The Flower Kings: Instant Delivery (2006) Review

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(More customer reviews)Having grown up on Genesis and Rush (with a healthy helping of Kansas / Jethro Tull) during the late 70's and early 80's, Marillion (ably supported in my collection by Simple Minds, Big Country, Waterboys and U2) in the Mid 80's and King's X / Dream Theater in the 90's, the mid to late 90's were a time of "resurgence of "Prog Rock" with Spock's Beard and these guys, The Flower Kings.
This is the Double Live DVD / CD Set from their Tilburg/Holland show on April 19th, 2006 in support of the "Paradox Hotel" Double CD.
The band ... Roine Stolt (Vocals, Guitar), Hasse Froberg, (Guitar, Vocals, Percussion), Marcus Liliequist (Drums), Jonas Reingold (bass, guitar, bass pedals), Tomas Bodin (keyboards), put on a tremendous show. It is clear that they are confident in support of one of their best studio CD's ever (9 of the 17 tracks come from "Paradox"). I think whenever a band is super confident of their latest album (think Genesis "Duke", Rush "Moving Pictures") the show is superb and contains a bulk load of material from that album.
The band, have, to me, never sounded so passionate and energized. The opening track, "Paradox Hotel" absolutely rocks and the next three tracks effortlessly weave into one another and are stunning performances ("Hit me with a hit" (also from Paradox"), "Last minute on Earth" (from "Rainmaker" (`01)) is a stellar version, much better than the studio version, "Eyes of the World" (from "Stardust We are" ('97)) picks up midway thru the song and is brilliantly performed. Next up is "Jealousy" (from "Paradox"), a great version of "If God is all alone" (from "Paradox"), a tremendous instrumental (the drums and Bass are fantastic) "Pioneers of Aviation" (from "Paradox"), a well played 10 minute version of "Love Supreme" ("Adam and Eve" ('04)) with Disc (CD and DVD) One closing out with a tremendous 20 minute version of "Truth will set you free" ("Behold the future" ('02)).
Disc Two starts with the brilliant guitar workout "Touch my heaven", the Pink Floydish "Mommy leave the light on" (think "Mother" from "The Wall"), "End on a high note" (this version is 10 out of 10 - stunning a real classic and "Life will kill you" (all from "Paradox" ('06)). The set closer is a ripping version of "I am the sun" ("Space Revolver" ('00)). The first of three encores follows "Blade of Cain" ("Adam and Eve" ('04), and "King's Prayer" ("Space Revolver" ('00)including the "Hey Jude" sing a long with the crowd) and 10 minute version of "Stardust we are" ("Stardust we are" ('97).
2 ½ hours of great music and so many highlights with the band's overall approach (having a great time and letting go more than I've ever heard them before), there's a real chemistry on stage and it comes thru in the music.
The "Wow, that really blew me away" moments for me were ...
Paradox Hotel / Hit me with a hit / Last Minute on Earth / Eyes of the World (These opening four really rock) / Pioneers of Aviation (for Drums / percussion / bass work - brilliant) / Love Supreme / Truth will set you free / Touch my heaven / End on a high note / I am the sun / King's Prayer / Stardust we are... including the "We want more" cries from the crowd together with the pleas for "Stardust" where Roine says.... "You're right, Stardust you are... and ... Stardust you'll get!" and the crowd go crazy! The crowd even get to sing a couple of versus of Stardust with the FK's as backing band!
Oh yes the picture / sound of the DVD. Superb. It's not spectacular it's just very clear and crisp, superbly produced.
The Music though is the key here (If I could find a way to rip DVD audio tracks onto a CD / MP3 player and play them in my car, I'd just buy the DVD only, until then it's both formats and it's the car where I do most of my listening. These CD's have been on high rotation since I got them, the performance is just so good).
All `n' all totally exceeded my expectations. A very passionate, highly energized performance with superb song selection (only "Eyes of the World", "Stardust we are" and "Truth will set you free" have appeared on previous live releases ("Eyes" and "Stardust" (10 minute version) on "Alive from Planet Earth" ('99) and "Stardust" (full 26 minute version) and "Truth will set you free" (full 31 minute version) on "Live Recordings - Epics" (CD), "Meet the Flower Kings" (DVD) ('03).
This music as with much of Flower Kings output over the years is right up there with .... (to think of a few) ...
- Caravan, "For Richard" (live Version from "New Symphonia" 1974) (original 1970).
- Emerson Lake and Palmer, "Tarkus" (title track from "Tarkus" 1971)
- Yes, "Close to the Edge" - (title track from "Close to the Edge" 1972).
- Jethro Tull, "Thick as a Brick" (Live version from "Bursting Out" 1978) (Original 1972).
- Genesis, "Suppers Ready" (Live version from "Seconds Out" 1977) (Original 1972).
