Stardust We Are (2022 Remaster) The Flower Kings

• 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
• 11 Pipes of Peace (2022 Remaster) 01:20
• 12 The End of Innocence (2022 Remaster) 08:31
• 13 The Merrygoround (2022 Remaster) 08:16
• 14 Don of the Universe (2022 Remaster) 07:03
• 15 A Day at the Mall (2022 Remaster) 00:45
• 16 Different People (2022 Remaster) 06:23
• 17 Kingdom of Lies (2022 Remaster) 05:44
• 18 If 28 (2022 Remaster) 02:16
• 19 Ghost of the Red Cloud (2022 Remaster) 04:34
• 20 Hotel Nirvana (2022 Remaster) 01:51
• 21 Stardust We Are (2022 Remaster) 25:10
• Total Runtime 02:10:08

Info for Stardust We Are (2022 Remaster)

"Stardust We Are" is the third studio album by the progressive rock band The Flower Kings, which was released in 1997. It is the band's first double studio album and includes the epic composition and title track, "Stardust We Are," which has since become one of the band's signature songs.

For many Flower Kings fans, "Stardust We Are" is the band's reference album. First because it is the first really successful album, even if there are some very good things in the previous productions of Roine Stolt and his band. Secondly, because it is the starting point for a series of double albums that the Swedes will later serve us, with an emphasis on the coherence of the ensemble: the latest, "Unfold The Future", was also noticed by the Music Waves editorial staff as much as "Stardust We Are" was by the progressive audience in 1997.

"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-album 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." (François Couture, AMG)

Hasse Fröberg, lead and backing vocals Roine Stolt, electric & acoustic guitars, lead vocals, keyboards Tomas Bodin, Waldorf synthesizer, Hammond organ, Mellotron, piano, pipe organ, Rhodes piano, Optigan, accordion, effects Michael Stolt, bass Jaime Salazar, drums Hasse Bruniusson, percussion Guests: Ulf Wallander, soprano saxophone Håkan Almkvist, sitar, tabla

Digitally remastered

Please Note: We offer this album in its native sampling rate of 48 kHz, 24-bit. The provided 96 kHz version was up-sampled and offers no audible value!

The Flower Kings
started as an outlet for guitarist/singer/composer Roine Stolt in 1994 – a time when prog-rock wasn’t mere history, nor a dirty word. The band quickly gained momentum and was one of a handful of bands helping to revive the progressive rock scene worldwide. Roine has since collaborated with a host of legendary musicians across various projects, including his acclaimed 2015 album with Yes-legend Jon Anderson, progressive-rock supergroup Transatlantic alongside Neal Morse, Mike Portnoy & Pete Trewavas, and a year as bass player with Genesis guitarist Steve Hackett. The Flower Kings however, has always felt like home for Roine and the other band veterans Jonas Reingold & Hasse Fröberg.

This album contains no booklet.