Dreams are an essential part of the musical world. Despite having been firmly involved in Sweden's highly fertile prog rock scene in the '70s, Roine Stolt was still harbouring dreams of maximum creative fulfilment when he arrived in the '90s, guitar in hand and a head full of sublime musical ideas. The end result was a solo album, The Flower King, which struck such a resounding chord with a small but growing number of prog fans around the planet. It also proved to be one of a handful of albums that helped to kick-start and underpin a worldwide resurgence for adventurous, symphonic rock music that is still gaining momentum over two decades later. You can find the proof of what happened next within this lavish, generously proportioned box set containing the second half of The Flower Kings' extraordinary catalogue of immersive, immaculate studio albums. From the outstanding Adam & Eve (feat. Daniel Gildenlow) to the dark reinventions of Desolation Rose, Stolt and his merry prog rock men have continued to be an unwavering force for artistic good: symphonic rock warriors waging a war against mindless trends and the dark forces of boring music. Their mission was to create the most wildly imaginative and absorbing music possible. Their success is undeniable.
G**H
COLLECTOR'S Edition!!
This is actually a limited 3000 copy Collector's Edition, and you can really tell when you have it in your hands.This isn't an "album collection" as you might be used to. Everything here feels deluxe, the matte finish of the sturdy cardboard case, the inner cardboard sleeves are substantial and the gorgeous artwork ubiquitous with the Flower Kings is as vibrant as it deserves to be. The booklet inside reproduces the album sleeves and booklets in full, complete with lyrics, artwork and credits. There is also a great introduction and interview unique to this collection.The CDs are the picture discs you've probably got at home (or down the side of your car door or at that friends house you haven't heard from in a while) and I won't go into reviewing the music on them. Other people have done that better and more thoroughly elsewhere.I will mention the "new" material for this collection: Unfold The Future is the remastered and remixed version which can also be found on the new vinyl release. After hearing the original so many times over so many years, the remixed tracks can give an "uncanny valley" sensation. It is by no means unpleasant, and our original favourites are still there on our shelves. The remastered tracks are really night and day, everything is much more defined and richer. It really breathes new life into the songs, in my opinion.Only Unfold The Future gets a remaster, I presume the earlier stuff can't be remastered for technical reasons.I'd recommend this as a fantastic introduction to a legendary band and for any Flowerhead who doesn't plan on getting the vinyl Unfold The Future. Who knows when we'll next get fresh Flower Kings? Get it while it is hot, folks, 2999 and counting!
W**J
great second installment of flower kings studio works
fantastic set of the 2004 onwards studio albums with three cd's of bonus tracks (usually the extratracks from the 2cd mediabook edituions but not waiting for tomalos track from unfold the futuregreat symphonic prog this will increase in value for certain
P**J
Highly Recommended Purchase
I had heard of The Flowers Kings and I like Prog Rock and thought it worth purchasing this box set to give it a try. I was not disappointed with this collection. The more I listen to the albums, the more I enjoy the music. The box set is well produced and each album is in an individual strong cardboard case that's design seems to match the original album covers. All the albums during this period grow on you. The price is excellent value for the box set. Highly recommended.
S**M
Well worth the money
I'm a big fan of the band and already have all the cd's. But this is a very impressive set. Well put together and, for the price, well worth shelling out for. If you're new to The Flower Kings, this is a great starting point.As for the content, the quality is evident throughout. This is what prog rock is all about. From a first listen, I'm not sure the re- mix of Unfold the Future adds much for me but that's just a minor point really. If I was to be picky, then some rarities or live stuff would have been nice.But this is still good for the completists and the casual listener - you can't really go wrong.
C**I
Great collection of sublime music
What an awesome collection of inspired music. I already had a couple of the albums but couldn't resist buying this set. The quality of the box and the inserts is very good. But so much great music in one box! I got No.1400 of only 3000 sets :)
R**Y
great
superb.great starter
P**J
Fantastic Limited Edition Box Set
Fantastic Limited Edition box set that contains 3 CDs of Bonus tracks. Highly recommended.
T**N
notes could be better mine 0636
10 cds ....notes could be better mine 0636....
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