Formation
In early 1993, guitarist and singer Roine Stolt had written material for his third solo album The Flower King and sought for musicians to perform it. He had wanted to release a progressive rock-style album for a while and felt the time was right to pursue the project. The album features Stolt on vocals, guitar, bass and keyboards, Jaime Salazar on drums, and Hasse Fröberg on vocals, and was recorded in Sweden between May 1993 and January 1994.
In preparation for Stolt's concert tour to support the album's release, Stolt, Salazar, and Fröberg were joined by Stolt's brother Michael on bass and Tomas Bodin on keyboards. The five performed their first gig on 20 August 1994 at an outdoor festival in Uppsala, Stolt's hometown and the city where The Flower King was recorded. After they decided to become a full time band, they officially adopted the name The Flower Kings, named after Stolt's album. Stolt had produced a list of potential titles for the record, one of which was "The Flower King", and chose it because of its positive meaning and its reference to the hippie era of the 1960s.
Activity
After performing a series of concerts through 1994, the band entered the studio in December 1994 to record their debut album, Back in the World of Adventures. The recording process was gradual, finishing in September 1995.
In 2000, Michael Stolt was replaced by Jonas Reingold. Two years later, Salazar was replaced by Zoltan Csörsz. Daniel Gildenlöw of Pain of Salvation joined the band the same year as a multi-instrumentalist and vocalist.
Other contributors have included Hasse Bruniusson (percussion) and Ulf Wallander (saxophone).
Stolt has written the vast majority of the material the band has recorded, with Bodin contributing most of the rest. The music is best described as symphonic progressive rock, bearing a strong resemblance to the music of Yes, King Crimson, Gentle Giant, and early Genesis, with jazz fusion and blues influences. The band's lyrics are almost uniformly positive and uplifting, affirming such values as love, peace, and spirituality, and furthering their association with Yes.
Their 1999 album Flower Power contains the eighteen-section, almost 60-minute "Garden of Dreams".
In June 2007, they released The Road Back Home, a compilation of remixed songs from 1994 to 2006, plus "Little Deceiver" (a previously unreleased track) and the full version of their cover of "The Cinema Show" by Genesis.
Zoltan Csörsz was replaced by new drummer Marcus Liliequist for one album, but returned for the 2007 album, The Sum of No Evil. He was subsequently replaced by Erik Hammarström in 2008.
In 2008, Ola Heden, previously of Reingold's side project Karmakanic, joined on guitar, vocals and keyboards.
In November 2008, the band were the opening act of the Ecco Prog Fest in Moscow.
After touring in 2008, The Flower Kings were inactive for four years. Stolt felt the band had varied levels of focus in their direction and had started to feel lost. They reunited in 2011 to work on new material after Stolt felt it was the right time and sensed eagerness from the other members to work together. This marked the arrival of German drummer Felix Lehrmann. Banks of Eden, the group's eleventh album, was released in June 2012 and was recorded with analogue recording techniques and styles reminiscent of the height of vinyl records. This was followed by Desolation Rose in October 2013.
The line up of Stolt, Bodin, Reingold, Fröberg and Lehrmann played together for the last time in 2015. 2016 and 2017 saw the bandmembers busy with other engagements.
In December 2017, the first part of a career-spanning box set titled A Kingdom of Colours was released. This first box, with 10 discs, covers the period from 1995 to 2002 and includes the studio albums from Back in the World of Adventures to Unfold the Future. The second box set, titled A Kingdom of Colours 2 and covering the albums Adam & Eve through to Desolation Rose, was released in June 2018.
In September 2018, Stolt announced a new album named Manifesto of an Alchemist. The album did not feature long-time keyboardist Tomas Bodin, and as such it is credited to "Roine Stolt's The Flower King" rather than "The Flower Kings"
In August the same year Roine Stolt presented a new band called "Roine Stolt and friends play The Flower Kings". The band featured Stolt, Fröberg and Reingold with new keyboard player Zach Kamins and new drummer Mirko De Maio. Roine Stolt stated that he was done being in a group and wanted to tour as a solo artist like Roger Waters or Steven Wilson. Tomas Bodin was not a part of this group and made his displeasure quite public. The band toured with Spock’s Beard in November and December 2018 and continued to do shows in 2019, this time under the name "The Flower Kings Revisited".
In July 2019, "Revisited" was removed from the band name, making it clear that this line up was now "The Flower Kings". The band went on to release the double albums Waiting for Miracles in 2019 and Islands in 2020, the latter having been recorded entirely remotely during the COVID-19 pandemic.
On 24 March 2021, Roine Stolt announced two big projects. The Flower Kings are working on a brand new album "in the same innocence" of Stardust We Are. On 19 April 2021, Roine officially teases that Stardust We Are is getting a brand new vinyl remaster.
On April 8th 2022, InsideOut and Roine Stolt announced that Back in the World of Adventures and Retropolis were getting "remastered and partly remixed". The release date for both was placed on May 27th 2022. Also Stardust We Are and Flower Power are getting remixes and remastered in June.
