with straight songs, just not from the Flower Kings.

Of course, you already know where this is headed. The more I listened to the album, the more I appreciated not only the songwriting, but also the fact that the so-called straight-forward songs were more complex than they first appeared.

As I listened to the album the first time, I took notes. This isn't because I'm an incurable geek, but because I knew that I'd be reviewing the album. Okay, I'm also an incurable geek, but that's beside the point. With each listen, the notes changed in subtle ways. Not the notes the Flower Kings were playing, dummy. My notes.

So, after about five listens, here's what I've written down:

Track 1, Love Supreme: Almost every Flower Kings CD starts with a viable nomination for prog song of the year, and this album is no exception. Most of this 20-minute epic sounds so much like Yes, if Jon Anderson were singing, you'd be completely fooled. The guitar solos, though, are signature Roine Stolt, and the instrumental breaks drip with the Flower Kings' style, both things wonderful to behold.

Track 2: Cosmic Circus: A nice enough, straight-forward track (yawn).

Track 3: Babylon: Here, the FK take on a Genesis-flavored instrumental track. Makes me think a bit of "Los Endos" from A Trick Of The Tail. Great stuff! Too bad it isn't longer.

Track 4: A Vampire View: The vocals go out on limb here, in an amazing way, sort of channeling Roger Waters' theatrical, Broadway style. Very expressive, but unusual for the FK. The song itself didn't really grab me at first, but it's got to be the most theatrical thing the FK have ever done. Taken on its own terms, impressive work.

Track 5: Days Gone By: More of a piano interlude than a song. Suitable mood tag for "A Vampire View."

Track 6: Adam & Eve: A rocking, kind-of-boogie number that brings Deep Purple to mind. A Zappa-ish instrumental section pops up about a third of the way through the song, but that soon resolves into classic FK playing. Awesome instrumental section! Jonas Reingold turns in some of the fastest bass playing I've ever heard.

Track 7: Starlight Man: Overly complex instrumentation in the verses sometimes rob the main melody of its effectiveness and contribute a weird dissonance. Took some getting used to. All in all, another straight-forward FK song that, except for the complex background playing, is not particularly progressive.

Track 8: Timelines: Here, FK turns in a multi-part song with cool melodies, plenty of dynamics, and great playing. Although often laid back, in a bluesy sort of way, the tune cranks way up when it gets going, especially in the very proggy closing. A terrific Stolt vocal and solo bring this one home. Love it.

Track 9: Drivers Seat: Clocking in at over 18 minutes, this is the second of the album's epics, although this track isn't as effective as the album's opener. The verse melody, for example, doesn't seem as well developed. Perplexing middle part where the song ends for 10 seconds or so and then comes back in with weird keyboard sounds before building into a totally crankin' section. The main guitar theme is awesome. I love to hear Stolt play. He's one of today's best prog guitarists.

Track 10: The Blade Of Cain: A mostly instrumental track that's signature FK. Cool.

Rating: If this were an album by a group with which I was unfamiliar, 5/5, but given my expectations for the Flower Kings, I have to go with 4/5.

So that's the new FK album. I know I said that I'd continue with the independent releases in this edition of "The Prog Life," but I tend to lie a lot. My wife really hates that, almost as much as she hates my Slipperman costume. The truth is that the new Flower Kings album sidetracked me. We'll get back to the independent releases next time. I promise. Sort of. You see, I have an appointment to have those feathers removed, and you know how long a procedure like that can take.

Until next time, send me your proggy thoughts via email at cwalnum@claytonwalnum.com, and be sure to visit www.claytonwalnum.com while you're at it. Most importantly, keep on proggin'!

*The release date for Adam & Eve is July 26 in Europe (hey, that's tomorrow!**) and August 3 in North America - ed.

** this column was originally published July 25, 2004 which, depending on when you're reading this (Clayton will be ever so pleased that you are: reading the column, that is, not this footnote) is either today or not. -ed.

[See also Joshua's review -ed.]








The Flower Kings: "Adam & Eve"

For a long time they were the hottest claimant to the throne in the kingdom of art rock, today they occupy it: Sweden's The Flower Kings. Founded ten years ago by guitarist, singer, and producer Roine Stolt - already one of the most distinctive musicians of the country then - as a response to those 70s legends such as Genesis, King Crimson and Yes, the "FloKis" have gained a worldwide cult status during the years due to several excellent albums. Any real lover of sophisticated rock music is unable to avoid Stolt's combo, and "Adam & Eve", the new work of the six piece band, emphasizes the band's claims to leadership within their genre.