- Gentle Giant "Octopus" (Live version from "Playing the fool" 1976) (Original 1972).
- Mike Oldfield, "Tubular Bells", (Live Version on "Exposed" 1979) (Original 1973).
- Pink Floyd, "Darkside of the moon" (1973)
- Elton John, "Funeral for a friend / Love lies bleeding" (from "Goodbye Yellow brick road" 1973)
- Lynyrd Skynrd, "Free Bird" (Live version from "One more from the Road" 1976). (Original 1973).
- Rush "2112" (from 2112, 1976).
- ELO, "Concerto for a rainy day" (Side three of "Out of the Blue" (1977).
- Supertramp , "Fools Overture" (1977).
- Rush, "Cygnus X-1" from "Hemispheres" (1978).
- Tangerine Dream, "Tangram Part 1" (Title track from "Tangram" 1980).
- Alan Parsons Project, "Turn of a friendly Card" (Title track, all of side two (1980).
- Frankie goes to Hollywood, "Welcome to the pleasuredome"
(title track from "Welcome to the pleasuredome" 1984).
- Marillion, "Misplaced Childhood" from (1985).
- Queensryche "Operation Mindcrime" (Live version from 1991). (Original 1988).
- Jane's Addiction, "Three Days" from "Ritual de Habitual" (1991).
- Dream Theater "Learning to Live" from "Images and Words" (1992)
- Dream Theater, "Scenes from a Memory" from (1999).
- Spock Beard, "At the end of the day" from "V" (2000).
- Spock's Beard, "The Great Nothing" from "V" (2000).
- Tool, "The Grudge" from "Lateralus" (2001).
- Transatlantic, "All of the above" (Live version from 2001 in Europe). (Original 2000).
- Transatlantic, "Stranger in your soul" (Live version from 2001 in Europe). (Original 2001).
- Transatlantic, "Duel with the devil" (Live version from 2001 in Europe). (Original 2001).
- Flower Kings "The Truth will set you free" from "Behold the Future" (2002).
- Neal Morse "Testimony" from (2003).
- Green Day "Jesus of Suburbia" from "American Idiot (2004).
Further thought would no doubt reveal more than these classics. Music, that to me, pushes the musical boundaries in terms of complexity yet still rocks with an abundance of melody and harmony, a difficult thing to accomplish without 100% dedication to create something new, endless practice and commitment.
For me "Alive from Planet Earth" was a great snapshot of their pre-millennium period of music, a lot of fun and high energy. "Live Recordings - Epics... Meet the Flower Kings" ('03) was just that "The Epics", classics with extreme technical skills on show with a "jazz" undertone, stunningly brilliant and perhaps a more "serious" Live album.
With this latest one there is a real sense of pride of their latest studio album "Paradox Hotel" (certainly 4 of my favorite tracks here ("Hit", "Pioneers", "Heaven", and "High Note" are from "Instant Delivery" alone). There is an energy / passion and sense of fun that accompanies this release all the way thru.
In recent years newer bands such as Flower Kings, Spock's Beard, Muse, Gomez, Mercury Rev, Elbow, Coldplay, Evermore, and The Flaming Lips (from "Soft Bulletin" (1999) onwards) have held my interest, together with any new releases from Dream Theater, Marillion and Rush. This Flower Kings release is a classic.
If this sounds remotely like your sort of music, then go for it. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did, it's really a great show.
Certainly one of my favourite live albums over the last 35 years (here are some of my other favourites)...
*** Some of my favourite Live albums over the past 35 years ...
- "How the West was won" from Led Zeppelin (1972)
- "Made in Japan" from Deep Purple (1972)
- "Yessongs" from Yes (1973)
- "Welcome back my friends" from ELP (1973)
- "Too late to stop now" from Van Morrison (1974)
- "On your feet or on your knees" from Blue Oyster Cult (1975)
- "Live in London" from Bruce Springsteen (1975)
- "One more from the Road" from Lynyrd Skynrd (1976)
- "Frampton comes alive" from Peter Frampton (1976)
- "Live Bullet" from Bob Seger (1976)
- "Seconds Out" from Genesis (1977)
- "A Live Record" from Camel (1978)
- "Bursting Out Live" from Jethro Tull (1978)
- "Two for the Show" from Kansas (1978)
- "Playing the fool" Gentle Giant (1978)
- "Waiting fro Columbus" from Little Feat (1978)
- "Strangers in the Night" from UFO (1979)
- "Live Rust" from Neil Young (1979).
- "Paris" from Supertramp (1980).
- "Exit...Stage left" from Rush (1981)
- "Under a blood red sky" from U2 (1983)
- "Stop making sense" from Talking Heads (1984)
- "Live in the city of Light" from Simple Minds (1986)
- "Live adventures of the Waterboys" from the Waterboys (1986)
- "Operation Livecrime" from Queensryche (1991)
- "Without a safety Net" from Big Country...Read more›

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The Flower Kings, the band around mastermind Roine Stolt,prove live to be a musical adventure in a class of their own. There ishardly a band that celebrates classic progressive rock as they do, as theyclearly rejoice in their own playfulness and technical refinement. Theirlatest entry, the double DVD Instant Delivery, gives a full taste of theirgrandeur, recorded live in Tilburg/Holland on April 19th, 2006.

