The Flower Kings
Stardust We Are

Flower Kings. Probably one of the best prog-revival bands currently in existence. Yes, many try to imitate the golden era of progressive rock in its most significant particulars. Other groups that attempt this feat can also be mentioned... for instance, Spock's Beard comes to mind, a group I adore, which plays excellently, fully maintaining those structures, but often combines easy-to-listen choruses and pop sensibilities that, while very beautiful, do not exactly refer to that period; also worth mentioning are the excellent Magic Pie, whose melodies are faithfully inspired by that era but whose more or less evident hard rock influences do not allow for a full revival of that period. The Flower Kings, on the other hand, are the band you should listen to if you really want to breathe in a true seventies prog vibe! Imitating the greats of the past is very difficult, but this band truly succeeds at it... I challenge anyone to listen to one of their albums and say that it's a record made in relatively recent years.

A complex and sophisticated prog made of vintage atmospheres, sometimes more delicate sounds, sometimes more abrasive, an introspective vocal performance that is surely not appreciated on the first impact, and always great attention to the use of instrumentation, including the old and dear mellotron, Hammond, synthesizers, etc... And this band manages to amaze with particular and sometimes unexpected music and atmospheres in the same way the historical prog bands did, although their music has never undergone major changes over the years. And they do it without making us miss the great classics of the seventies! Certainly thanks to a musician of great experience like Roine Stolt, singer and guitarist, one who really paved the way before forming the band. Some might define the group as too derivative. It's true, but even though the most interesting groups are those that experiment and try to create a style as personal as possible while referring to very specific models, sometimes it's also nice to hear something more strictly classic, trying to disprove the voices that say it would no longer be possible to produce something truly sophisticated in a genre where everything seems already written... And congratulations to the FK for doing it with great class!

"Stardust We Are" certainly represents one of the group's highest moments of inspiration. Released in 1997 after an excellent debut with "Back In The World Of Adventures" and after the masterpiece "Retropolis," this album, together with its predecessor, creates a truly formidable pair! Some see in this album (and others in the previous one) the unattainable, perfection... I don't know exactly which is the best album of their career, but I don't want to dispute that this record is a masterpiece! All the best that progressive rock can offer... you can find it here! For the first time, the band chooses a double CD solution... a choice that might lead someone to debate. Someone, seeing the 2CD mark on the package, might already think about what a boring album they would face if they really bought it... or perhaps listen to it willingly but never manage to reach the end, or even end up placing it on the shelf of the home closet after four or five tracks.

This is a difficult, complex, varied album, but precisely because it is varied, this record is listened to until the end without pulling the trigger. I think that listening to such a record does not suffice with ears alone! The soul and the heart are essential! Only by letting yourself be guided by the music and emotions, only by embarking on an intricate mental journey of which the music is the driving vehicle, can you truly enjoy this work to the fullest! And it never falls into the repetitive, and it will cease to offer new and interesting insights only when "stop" appears on the player at the end of the second disc!

There are many songs (9 on the first CD, 11 on the second) and each with a different flavor! Delightful and cheerful instrumental games and mood changes characterize tracks like "In The Eyes Of The World," "Just This Once" and the exquisite instrumental "Circus Brimstone"; we let ourselves be caressed by the touching and melancholic melodies of "Church Of Your Heart"; we get refreshed by the oriental essences of "Don Of The Universe" with the sitar seemingly borrowed from Ravi Shankar. And many other wonders await us in this fantastic world! The fine little instrumental pieces like the acoustic "Porr Mr. Rain's Ordinary Guitar" and the piano "If 28"; the amazing suite that gives the album its title; but also more pleasantly catchy tracks like the sunny "Different People" and "Kingdom Of Lies," confirming that it is possible to build impactful melodies without losing the usual personality! All simple interludes of about a minute are also meticulously curated... nothing that isn't memorable wants to be created!

Words... I've run out of them, what else should I say? L I S T E N T O I T and then tell me if I'm wrong!