The Flower Kings - Stardust We Are (2022 Remaster) (1997/2022) [Official Digital Download 24/96]

Swedish progressive rock legends The Flower Kings, and longtime label-partners Inside Out Music, will begin an extensive reissue campaign in 2022, which will see the entire catalogue of the band reissued on CD & Vinyl in remastered editions, with it being the first time many of the albums have been available on wax. ‘Stardust We Are’ was the band's third studio album, and first double-album. It features the epic 25-minute title track which has since become one of the bands signature songs.

AllMusic Review by François Couture
The Flower Kings' fast rise to the top of the progressive rock community was equal to their recording pace. The two hours of music on Stardust We Are completed a four-album run in a little less than four years. Roine Stolt's creativity seemed without limits, but listening to this two-CD set, one finds a little more filler than usual, mostly in the form of poppier tunes (like "Different People," "Kingdom of Lies," and "Compassion") and short instrumental pieces meant as bridges between more significant songs. Strangely, it didn't affect the album's cohesion or interest (it wouldn't be the case for Flower Power) and, although it could have been stripped down to an even stronger 75-minute CD, Stardust We Are made a strong impression and opened the U.S. doors for the Swedish band. The opener "In the Eyes of the World" has the strength and positive drive of the best Stolt songs and became an instant live classic, as did "Church of Your Heart," which also contained all the Flower Kings trademark ingredients: a memorable melody; intelligent shifts in time signature, speed, and key; lush arrangements; spirited musicianship; heartfelt vocals (alternating between Stolt and Hans Fröberg, depending on register and the emotional effect required); and a positive attitude toward life. "Circus Brimstone" is a strange and complex instrumental piece with backward voices inherited from Frank Zappa – one of Roine Stolt's least-suspected influences. Disc two contains less strong moments: "The End of Innocence" is a good track, but afterwards it seems "Different People," "Kingdom of Lies," and "If 28" are just there to kill time before the epic "Stardust We Are," a 25-minute tour de force, full of well-developed music ideas seamlessly stitched together. More cohesive as a whole than the previous album Retropolis, Stardust We Are was on the other hand weaker musically speaking, but it remains one of the very good Flower Kings albums, if only for the opening and closing tracks.

Tracklist:
Disc 1 (58:15)
1. In the Eyes of the World (2022 Remaster) (10:34)
2. Room With a View (2022 Remaster) (01:26)
3. Just This Once (2022 Remaster) (07:55)
4. Church of Your Heart (2022 Remaster) (09:12)
5. Poor Mr Rains Ordinary Guitar (2022 Remaster) (02:48)
6. The Man Who Walked With Kings (2022 Remaster) (04:59)
7. Circus Brimstone (2022 Remaster) (12:13)
8. Crying Clown (2022 Remaster) (00:55)
9. Compassion (2022 Remaster) (04:46)
10. Hidden Dust (2022 Remaster) (03:27)

Disc 2 (01:11:55)
1. Pipes of Peace (2022 Remaster) (01:20)
2. The End of Innocence (2022 Remaster) (08:31)
3. The Merrygoround (2022 Remaster) (08:16)
4. Don of the Universe (2022 Remaster) (07:03)
5. A Day at the Mall (2022 Remaster) (00:45)
6. Different People (2022 Remaster) (06:25)
7. Kingdom of Lies (2022 Remaster) (05:44)
8. If 28 (2022 Remaster) (02:16)
9. Ghost of the Red Cloud (2022 Remaster) (04:34)
10. Hotel Nirvana (2022 Remaster) (01:51)
11. Stardust We Are (2022 Remaster) (25:10)


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