Sprawling, ambitious and gloriously melodic. Flower Power is the 1999 album by The Flower Kings: an epic double-disc feast of Swedish symphonic prog.

The short version

The 1999 fourth studio album by the Swedish band The Flower Kings, and one of their most ambitious. A sprawling double album stretching well past two hours, it is anchored by ‘Garden of Dreams’, an epic hour-long suite in eighteen parts that ranks among the band’s greatest achievements. Warmer and more pastoral than some of their work, it channels the spirit of classic 1970s symphonic prog — Yes and Genesis above all — through Roine Stolt’s soulful guitar, Tomas Bodin’s lush keyboards and gorgeous vocal harmonies. Generous almost to a fault, it is a rich, immersive highlight of the band’s early years.

Ambition unbound

By 1999 The Flower Kings were on a remarkable creative roll, releasing ambitious albums at a startling pace. Flower Power — their fourth studio album in less than five years — found them at their most expansive. It featured the band’s classic early line-up: Roine Stolt on guitars, vocals and keyboards, Hasse Fröberg on vocals and guitars, Tomas Bodin on keyboards, Stolt’s brother Michael Stolt on bass and Jaime Salazar on drums, with guest percussion from Hasse Bruniusson and saxophone from Ulf Wallander. Notably, the whole band contributed to the songwriting this time, broadening the album’s scope. It would prove the last outing for the original rhythm section, capping the band’s prolific, freewheeling early era in grand style.

The sound

Flower Power is sprawling, melodic prog rock, symphonic and warm. It sits squarely in the classic tradition — soaring guitar, sweeping Mellotron and organ, intricate arrangements and rich three-part harmonies — with a slightly gentler, more pastoral feel than some of the band’s heavier work. The music ranges from delicate, folky passages to grand, multi-part epics, jazzy interludes and playful, quirky detours, all delivered with warmth and superb musicianship. At its heart is the hour-long ‘Garden of Dreams’ suite, a dazzling journey through countless moods and themes. Generous, ambitious and beautifully played, it rewards patient, immersive listening — a lavish showcase of classic-styled symphonic prog.

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The songs

‘Garden of Dreams’ is the album’s towering centrepiece, an hour-long, eighteen-part epic that journeys through a dazzling variety of styles and moods. ‘Dawn’ is a lovely, pastoral opening that sets the album’s warm tone. And ‘Painter’ is a gorgeous, melodic highlight, one of the album’s most memorable standalone songs.

Reception and legacy

Flower Power was warmly received by prog fans, hailed as one of the band’s most ambitious and rewarding albums, with the epic ‘Garden of Dreams’ singled out for particular praise. Some felt its sheer length and generosity could have benefited from tighter editing — a common note for the band’s prolific early period — but most were won over by its warmth, its melodies and its scope. It was the band’s first album to gain a proper US release, broadening their audience further. Today it is regarded as a high point of their early years — a lavish, immersive and hugely ambitious statement from one of modern prog’s most prolific bands.

The verdict

Flower Power is The Flower Kings at their most gloriously ambitious: sprawling, melodic prog rock built on soaring guitar, lush keyboards and warm vocal harmonies. Come for the epic ‘Garden of Dreams’ and the lovely ‘Painter.’ Generous, immersive and beautifully played, it is essential listening for anyone who likes their progressive rock grand, classic-styled and steeped in the spirit of the 1970s — and a lavish early highlight from one of the genre’s most enduring bands.

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