|
This is why we buy Progressive music!
NO wonder The Flower Kings are the best Prog group out there
with talent like this backing up Roine Stolt. You are instantly
hooked from the beginning of "I" with a melody that sticks
in your head like "Firth of Fifth" from Tony Banks.****
I A M is a very cohesive piece
of music that follows a man’s life from birth to death. Clocking
in at over an hour one may think it would get boring. It does
not. It is divided into three “Movements” if (I may call them
that) “I”, “A”, and “M” The moods and melodies quickly shift
and change throughout the recording yet various hooks and
melodies are briefly revisited throughout the recording to
keep everything tied together. I, personally, get sucked into
it and before I know it, the hour has passed. Stick in your
“ear buds” and go for a great ride!****
I have never been one to be good
at attaching meaning to most prog lyrics but this seems to
be about inner struggles through all the stages of one’s life
(Tomas’s?). Trying to live up to others expectations and going
through periods of anxiety, hope, despair, giving up, praying
for salvation and wondering if it will ever come. Not always
light stuff here. Tomas readily admits he was influenced by
Pink Floyd’s “The Wall” and many of the same themes are visited
on “I A M” (Reviewers note: Boy, Am I ever burned out on that
one! If I here “Another Brick in the Wall” one more time…..But,
I digress)****
Some reviewers have really heaved
the fact that there are vocals on this CD. I just don’t get
it. Why should be required to only submit instrumental CDs?
Most memorable works come to fruition when the artist has
something to say and I find that not only the lyrics, but
the vocal presentation really add to the music. Anders Jansson’s
(Tomas gives himself no vocal credits on the CD) voice is
remarkably similar to Roger Waters and on the second segment
“A” is very reminiscent of “Mother” and “Goodbye Blue Sky”
from The Wall. Often going from very soft, timid, and sorrowful;
to flat out angry. Notice that there are two female vocal
credits. For those male chauvinists out there, who don’ t
like female voices in their prog, don’t freak. They only appear
“solo” on two short segments as the voices of ones mother
and of angels. If you want your mom or an angel to sound like
a guy then you may wish to rethink things. The rest of their
work is the choir and back ups.****
Likewise, the music covers these
same ranges of emotions winding the listener through melodic
rock, quiet, almost blissful interludes and angry hard rock.****
As mentioned, “I” starts out with
a very contagious symphonic keyboard riff and guitar hook
that continues to build and then ends in a powerful pipe organ
that segues into the rest of the piece. This melody is then
sustained and revisited through out this movement. I need
to mention here that Jocke JJ Marsh’s guitar work through
out the CD is awesome.****
The second track "A" starts with
a heavier feel and a great guitar riff. Thanks to Jonas Reingold’s
base line this is probably the most Flower King influenced
piece and could easily fit on any FK CD. As mentioned, it
starts out heavy then moves into a very jazzy FK feel, plays
around with the Pink Floyd sound for awhile, then changes
to a blues progression and sound. Never boring, never dull!****
“A” then nicely moves right into
the third movement “M”. It starts out very pensive and mellow
but then starts to tease you with alternation fast and slow
melodies. All of a sudden it breaks into a very heavy, guitar
laden segment only to morph back into symphonic rock repeating
the theme you heard in the first segment “I” and then ending
a big crescendo finish. PERFECT! It ends BIG and you immediately
want to start it all over again.****
A must buy for your progressive
collection and in my opinion may possibly stand the test of
time and become a “modern prog” classic.****
GRADE: A+
|
