01	Rhythm Of Life						00:28
	02	Retropolis						11:07
	03	Rhythm Of The Sea						06:13
	04	There Is More To This World						10:07
	05	Romancing The City						00:53
	06	The Melting Pot						05:48
	07	Silent Sorrow						07:38
	08	The Judas Kiss						07:39
	09	Retropolis By Night						03:06
	10	Flora Majora						06:49
	11	The Road Back Home						08:57

Roine Stolt Guitars, lead vocals & keyboards
Tomas Bodin Keyboards
Hasse Froberg Lead & backingvocals
Michael Stolt Bass
Jaime Salazar Drums
Hasse Bruniusson Percussion

FOX CD 016


The Flower Kings - Retropolis

Released: 2000
Label: InsideOut Music America
Cat. No.:
Total Time: 66:45


Reviewed by: Keith "Muzikman" Hannaleck, March 2002
The Flower Kings had a very busy schedule in the year 2000. Retropolis (1996) was one of three dazzling studio albums reissued (previously released on Foxtrot Records) by Inside Out Music America that year, the others were Space Revolver (2000) and the epic classic Stardust We Are (1997). That kind of output quickly garnered them attention as one of the premier progressive rock bands in the world. With such a tremendously solid string of releases in such a short span of time, people began to wonder who these guys were. The live recording Alive On Planet Earth (1998, 1999) also was reissued the same year. Inside Out Music America brought a new awareness to the TFK catalog. Anyone with a hint of interest in progressive rock would be drooling in the record bins when looking over the awesome catalog this group has. What makes it that much more unbelievable is the fact that every single album is a prog-rock classic in its own right.

What I found similar with this recording in comparison to others was the ever present consistency of quality musicianship and the appealing mixture of vocal tracks and instrumentals. The eleven minute instrumental opus "Retropolis" unmistakably defines the bands need to give the nod to their influences Yes, Pink Floyd, and so many others that blazed the trail for them to continue on. The futuristic cover art is in direct proportion to their thematic musical journeys (like Roger Dean's Yes covers). What was at times subtle, and other times more than obvious to me were the middle-eastern influences in the guitar playing of Roine Stolt. Perhaps I missed that the first time around on previous albums, but it's definitely there. Stolt sounds like Zappa doing his best Steve Howe impression at times. Tomas Bodin is given the green light and free reign with his Hammond and other keyboard effects; I found that aspect more predominant than on any other release. And that factor is due to the mix and sound quality being noticeably different on Retropolis as well. From Stardust We Are forward there was a change in the way they recorded their music. I am grateful for the opportunity to hear from whence they came and all the developmental phases they went through. You can experience this, too, but only if you work your way through their entire catalog as I have. Stolt's guitar is typically splendid but slightly lower profile than usual, and that in effect brings Bodin and the rest of the group more out front for a discerning listener.

I believe that a remaster of this album would make it brighter and cleaner regarding sound and sonics. Don't get me wrong, this is a great recording. I guess I have come to expect musical perfection in all aspects of a Flower Kings' recordings. These guys are still an 11 on a scale of 1 to 10. As the innovators that came before them, they set the standard in the year 2000 and continue to be the group that has been setting the pace for all others to follow beyond the new millennium.

More about Retropolis:

Track Listing: Rhythm Of Life (0:28) / Retropolis (11:07) / Rhythm Of The Sea (6:13) / There Is More to This World (10:07) / Romancing The City (0:53) / The Melting Pot (5:48) / Silent Sorrow (7:38) / The Judas Kiss (7:39) / Retroplis by Night (3:06) / Flora Majora (6:49) / The Road Back Home (8:57)

Musicians:
Hans Bruniusson - percussion
Ulf Artan Wallander - sax (soprano)
Jaime Salazar - percussion, drums
Tomas Bodin - synthesizer, piano, organ (Hammond), Mellotron, effects
Roine Stolt - guitar, keyboards, vocals, voices
Hans Froberg - voices
Thomas Bodin - synthesizer, piano, organ (Hammond), Mellotron, mixing, fx vocals
Michael Stolt - bass




The Flower Kings - Retropolis

Released: 2000
Label: InsideOut Music America
Cat. No.:
Total Time: 66:45


Reviewed by: Davide Guidone, February 2003
Retropolis is the second disc by the Swedish band, The Flower Kings, if we don't consider Roine Stolt's work called The Flower King, which featured the complete team that afterwards formed the group.

I bought the album after having listened to the most important albums from the band like Stardust We Are and Flower Power. So the first thought I had was that Hasse Froberg appeared on it only as guest star, singing on two songs. The consequence is the following: although I like Roine's voice a lot (a mixture of Roger Waters, John Wetton and Peter Hammill) the final score is less successful than the works where Froberg is a full-time member.

However, I believe Retropolis has no weak points like, for example, Stardust We Are does, an album thatcontains some filler ("Different People" or "Kingdom Of Lies"). It's a Stolt creature, as he wrote almost all the tracks, but there's a lot of improvisation, too. The band demonstrates all their skills with many solos and instrumental parts. The title track represents what I just said. In my opinion it's the best TFK instrumental piece ever, though it is very, very long (more than eleven minutes).

This album, of course, has all the influences of the prog giants. The long song called "There Is More To This World" has a final part where there are some choruses in the classic Yes style. According to me, this is too similar.

I also notice Tomas Bodin plays Hammond C3 organ more than usual, just to remark the influences of the past.

At the same time, on this disc many original pieces are present: "Silent Sorrow" has an interesting central part where Bodin makes himself conspicuous using a lot of synthesizers. "The Judas Kiss," is my favorite one, with a great jam session in the middle and a beginning that has an oriental melody.

I suggest you buy Retropolis first so that you can see TFK's evolution over the years!

[See also Keith's review - ed.]

More about Retropolis:

Track Listing: Rhythm Of Life (0:28) / Retropolis (11:07) / Rhythm Of The Sea (6:13) / There Is More to This World (10:07) / Romancing The City (0:53) / The Melting Pot (5:48) / Silent Sorrow (7:38) / The Judas Kiss (7:39) / Retroplis by Night (3:06) / Flora Majora (6:49) / The Road Back Home (8:57)

Musicians:
Hans Bruniusson - percussion
Ulf Artan Wallander - sax (soprano)
Jaime Salazar - percussion, drums
Tomas Bodin - synthesizer, piano, organ (Hammond), Mellotron, effects
Roine Stolt - guitar, keyboards, vocals, voices
Hans Froberg - voices
Thomas Bodin - synthesizer, piano, organ (Hammond), Mellotron, mixing, fx vocals
Michael Stolt - bass

Contact:

Website: www.flower-power.org.uk
Note: will open new browser window

Email: flowerkings@foxtrot.se

Discography

The Flower King (Roine Stolt)
Back in the World of Adventures (1995)
Retropolis (1996)
Stardust We Are (1997/2000)
Scanning The Greenhouse (comp) (1998)
Edition Limitee Quebec (1998)
only 700 copies!
Unnamed 3-track EP (1998)
given away free at Japanese concerts; incl "She Cared Me A Wooden Heart," "Space Revolver," and "Jupiter Backwords"
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