Albums such as "Back in the World of Adventures" (1995), "Stardust We Are" (1997), "Space Revolver" (2000) und "Unfold the Future" (2002) is quite rightly regarded as modern art rock classics. Roine Stolt's almost inexhaustible abundance of ideas and the virtuosity of all involved musicians is the reason why Flower Kings albums always come up to even highest demands. Although a few people describe the "FloKi" cosmos of sound as top-heavy, Stolts has a different opinion: "Even the more lavish tracks - sometimes more than 20 minutes in playing time - are mostly based on a very simple theme which is varied und developed in several ways. This is also true for the 'Adam & Eve' longtracks "Love Supreme" und "Driver's Seat". You maybe need to listen to it five or ten times in order to discover that they are much less complex than first expected. The more trained a listener is, the better one can comprehend the sound structures of prog rock, jazz or classical music, the easier it will get to understand these variations, too. However, the most important thing is and will be what kind of feelings are originating inside the listener; in order to feel these emotions you don't really need to be a musicologist."

As always, the Flower Kings celebrate the whole range of symphonic art rock on "Adam & Eve", too. Nowadays, no other band manages to build up those suspense creating factors in such a playful and easy manner and to keep them up on long stretches. Apart from the already mentioned 20 minutes long epics, the album also contains more compact songs such as the eerily beautiful "A Vampire's View", the tremendously varied "Time Lines" (including a blues guitar!), and the partly hard rocking title track which would be an honour for each heavy group. The kings of flowers don't even shy away from radio friendly three minute tracks ("Cosmic Circus" and "Starlight Man") - thanks to matured melodies and arrangements, but never do they break with those rules for art rock.

Even when Roine Stolt is "primus inter pares" with the Flower Kings, which means the uncontested mastermind who is almost alone responsible for music and song lyrics, one should not forget the contribution of the others: the companion since the very beginning, keyboardist Tomas Bodin - an allrounder in the fashion of Rick Wakeman or Keith Emerson --, and singer Hans Froberg who gives many Flower Kings songs the finishing touch with his voice as clear as a bell. And there is of course the jazz influenced rhythm section of bassist Jonas Reingold and drummer Zoltan Csorsz. And last but not least there is multi-instrumentalist, singer and new member since "Unfold The Future" - Daniel Gildenlow of the band "Pain Of Salvation", also based in Sweden. They all contribute their part to make "Adam & Eve" happen, and they all will do their best to make sure that the Flower Kings will - as always - perform with the same power on stages in autumn, too. In short: The time has come for the reign of the kings of flowers.





The Flower Kings - Adam & Eve

Released: 2004
Label: Insideout Music America / InsideOut
Cat. No.: IOMACD 2086 / IOMCD 174/SPV 085-60892
Total Time: 76:33


Reviewed by: John "Bo Bo" Bollenberg, September 2004
Over the years the Flower Kings have created a sound of their own. Especially the unique guitar sound of Roine Stolt, augmented with vocal harmonies, can be seen as kind of a trademark. Then when Jonas Reingold and Zoltan Csorz stepped in, the band also introduced a fair amount of jazz inclinations. With Adam & Eve the band introduces yet another change in the line-up, as from now on Pain of Salvation leader Daniel Gildenlow can call himself a permanent member of the band. No doubt Daniel's guest spot on the European leg of the Transatlantic tour opened up Roine's eyes for future evolutions within his own band. So with Daniel on board, the band now has three singers available which in turn introduces a nice variety to the whole.

After listening closely, Adam & Eve doesn't incorporate those jazzy sidesteps the same way it's predecessors did. This time around, the sound is once again more symphonic. Starting a brand new album with the longest epic on the album surely is a daring experience, as normally an album starts with an "in-your-face" song that is short but powerful. Here "Love Supreme" builds and builds, delivering layer after layer of ingenious composing and outstanding musicianship, containing a great amount of Yes influences but still being original enough to wear the Flower Kings label with pride. Talking of Yes, to my ears "Cosmic Circus" sounds like the Flower Kings' very own "Circus Of Heaven," as can be found on Yes' Tormato album. Being a three minute song with a very catchy melody (one that you can easily whistle along to), "Cosmic Circus" most certainly contains enough elements to make it to daytime radio. Now if only money wouldn't play such a huge role in deciding which songs get airplay and which don't, I'm convinced we'd hear a lot of Flower Kings on the radio!

