Flower Kings, The - Meet The Flower Kings - Live Recording

Year of Release: 2003
Label: InsideOut
Catalog Number: IOMDVD005/SPV 563-60467
Format: DVD
Total Time: 202:36:00

I waited for this DVD to arrive with great eagerness. I was finally going to Meet The Flower Kings after having to pass on two opportunities over the last year because of my schedule. Maybe this would fill the gap. I still would like to meet them personally to learn more about them. You meet them only through their music on this DVD, which is exceptional, and that is a given at this point in their career as everything they have done has received rave reviews from this writer.

There were some disappointments after viewing the two lengthy discs, although the enjoyment I experienced far outweighed any of those feelings. There were no interviews, which was very disappointing. When their live presentations ended, they screen would fade to black then at times go right into a fragmented disorderly array of scenes on the road or in the studio. Unfortunately, none of them speaks English (they are from Sweden for those of you that did not know) during the course of each DVD, except for lead guitarist/singer Roine Stolt, uttering a few words about how many songs were left to record during one of their studio sessions. I could tell what was going on; nevertheless it would have been nice to hear and understand what their conversations were. There was not any continuity or logical order to parts of this presentation.

Some of their finest works are committed to celluloid on this generous two DVD set, giving their devout fan base a few hours to digest highlights of their career. Regardless of my criticisms, their music still takes me away, it did not disappoint and it never does because it is always so intricate and interesting. TFK are one of the best bands in the world and it is because each member is an accomplished musician in their own right. For their first DVD they did quite well. There are some interesting sideshows going on as well, besides their built in clown/percussionist/whistle blower Hasse Bruniusson, who is a show all by himself; there are fire eaters, jugglers and ballet dancers for your entertainment value.

It is never easy to criticize a band you genuinely love and respect as I do The Flower Kings, but then again this is an entirely different format to experience than a music CD. Now I know how polished they are in a live setting and I look forward to seeing them perform someday soon.

I feel it is only appropriate and fair to give a rating that breaks everything down as such:

Sound: 5 / 5
Video Quality: 4 / 5
Presentation: 3 / 5

Also released by the now defunct InsideOut Music America (IOMA 6046-7)

Tracklisting:
Disc One: The Truth Will Set You Free (31:20) / On Tour In USA / Garden Of Dreams Part 1 (27:07) / On Tour In Europe / Garden Of Dreams Part 2 (17:20) / Setting up for the DVD

Disc Two: Humanizzimo (23:10) / Oddballs Of Rehearsing / Circus Brimstone (11:18) / In Recording Studio 2002 / Silent Inferno (16:13) / On Tour In South America 2001 / Stardust We Are (26:25)

Musicians:
Roine Stolt - guitars and voice
Tomas Bodin - keyboards
Hans Fröberg - guitars and voice
Daniel Gildenlöw - guitars, voice, keys and percussion
Hasse Bruniusson - percussion and voices
Jonas Reingold - bass guitar and bass pedals
Zoltan Csörsz - drums

Discography:
Roine Stolt - The Flower King (1994/2001/2004)
Back In The World Of Adventures (1995)
Retropolis (1996)
Stardust We Are (1997/2000)
Scanning The Greenhouse (comp) (1998)
Edition Limitée Quebec (1998) (only 700 copies!)
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)
BetchaWannaDanceStoopid (2004)
Harvest (fan club CD) (2005)
Paradox Hotel (2006)
The Road Back Home (2007)
The Sum Of No Evil (2007)
The Sum Of No Evil (Special Edition) (2007)
Banks Of Eden (2012)
Roine Stolt's The Flower King - Manifesto Of An Alchemist (2018)
Waiting For Miracles (2019)

Meet The Flower Kings - Live Recording (DVD) (2003)
Instant Delivery (DVD) (2006)
Instant Delivery - Limited Edition (2CD/2DVD) (2006)

Genre: Symphonic Prog

Origin SE

Added: November 30th 2003
Reviewer: Keith "Muzikman" Hannaleck
Score:
Artist website: www.roinestolt.com
Hits: 3177
Language: english