Flower Travellin' Band, in my opinion are one of the best psych bands from the 60's. And that says a lot, considering the amount of genereational greatness that came out of that genre. Satori remains one the great achievements of the Japanese Music scene. Now, for a second, let me talk about Devo. Devo is as Devo does. If you get my meaning. They're campy and silly and stupidly amazing. And for the 2 recent shows they played at the Phoenix, they preformed whole albums each night. Are We Not Men the first night, and Freedom of Choice. There's something to be said about a band playing their best album/s front to back during their 'come back'. Back to FTB. Their new songs sound, in so many words, like crap. I mean, I should have realized or expected it, but I dig the band so much I thought the power of that alone would make me like the new stuff ( like say, if Bush X came out with anew album. I'd hate love it. But not love it.)
The times that they DID play stuff off Satori, it was amazing. It was heavy and psychadelic, it was dark and foreboding. I miss the feeling I had when I first heard the band a couple years ago; it was incredible. Satori II is the most heavy demonstration of music I've heard. The intricate guitar work and tradional inspired drumming are truly great. And the lyrcics?
There is no up or down
Your truth is the only master
Death is made by the living
Pain is only intense to you
The sun shines every day
Freedom Freedom
Your truth is the only master
Death is made by the living
Pain is only intense to you
The sun shines every day
Freedom Freedom
Flower Travellin' Band will always remain one my favorite bands, I put them right up there with Leadbelly and the New York Dolls for my top three bands not from my generation. Just because they're new stuff isn't as mind bending or compelling doesn't lessen the fact that they created a timless album. Watch THIS is you haven't heard them before, or if you disagree with me.
