Album Title: The Flower King
Artist: Roine Stolt
Nationality: Swedish
Year: 1994
Subgenre: Neo Prog., though its arguable that its not either.
Player(s): Roine Stolt (Lead Vocals, Guitars, Bass, Keyboards, Percussion), Hasse Froberg (Vocals only on tracks 1 & 8), Hasse Brunisson/Jaime Salazar (Drums), Dexter Frank Jr (Keyboards), Don Azarro (Bass, Moog Taurus), Ulf Wallander (Sax)
Familiarity: I own a few of TFK albums, including this one.
Favourite track(s): Either 'Humanizzimo' or 'The Pilgrim's Inn'
Why? Former is a great, multi-faceted epic suite (which I like a lot) and the latter is a great instrument.
Least favourite track(s): 'The Flower King'
Why? The chorus is a bit annoying. Thankfully, Stolt's writing got better on the next few albums.
Any preconceptions prior to listening, whether good or bad? I've been aware of TFK and their associated projects for so long that I doubt this question applies to me these days.
Factoids you'd like to share? Roine has been around a lonnng time: he's the guitar prodigy behind
Kaipa, one of Sweden's classic 70's prog outfits.
End impression: This album, unlike everything else that would come later with
The Flower Kings, sounds like it was meant to be something of a one-shot from Roine. For one thing, Jonas Reingold and his distinctive bass playing isn't here, and he's a key element to why
TFK worked well on later albums. His absence is felt..but again, if we consider this a debut, you can forgive it. Everyone has to start somewhere right?
Roine's guitar playing is probably the biggest highlight for me, since he is actually very distinctive: he's got a knack for the minor key and great sustains like
David Gilmour or maybe
Andy Latimer, but unlike those two he likes to bring his blues background into the forefront - his tone is earthier, but that's what distinguishes him in a genre where technical competency reigns supreme but everyone runs the risk at sounding exactly like eachother.
Still, Roine is one of those singers you love or hate depending on the song. Partly why the band has always been hit or miss with me too.
Rating: A generous
3.5.