THE FLOWER KINGS – The Road Back Home

Cover	Release	Style
	2007-06	progressive rock
	Label
	www.insideout.de
	Website
	www.flowerkings.se
	Contact

	Playing Time	Cat. N°
	77:49 + 75:59	IOMCD 276 - SPV 79532 DCD
	Review by / Translated by	Rating
	Danny	8/10
nederlands	Review
After 10 studio albums, The Flower Kings finally release a compilation. On http://www.myspace.com/cosmiclodge they call it “A compilation for the collector or the newbie”. Well, I can’t fully agree on that. Yes, it’s for newbie’s who want to get to know TFK and of course the collector who wants every release from his band. But that’s not all; this CD also has some other special value. Most of the songs have been changed. They are not only remastered, but a lot of songs have been revamped in a positive way. Roine explains all the changes and gives some other comments in the CD booklet. Most of the tracks were recorded on a 16-track analog machine in their old rehearsal place and were transferred into 24 bit digital in December 2006. Some of the tracks are just remastered, some like “A King’s Prayer” and “Touch My Heaven” got a new guitar solo and others received additional backing vocals or even a newly recorded lead vocal. (“Vox Humana”, part of “Different People”). And on some there were added extra percussion or keyboard sounds. “Babylon” the little jewel from “Adam & Eve” is linked to “Cosmic Circus” from the same album, which works wonderfully good. “Church of your Heart” even lost a few minutes during the remastering. One track, “Little Deceiver”, has never been released before and is a leftover from the “Rainmaker” sessions. One of the most interesting tracks on this double compilation is a version of the Genesis track “Cinema Show”, taken from a Genesis tribute CD, recorded in 1998 So it’s not just another ‘under the Christmas tree” compilation. Maybe the progfan will have the comment that they have taken only the shorter, more accessible tracks. But as their website states: “This one might even appeal to your wife or mother in law or the guys at work”. I like the new versions. Just listen to them through your headphones and you will discover a lot of new, little additions. It also helps to rediscover some songs. So the decision is yours. Do you want to spend your money on remastered songs or are you waiting just a few months for the new album to be released? Or just win the sweepstakes and buy them both. ;-))
Musicians
Drums: Jaime Salazar, Zoltan Csörsz, Marcus Lillequist Bass: Michael Stolt, Jonas Reingold, Roine Stolt Keyboards: Tomas Bodin, Roine Stolt Lead Vocals: Hass Fröberg, Roine Stolt Backing vocals: Roine Stolt, Hasse Fröberg, Daniel Gildenlow, Michael Stolt, Tomas Bodin, Marcus Lillequist Percussion: Hasse Bruniusson, Roine Stolt Soprano Saxophone: Ulf Wallander Sitar & Tabla: Håkan Almkvist
Tracklist
Disc One (77:49) 1. Cosmic Lover (6:14) 2. A Kings Prayer (5:35) 3. Stupid Girl (4:41) 4. Cosmic Circus (3:12) 5. Babylon (2:01) 6. Paradox Hotel (5:40) 7. World Without A Heart (3:50) 8. Church Of Your Heart (6:11) 9. Vox Humana (4:22) 10.What If God Is Alone (6:43) 11. Starlight Man (3:29) 12. Grand Old World (5:02) 13. The Road Back Home (8:53) 14. Cinema Show (11:57) Disc Two (75:59) 1. Ghost Of The Red Cloud (4:41) 2. Painter (6:48) 3. I Am The Sun (p2) (4:23) 4. Different People (5:15) 5. Little Deceiver* (3:56) 6. Chickenfarmer Song (5:06) 7. The Rhythm Of The Sea (4:40) 8. Touch My Heaven (5:46) 9. Life Will Kill You (6:37) 10. Monkey Business (4:22) 11. Compassion (4:45) 12. The Flower King (10:54) 13. Stardust We Are (end section) (8:41) * unreleased track from Rainmaker sessions.
Discography
The Flower King (1994) Back In The World Of Adventures (1995) Retropolis (1996) Stardust We Are (1997) Scanning The Greenhouse (1998) Edition Limitée Québec 1998 (1998) Flower Power (1998) Alive On Planet Earth (2000) Space Revolver (2000) The Rainmaker (2001) Unfold The Future (2002) Live In New York – Official Bootleg (2003) Meet The Flower Kings (2003) Adam & Eve (2004) BetchaWannaDanceStoopid!!! (2004) Paradox Hotel (2006) The Road Back Home (2007)


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