Full Wikipedia article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Flower_Kings
Studio albums
The Flower King (1994)
Back in the World of Adventures (1995)
Retropolis (1996)
Stardust We Are (1997)
Flower Power (1999)
Space Revolver (2000)
The Rainmaker (2001)
Unfold the Future (2002)
Adam & Eve (2004)
Paradox Hotel (2006)
The Sum of No Evil (2007)
Banks of Eden (2012)
Desolation Rose (2013)
Manifesto of an Alchemist (2018)
Waiting for Miracles (2019)
Islands (2020)
By Royal Decree (2022)
City Of Angels
The Flower Kings Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
once more set up the trades and all the tables
we speak of progress, soon we speak of wars
we say hello / goodbye, we close the doors
The sun is gone for just about an hour
in comes the cheaters and notorious liars
like serpents crawling, close to the ivory towers
This - called "the coming of the business hour"
The native world they gather around the fire
to feed their swirling demons of desire
"The ones that have shall get" and that's a fact
take one step forward movin' two steps back
We all must feed the monsters of excess
to fill the holes in souls will leave no rest
"A man is nothing more than his success"
this seldconsuming race will be your test
A million lights still keep the city bright
the words are right but not the melody
There's no more beggin here on Eco street
But souls are starving to pedestrian beats
So many living here from day to day
They dream of "something else" but they still stay
This monster of a city takes it's toll
will no one ever hear or head your call
I'm Looking for love in the city of angels
Looking for love.
So many different dreams and different tales
A twist of fate, a spin of fortune wheels
The educated rise and make their calls
Before the blanket of oblivion fall
They took your land, they wrote your history
in grand old gestures saying you are free
they took your youth, they took the labour years
and last of all they took your dignity
Looking for love in the city of angels
Looking for love.
The Flower Kings's song City of Angels is a reflection on urban life, and the price we pay for living in cities. The lyrics of the song detail how the day starts with promise, but ends in frenzied activity as people rush to work and do business. The use of the imagery of serpents crawling close to ivory towers is particularly powerful, suggesting the insidiousness of greed and the corrupting influence of power. As the day wears on, the picture that emerges is one of sadness and desperation, with people living a hollow existence in the city, attempting to fill the holes in their souls with material excess.
The lyrics suggest that the city is a place that demands much from us, in exchange for little in return. We are required to feed the "monsters of excess" and to "take one step forward, moving two steps back." The cost of living in the city is great, and the song suggests that it leaves us with a longing for something more - for love, companionship and a deeper connection to the world around us. Yet, as we search for these things, we find that the city is unforgiving, and that the prospect of finding meaning and purpose slips further and further away.
Overall, City of Angels is a poignant reflection on the modern urban condition, and the price we pay for living in cities. It is a reminder that while we may have access to many things in the city, we can also lose sight of the things that are truly important.
Line by Line Meaning
The sun is up, the early morning flavours
The day has just started and new experiences and opportunities arise.
once more set up the trades and all the tables
Businesses are getting ready to begin the working day.
we speak of progress, soon we speak of wars
We talk about the evolution of society but also the possibility of conflicts.
we say hello / goodbye, we close the doors
People's lives are fluid as they interact with others and make significant decisions.
The sun is gone for just about an hour
The darkness begins to set in and with it come unscrupulous people.
in comes the cheaters and notorious liars
Dishonest individuals take advantage of the shadows to carry out their misdeeds.
like serpents crawling, close to the ivory towers
Corrupt people work their way up to positions of power.
This - called "the coming of the business hour"
The illegitimate side of business operations is becoming more apparent.
The native world they gather around the fire
Indigenous people live according to their traditional customs and beliefs.
to feed their swirling demons of desire
They succumb to worldly temptations that conflict with their values.
"The ones that have shall get" and that's a fact
Society is structured to benefit those who are already wealthy and powerful.
take one step forward movin' two steps back
Progress is hindered by systemic inequality and corruption.
We all must feed the monsters of excess
We are pressured by society to indulge in materialism and selfishness.
to fill the holes in souls will leave no rest
We try to compensate for our inner emptiness with material possessions.
"A man is nothing more than his success"
Status and wealth define a person's worth according to societal standards.
this seldconsuming race will be your test
The rat race of pursuing worldly success and pleasure is an ultimate challenge.
A million lights still keep the city bright
The city is constantly illuminated, but this is just a facade.
the words are right but not the melody
The dominant societal narrative may sound good, but lacks true substance.
There's no more beggin here on Eco street
Even the poorest people are pressured to participate in the consumerist society.
But souls are starving to pedestrian beats
People feel a sense of spiritual emptiness while being consumed by mundane routines.
So many living here from day to day
People are surviving day by day without a greater purpose.
They dream of "something else" but they still stay
Individuals long for a more meaningful existence but feel trapped in their current situation.
This monster of a city takes it's toll
The city is a burden on its inhabitants and society as a whole.
will no one ever hear or head your call
Individuals feel disconnected and unheard amidst the chaotic urban environment.
I'm Looking for love in the city of angels
Amidst the hustle and chaos of the city, people long for love and connection.
Looking for love.
This is a repeating chorus line that captures the song's overarching theme of people's search for love and meaning in a superficial, materialistic society.
Contributed by Alyssa S. Suggest a correction in the comments below.