Hello Spirit of Cecilia Readers, it’s with great pleasure that Tad and Brad review the latest release from their beloved Flower Kings, Love (Insideout Music).  Here are their thoughts.

Brad: As always, a great pleasure to do this with you, my friend.  As you and I have talked before, I’ve been a Flower Kings fanatic (and yes, I mean a fanatic, a hyper fan!) for twenty-five years now.  A wonderful student–now one of my colleagues in the philosophy department at Hillsdale–let me borrow his copy of the band’s 1999 Flower Power.  I immediately fell in love with it, bought it, and bought my favorite album by the band, Space Revolver, to me one of the absolutely quintessential prog albums of all time.  Once I had Flower Power and Space Revolver, I bought everything before that: Stolt’s The Flower King, Back In the World of Adventures, Retropolis, Stardust We Are.  From Space Revolver to the present, I’ve bought every studio album, every DVD, every live album, every compilation, and both box sets on the day each has been released. I have two of their fan release albums, too, and two of their official bootlegs, but they’re really hard to come by.  Every once in a while they pop up on Ebay, andI pounce on them.  My point being, though, I’m a definite completist when it comes to Roine Stolt, just like I am with Steven Wilson.  Proudly so.  Both, absolutely amazing talents.

Through Facebook, I’ve had a few moments of correspondence with Stolt, and he’s a total gentleman.  Frankly, he’d be a blast over a beer.

But, Tad, let’s start with you.  You’re relatively new to the Flower Kings.  What made you change your mind about them, or what made you finally embrace them?

Tad: Brad, it is great to discuss this group’s music with you, and I have you to thank for introducing me to them. I knew about them for years, but I really didn’t get into their work until I picked up Space Revolver in a used record store. All of a sudden, things clicked, and I was able to appreciate what Stolt and his fellow Flower Kings were doing. I have since acquired all of their albums (but not the bootlegs and limited editions you have).

I have to say, they are some of the most prolific artists working today. They release an album practically every year, which are often two-disc sets. Even their single-disc albums are filled to the brim, including their latest, Love, which contains 71 minutes of music. What are your initial impressions of this one?

Brad: Tad, so glad you found and fell in love with Space Revolver.  Definitely a top-20 all time album for me, maybe even a top 15.  I certainly think it’s a classic of third-wave prog.  Everything just works on that album–the music, the shifts, the tone, the lyrics, the playfulness.  Yeah, I just love that album no matter how many times I’ve listened to it.

And, yes, I’m really happy with the new album.  It’s mellower, overall, than most previous Flower King’s releases, and it’s relatively tame, again compared to the band’s previous releases.

I had received the promo copy of the album from Inside Out, and I pretty much fell in love on the first listen, but, then, to make it even greater, my physical copy arrived.  I was so surprised to open up the CD and have the beautiful portrait of Mary and the Child staring up at me!  I’ve thoroughly enjoyed Stolt’s lyrics going all the way back to The Flower King (1994), and he’s always been respectful of Christianity.  His Christianity–at least as it comes across in his lyrics–is more mythic and symbolic than tangible and concrete.  Stolt especially loves making references to the “Holy Mother.”  I assume that’s Mary, but I’m not sure, of course.  Being Swedish, Stolt almost certainly comes for a Lutheran background.  As much as Luther loved Mary (he did, adamantly), Lutherans generally don’t put much emphasis on her.  So, one of the mysteries of Stolt and the Flower Kings.  

Here are two examples of Stolt’s rather hippyish and cosmic take on Christianity.  First, in his thank yous on Love, he writes “Remember: War is just fear and failure, FEAR manifested in small people with shady political or religious agendas–LOVE is always the winner.”

And, again, take the lyrics for track two of the album, “The Elder”:

You found your way – So come what may

You found your way – So come what may

So I have made it here

A distant light getting near

if you just knew where to begin

This holy mess you’re in – Waiting on a dream

I’ve made my peace with those who’d done me wrong

Those broken dreams that followed me along

So no more worries – If we could bury hate –

There’s nothing greater than the love we save

Betting on the love you save

Betting on the love you crave

So open up those doors – letting out the waters

And now you’re waiting on a tide

I once had a vision – behold them lights

The lights of salvation

So you look in his eyes – resurrection –

He’s risen – Came down upon me –

is it real what I’m feelin’

We can get much higher – We can start a fire

Turn away from lies – Looking eye to eye

We can catch a light – Brighten up this night

We will never die – We will never die

What you get is what you are

So give away a shiny star

Keep it closer to your heart

Do never sway – Don’t break no parts

What you give is what you are!

What was given – looking closer – Taint your soul

It’s unforgiven – cause the world has plans for you

Is it real – is it fiction? – Crucifixion

The world may soon just set you free

Here we are in silent trenches

Come this far – lived life let reckless

Waiting for the lights to change

I’m waiting for the outbound train

You found your way – So come what may

You’ve found your way

Notice, of course, the use of salvation, risen, resurrection, Crucifixion.  None of it is blatant theologically, but it is blatantly symbolically and mythically.

I once tried to outline all of the albums up through 2013.  It would be nice to update this, as the Flower Kings have released a lot since 2013.  But, here, at least is what I thought up to that point:

And, I have to note as well, Tad, that I once had huge aspirations of writing a book about the Flower Kings, using each album as a chapter and inspiration, a theme pregnant with whole worlds.

Tad: Brad, I love your Aristotelian classification of their discography! You have some updating to do, though, don’t you? I hope you follow through on that book – I think prog fans would love it.

I also noticed and appreciated those lyrics in “The Elder” the first time I heard that track. It is one of my favorites on the album. My overall impression of Love is one of all-encompassing joy and optimism – which is not surprising, given the album’s title! The first song, “We Claim The Moon”, bursts out with a happy sound of guitars and keyboards that conjures up classic Traffic. The line, “I’ll never get over the way you brought down the moon” brings to mind Jimmy Stewart and Donna Reed in It’s a Wonderful Life. 

I agree with you that this album is mellower, but, paradoxically, I think there is a lot of energy in the performances. The vocals on Love strike me as some of their best ever, with Hans Froberg and Roine Stolt trading leads and harmonizing beautifully, especially in “The Phoenix”. I love the way that track starts out acoustically with a celtic feel, and then features an outstanding guitar solo from Roine. 

Another highlight is the final song, “Considerations”, which is written by Michael Stolt and Jannica Lund. It is a truly majestic track that I admire more and more as I listen to it. The “Shine on, shine on love” section is one of my favorite musical moments.

I also appreciate the way the Kings have created a unified whole from these twelve tracks. Musical motifs reappear throughout the album, as well as lyrical themes – did you notice that “Love Is” (track 10) has the line, “How can you leave us now?”, which is the title of the album’s third track! It’s little details like that that tell me Love is meant to be listened to in its entirety to fully appreciate its message. And what a message – despite all the negative forces in our world, love can conquer all. I really appreciate how bravely Flower Kings go against the cultural grain of our time: instead of complaining about hatred and division, they choose to celebrate the power of human (and spiritual) love.

Brad: You put that all so beautifully, Tad.  I really like the idea that the album is really love calling on love, inspiring  us to be our best.  Frankly, I think that’s a perfect summation of Roine Stolt’s artistry and what he’s accomplished over the past 31 years.  All rather stunning and motivating.  And, so once again, I’m brought back to the beginning–I’m extremely proud to be a fanatic when it comes to the Flower Kings.

As always, we encourage you to buy your Flower Kings merchandise from the best online retailer, Burning Shed.