The strong opening section of the short instrumental "Babylon" makes me think of Genesis with Roine's guitar sound leaning heavily towards authentic Steve Hackett. I also like the musical box sound which ends this interlude. I could've sworn "A Vampires View" had something to do with Jonas Reingold, as it's kind of wacky in the beginning, including some great fretless bass by Jonas. But then the atmosphere changes with Daniel Gildenlow briefly introducing his Robert Plant impression. Towards the end, the song fuses into a pure waltz with the Bodin penned "Days Gone By." I already mentioned the name Robert Plant, well the title track "Adam & Eve" probably is the most Zeppelin-esque track ever written by the Flower Kings. This sounds like the little brother of "Kashmir," and knowing Daniel Gildenlow fronted a Zeppelin cover band, also featuring Mike Portnoy, this is an ideal track for his vocal range. It also gives Jonas the space to (briefly) go over the top (finally!). Also "Timelines" sounds rather heavy before an acoustic guitar introduces a change of atmosphere. Here Roine impresses everyone with his wonderful laidback bluesy guitar solo, which when combined with Bodin's organ, simply sounds divine. The backing vocals slightly remind us of the best Pink Floyd turning this in yet another surprise from the golden Flower Kings book with tons of percussive details completing it all.

"Drivers Seat" is another epic, kicking off with a rather strong recognizable melody. Again some splendid keyboard work courtesy of Tomas Bodin, who at one point in this lengthy composition even introduces some psychedelic elements. The album closes with "The Ballad Of Cain," which once again harbours some stunning guitar work. So all in all Adam & Eve surely is not a bad album, but for my personal taste it harks too much to the Retropolis period, leaving behind the experimental nature of Unfold The Future and The Rainmaker, which to my ears fare much better, especially when you see the individual talent that is available. With Adam & Eve, the sound is more that of a band rather than giving space to the individual players to excel in their own right, and knowing what fireworks they can deliver Adam & Eve is not the kind of album I was expecting.

[See also Clayton's and Joshua's reviews -ed.]



The Flower Kings - Adam & Eve

Released: 2004
Label: Insideout Music America / InsideOut
Cat. No.: IOMACD ? / IOMCD 174/SPV 085-60892
Total Time: 76:33


Reviewed by: Keith "Muzikman" Hannaleck, October 2004
I listened to this album so many times I lost track, and you know why? Because this is The Flower Kings, one of the most captivating and entrancing progressive rock bands in the world; let me rephrase that, consistently one of the best bands in the world. Every year they release another unrivaled masterpiece and Adam & Eve is no exception. I must admit I was a little disappointed at first because I expected another double album set to enjoy. I am very spoiled, previous releases have been amazing double discs sets.

The cover art of this album is as striking as it is thought provoking. The evidence is apparent on the cover for all to see, the bite out of the forbidden fruit is glowing and it literally links the sinful couple together. Adam looks as though he has been on a steady diet of steroids, a modern day Neanderthal, while the beautiful and delicate Eve looks borderline anorexic. They take themes from the old and new for this interesting musical adventure. The age-old dark and evil vampire makes his presence known in "A Vampires View" and "The Blade of Cain" is a page out of the TFK musical bible as only they can tell the story.

This album is a little more structured and even keeled than what you would expect, yet the musicianship is outstanding. Those wonderful Yes influences are still intact, which makes me a very happy listener. The mixture of rock, jazz and fusion is beyond compare, quite unlike anything anyone else is doing these days. Besides life long special guest Hasse Bruniusson, the band has added yet another spectacular and welcome addition to the fold, the amazing vocalist from Pain of Salvation, Daniel Glidenlow. I must say, Roine Stolt is getting wiser and craftier with each passing year, making his band better every time they set foot in the studio.

What can I say? The Flower Kings have done it again; they have released one of the best albums of the year. I would be willing to bet the next project ends up being a two or three album set, and why not? At the rate this band records it is entirely possible. There is no doubt they are enjoying a creative peak and riding the crest of that wave, and I see no end to it, which is good news for all of us prog heads.

Rating: 4.75/5

More about Adam & Eve:

Track Listing: Love Supreme (19:50) / Cosmic Circus (3:00) / Babylon (2:41) / A Vampires View (8:50) / Days Gone By (1:10) / Adam & Eve (7:50) / Starlight Man (3:30) / Timelines (7:40) / Drivers Seat (18:22) / The Blade Of Cain (5:00)

Musicians:
Roine Stolt - Vocals, Guitars
Hasse Froberg - Guitars, Vocals
Jonas Reingold - Bass, Bass Pedals
Zoltan Csorsz - Drums
Tomas Bodin - Keyboards

Guest Musicians:

Hasse Bruniusson - Percussion and Voices
Daniel Gildenlow - Guitars, Voice, Keys and Percussion

Contact:

Website: www.flowerkings.se