Flower Kings, The - Instant Delivery

Year of Release: 2006
Label: InsideOut Music
Catalog Number: IOMDVD 015/SPV 79187
Format: DVD
Total Time: 164:31:00

While the Flower Kings are now supporting their Sum Of No Evil CD, this DVD, Instant Delivery, released last year, was filmed on their tour in support of their Paradox Hotel album. Nine of the 17 pieces performed are from that album ("Jealousy," "Hit Me With A Hit," "Pioneers Of Aviation," a touching "Mommy Leave The Light On," "End On A High Note," "Touch My Heaven," "Life Will Kill You," "What If God Is Alone," "Paradox Hotel") with a smattering of Flower King's classics - including "Last Minute On Earth," "Truth Will Set You Free" and the inevitable (?) "Stardust We Are." As Joshua reviewed this title as well, going track by track; I'll give you my overall view (naturally).

This DVD contains a live performance and nothing more. As Roine is quoted as saying in the press piece that accompanied this DVD, "?no extras, no interviews, no Easter-Egg bullshit or interruptions, no hidden menus or other distractions - just music as it was played that night." Well, true enough. What you get is their show from April 19, 2006 at 013 in Tilburg, The Netherlands. But? it's not entirely the truth. Because there is a bit of distracting editing going on first the part of the first disc, and a bit on the second disk. Cuts between each performer seemed a little too quick, more so during "fast" numbers. On the "slower" numbers, the transitions were smoother, using cross fades. Of course, in a real setting, your eyes might be darting back and forth between Roine, Hans, Jonas, Marcus and Tomas - so much goes on in a Flower Kings track - but there you have some control over where you are looking. And, during what I presume are instrument changes, there are some psychedelic patterns that cover up whatever is going on. Nice to look at, mind, but you wonder? what're they "hiding"? Of course, it also took me back to some the 70s-era promotional videos? I think say, The Who, maybe the Doors? Blue Cherry. Folks like that. And, naturally, that whole psychedelia fits right in with the whole Flower Kings vibe? at least in the long view.

But make no mistake, this is beautifully shot. The colour is vivid and the picture sharp. I don't know, but it feels like they used Hi-Def cameras? maybe even digital instead of film. Or its just the inherent clarity of the DVD medium. Whichever, it looks fabulous. And sounds fabulous; it is hard sometimes to make out what is being said when their chatting up the audience, but the important parts - the music - come through perfectly.

This is a very strong performance. I think a few hairs shy of perfect, which makes it perfect. I mean, Hans sings with such passion at times his voice can't quite keep up, and yet it is perfect for what he's singing. And one realizes just what a fabulous guitarist Roine is and what a fabulous bassist Jonas is. Of course, Tomas ain't no slouch on the keyboards, either - just two on stage, yet with enough variety you'd think there were a bank of them. New drummer - well, now that King Crimson's Pat Mastelotto is tour with them and "oldier" drummer Zoltan Corsz played on Sum, I guess we need to say newly ex-new drummer Marcus Liliequest is quite the drummer as well [That was a long way to that sentence -ed.]. (For me personally, their performance of "Truth?" at CalProg 2005 was just marvelous and will tough to beat - it still gives me chills 2-plus years later). Now, the most continuously animated of the quintet is Hans - playing "rock star" to the rest of the band's "serious musos," which doesn't really become "obvious" until we leave the quick-cuts for the cross fades, but this didn't bother me. Maybe because I had seen them live (twice), I knew what to expect? So no, Tomas doesn't go "Emerson" on his keyboards, neither Roine (nor Hans) smashes a guitar a la Townsend, nor does Marcus do a 360 a la ? was it Tommy Lee? It's all in what the hands and fingers (and feet for Marcus) are doing?

Some other notes? This is so complete that you sort of follow the band from clowning around backstage to the stage ("Intro"); during the pause between the first and second encores, you get a mini video within the video, showing you the set up, the whole performance, the end and the breakdown in high speed, all shot from some distance back. Clever, since otherwise you'd be watching a panning shot of the audience clapping (which you can hear in the audio) -- fun if were you there, as you'd want to see if you can spot yourself, but other than that, you'd think "this could have been edited out?" But no, it gives you something to watch? while you wait with the crowd. You can select particular songs from the main menu, too, so after watching the whole concert, you can go back to favorite pieces. Not a unique feature, of course, but it's not a DVD entirely without options.

If you've never seen The Flower Kings live, this is the CD to get. If you have and want a document of their magic, this is the DVD to get. If you want to prep yourself for RoSFest 2008? well, you get the idea. This is the DVD to get. Or, you can even get a set that has both DVD plus 2 CDs!

I do have one minor nitpick, and your mileage may differ. At the end of disc one, when the program ends, so does the DVD. Just like that, no return to the menu or anything. It doesn't really matter since you'll be popping that out and putting in disc two, but?

Tracklisting:
Disc One: Intro (2:27) / Paradox Hotel (5:55) / Hit Me With A Hit (5:41) / Last Minute On Earth (8:22) / In The Eyes Of The World (7:25) / Jealousy (3:42) / What If God Is Alone (8:05) / Pioneers Of Aviation (12:23) / Love Supreme (11:00) / The Truth Will Set You Free (19:22)

Disc Two: Touch My Heaven (7:34) / Mommy Leave The Light On (6:52) / End On A High Note (9:51) / Life Will Kill You (8:37) / I Am The Sun (15:00) / Blade Of Cain (5:29) / A King's Prayer (15:15) / Stardust We Are (11:23)

Musicians:
Roine Stolt - guitars, vocals
Tomas Bodin - keyboards, vocals
Jonas Reingold - bass, guitar, vocals
Hans Fröberg - guitars, vocals, percussion
Marcus Liliequist - drums, percussion, vocals

Discography:
Roine Stolt - The Flower King (1994/2001/2004)
Back In The World Of Adventures (1995)
Retropolis (1996)
Stardust We Are (1997/2000)
Scanning The Greenhouse (comp) (1998)
Edition Limitée Quebec (1998) (only 700 copies!)
Flower Power (1999)
TFK fanclub disc (2000) (free CD exclusive to fanclub members only)
Alive On Planet Earth (2000)
Space Revolver (2000)
Space Revolver Special Edition (2CD set) (2000)
The Rainmaker (2001)
The Rainmaker - Special Edition (2001)
Unfold The Future (2002)
Live In New York: Official Bootleg (2002)
Fan Club CD 2002 (2002)
Fan Club CD 2004 (2004)
Adam & Eve (2004)
BetchaWannaDanceStoopid (2004)
Harvest (fan club CD) (2005)
Paradox Hotel (2006)
The Road Back Home (2007)
The Sum Of No Evil (2007)
The Sum Of No Evil (Special Edition) (2007)
Banks Of Eden (2012)
Roine Stolt's The Flower King - Manifesto Of An Alchemist (2018)
Waiting For Miracles (2019)

Meet The Flower Kings - Live Recording (DVD) (2003)
Instant Delivery (DVD) (2006)
Instant Delivery - Limited Edition (2CD/2DVD) (2006)

Genre: Symphonic Prog

Origin SE

Added: December 19th 2007
Reviewer: Stephanie Sollow
Score:
Artist website: www.roinestolt.com
Hits: 2630
Language: english