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Anesthetize (DVD + Blu-ray) (2008) Review

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(More customer reviews)This is what I mean: I was fortunate enough to attend two concerts from the same tour that the DVD is taken from. No question, PT is better enjoyed live; however, this DVD offers significant advantages that a live concert cannot provide:
1.You watch it when you feel like it.
2.You don't have to drive to get to the concert.
3.The guy in front of you won't block the view of the stage.
4.You can seat down and enjoy.
But the truly impressive aspects of this DVD are the camera work and the sound mix. During the credits I counted at least 9 camera operators. It is as if you're on the stage with the band! You can watch Gavin Harrison playing from the left, the right, the top, and even from under the drums! I know now where he keeps the set list (down on the left side). You can even read the brand of the drum sticks that he uses.
Same with the other musicians: you can see the keys of the keyboard reflected on Richard Barbieri's glasses; the chords that the under-rated, extraordinaire bass player Colin Edwin chooses so discretely; the craftsmanship of John Wesley's guitar playing, and the artistry of genius composer/arranger/musician/producer/promoter Steven Wilson.
The sound, the mix and the production are of the most impressive quality. Even the PCM Stereo version is so good I hope they release the tracks on CD or as downloads to be able to listen to in the car.
They start out with the full Fear of a Blank Planet album, ala The Incident tour. Impeccable all; "Way Out Of Here" (which can be seen on YouTube) and "Sleep Together" stand out, this last one for the rage and energy that the band displays.
It is appreciated that for the second half of the show, they chose a number of songs, which are not that frequently heard on live material available. "What Happens Now", "Cheating the Polygraph" and "Normal" (from Nil Recurring), "Dark Matter", and "Sleep of no Dreaming", among others, are simply spectacular. The show stealer, however, turned out to be a very low key piece called "Half-Light" from the Deadwing sessions, in which Steven Wilson plays his signature Video Guitar and John Wesley finishes the song with the most heartfelt vocal that I've heard in a long time. There is no question: John Wesley is the fifth Beatle!!!
If you're still reading is because you already know Porcupine Tree. I don't need to tell you about how good these guys are or that they play the most creative kind of progressive, hard and acoustic rock combination that can be found on this planet. If you're a fan, you have to have this DVD.
This review is based on the first viewing of the regular version of the DVD made in England (not the Blu-ray).
6/26/10 Edit: A "similar" show from the same Fear of a Blank Planet Tour has been released for a download on the PT site or at the [...] store where most things PT can be found. It's worth the download because the music is great and the proceeds are for a good cause (read below abstract taken from the Burning Shed page), however, it is not the same set list nor the same sequence played on the DVD filmed in Holland. The low price more than justifies the download.
This download comprises a complete 2 hour live performance from the Fear of a Blank Planet tour.
"The show was recorded and mixed to the usual PT standards in order to provide material for a planned live album, but when the decision was taken to film much of the same repertoire in Holland for a major DVD release instead, the Atlanta recording ended up back in the vault.
Now PT have decided to make it available in complete form as a download only release in order to raise funds for Mick Karn's treatment for cancer. Although the repertoire is similar to that on the Anesthetize DVD, the performance has its own atmosphere, and also includes the first ever officially released live recording of "A Smart Kid".
The mp3s are high quality 320kbps files and there is a break between tracks 8 and 9 in case you want to burn your own 2 CD set, for which Carl Glover has also provided CD artwork.
Please note that all Porcupine Tree's profits from the sale of the Atlanta download will go directly to the Mick Karn Appeal. Burning Shed's profits will go to Macmillan Cancer Support."

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Last year Porcupine Tree released their latest album The Incident. The album marked another step forward in theincredible journey of the band from a solo studio project created by Steven Wilson in the late eighties to a Grammy nominated act and one of the world's most revered live bands, currently selling out arenas across the globe and wowing fans with their incredible performances. "Anesthetize" is a DVD which captures the power of the band's live show. Recorded on multi-cameras over two nights at 013 venue in Tilburg, Holland in October2008, the concerts featured tracks from throughout the band's career. "Anesthetize" collects the highlights from the two shows. It is only the band's second ever DVDrelease. Includes: 2 Hour concert film with stereo& 5.1 sound,5 x Lasse Hoile `Live films' from the showPhoto gallery, "Anesthetize" is also released as a twodisc package. The second disc is the Blu-Ray version of the concert. It contains the following extras:"Way Out of Here","My Ashes","Wedding Nails","Strip The Soul / Dot Three","Nil Recurring", 5 live films all directed by Lasse Hoile

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