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This CD is one of the most important
CDs of our time. It makes some major statements about the
current state of the world we live in. Not only that, but
it is musically brilliant as well. Even more so than what
we have come to expect from Roine Stolt, guitarist/songwriter/leader
of the Flower Kings. Here Roine has crossed over into the
realm of the great guitar heros of the past and present and
fused them with his own style and vision.***
He begins the CD with "The Observer"
where he proclaims that he (or we) are the ones that are being
exposed to all the horrors of modern day life, just watching
it all go down. It is a song about greed and selfishnish.***
"I'm an angel in disguise watching
the world I'm a weary wanderer who has seen too much The world
has turned it's back on God For pride and profit and derranged
obsessions"***
And this is just the beginning of
Roine's journey into the corruption and the loss of love and
the innocent.***
"Head Above Water" starts off with
some Clapton-esque guitar work (a-la Cream) and features his
Transatlantic pal Neal Morse on vocals and Hammond B3.***
Then we get to "Dirt" where he
really starts to lay down the facts of the evil we face each
day. Some nice guitar work on this track is featured as well
in Jimi Hendrix style.***
My favorite track is the "Spirit
of the Rebel" where once again he sounds very much like Jimi
Hendrix and the lyrics are rather terrifying as he trys to
warn the world of what's to come if we don't start thinking.***
"How about some thinking before
you blow the chessboard clean It's a frickin nightmare An
apocolyptic dream"***
As the CD progresses there are
many more surprises like his version of Joni Mitchell's "Sex
Kills" and "Remember" another favorite track where he searches
for hope and answers as he wonders about his reason for being
here.***
"I get up, I get down and stumble
and fall And I laugh and I cry and I wonder why And the world
just moves on till the day I'm gone Is this it? Is this it?
Is this all?***
Then he comes back with (of course)
it's "All About Money" which pretty much straightens it all
out!***
This CD is like Roine's "Dark Side
of the Moon". A very important piece of work that people NEED
to listen to. It not only states the problems of the greedy
politician and the cruelty of the world but it offers hopeful
ideas for the future. Every track is a great piece that fills
out the entire work.***
This is not the usual Flower Kings
fare. But definately a great compliment to their body of work.***
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