As we hit the 2000s we see the first major change to The Flower Kings, as Michael Stolt leaves, arriving in his place a bass phenomenon familiar to Roine: his partner from his days in The Tangent, Jonas Reingold. The sonic change is immediate on Space Revolver, as his acrobatic fretwork abounds over the entire record, one much more concise in the writing department, as after two double albums we return to a single (albeit still 76 minutes) album. There’s a lot of love for this record; multiple listens still has me trying to figure out where it sits in my ranking. In keeping with the theme of listening again as I write, let’s get into the weeds and see what we find.

Space Revolver is bookended by its massive epic, split into two sections. “I Am The Sun, Pt. 1” brings an instantly catchy theme and yup, Reingold’s bass is right up front in the mix, playing in and around Stolt’s guitar and Bodin’s keyboards. Love the crunchy power chords that precede the verse, sung by Stolt and rife with his patented hippy-drippy lyrics that speak of a Christian-based faith and character that – the more I dig in – seems to use the iconography as a stand in for a more naturalistic, at one with the universe framework rather than a strict doctrine. I also immediately notice something else, something missing from my beloved Flower Power: Ulf Wallander is back! I didn’t realize I was missing the sax until it came back. The middle solo sections are very geared toward the band’s more uplifting arrangements, and listening I find myself more and more drawn to those sounds – I can go elsewhere for the metal. The music does get ominous with Bodin’s repeated keyboard riff that segues into jazz lounge and Stolt’s “I left my heart…” silliness which is fine, but I don’t need the overly comedic moments here – thankfully it moves into a great solo. Salazar gets in some great double kick as Bodin and Stolt come together for the end of the section. Great overall track, recalling to my ears some of the best progressive moments of early Tull, especially in the end’s more acoustic section.

It’s a seamless flow into “Dream On Dreamer” featuring Ulf Wallander’s sax, Stolt’s voice, and Bodin’s synth work providing the padded background. Reingold can’t help getting in some bass figures and you won’t hear any complaints from me. It’s a small fluffy piece of ambience that gives a small breath before tackling the rambunctious instrumental “Rumble Fish Twist” with its fake crowd noise and Salazar’s drums ripping the piece into fourth gear immediately. Reingold and Bodin sound absolutely indestructible together, and Stolt gives them the spotlight before slowly bringing his guitar higher and higher in the mix. Reingold slips in some great musical references throughout the piece, further cementing his place as MVP of this record and bass god of the prog universe. Also huge props to Bodin, as the track is solely credited to him (he also has a co-credit on “Dreamer…”).

The lengthy tracks continue with “Monster Within”, and it’s another hard rock opening, a little doom and gloom for a Flower Kings song to be sure, but as ever it’s a facade for a more thoughtful take on prog, though I’m not the biggest fan of Stolt’s heavily processed vocal cadence, especially when it slips into the sing-speak cadence that Andy Tillison seems to carry off better than anyone else. That said, the production is (no surprise) excellent, Don Azzaro back with assistance from Gepetto Azarro bringing a wide soundstage and fantastic instrument separation. It’s a track I admire more than really like, the ambition to inject new tones and moods in the first half inevitably giving way to the standard solo sections. I think the second half of the song saves it, because it’s where we get Hasse Fröberg taking over the lead vocals – is this the first time on a Flower Kings album where he’s also credited with guitar? I’m happy, because he has one of the best voices in progressive rock, and totally nails the delivery.

Contrasting nicely with the darkness of “Monster Within” is the upbeat “Chicken Farmer Song” which, honestly? I love. The vocal harmonies are a delight, and the music has that bounce that just carries you through. Stolt and Fröberg share vocals, and when they’re hitting this lane no one frankly can touch them. This is the earworm I wait for on every Flower Kings album, and its five minute length is just too small for this – this could be double the length and I would still love it. Bagpipes open the countrified “Underdog” which is another very pretty song. I know everyone loves the super epics from Stolt, but he really shines on these shorter, tightly arranged works. Beautiful slide guitars and some truly Gerorge Martin level orchestral flourishes from Bodin make this another highlight for me, a true Beatles reflection coming out before we get some fun distortion and punch at the song’s end. Also again: DAMN Fröberg’s harmonies and background vocals slay. Great late Stolt guitar solo, too.

From pretty songs to a true ballad comes “You Don’t Know What You’ve Got”, the sole Fröberg credit. It’s less than three minutes long, but it’s really, really pretty, Fröberg and Stolt strumming acoustic guitars and Stolt for once focusing on background vocals and harmonizing beautifully with Fröberg. A little harmonica? Sure, why not. “Slave For Money” returns to the more epic sound, although Fröberg continues the lead vocal work, and you can feel the start of the later albums where Stolt starts to really utilize Fröberg’s voice as a part of the song cycle. Bodin continues to channel Martin-era Beatle arrangements in his keyboard work, and the second half of the song changes to a more syncopated funk rhythm (without the actual funk) that elevates the gowns beyond its “we need another song” filler this late in Space Revolver’s sequence.

And that’s something I struggle with on these albums. There is absolutely no criticizing the performances or the technical execution. It really comes down to the songwriting. Does this catch your ear? Is there something here that needs to be here, in the song, on the album? With prog that problem is exacerbated as I sometimes have to work to decide if a song is simply fine or really great. It’s a problem I also have with “A King’s Prayer” although I think it succeeds better than “Slave For Money” due to taking the pyrotechnics down a notch and focusing on the song’s more tentative, reflective mood. It also doesn’t hurt that Stolt and Reingold just bring it at the song’s close.

That leaves “I Am The Sun, Pt. 2” to wrap Space Revolver up, and unsurprisingly it sticks the landing. Bird song calls out as Bodin intros the piece and Stolt comes in with his voice and acoustic guitar. Maybe it was present on earlier albums, but one thing that really sticks about Space Revolver is how much acoustic guitar there is without ever sounding like an acoustic album. If I’m being honest (and it’s my blog, so I have no reason not to be) I prefer Pt.2 to Pt. 1 – I love the way the themes come back but in much different arrangements. I’m still not sure where this lies in my personal ranking; maybe when I’m finished with the reviews I’ll do a quick ranking post. But right now on the strength of the short middle tracks, the bounce of “Rumble Fish Twist” and this closer it’s ranking pretty high.

Kinda shocked I was able to write this up on vacation (I’m taking the morning off from theme parks as everyone else gets their water slides on); I don’t expect 2001’s The Rainmaker to make an appearance until I get back. Until then, stay safe – we live in extraordinary times that are going to test us more than I think we realize.

Find some music to help you get through. In the meantime, I’ll do the same.