IN THE WAKE OF POSEIDON

In the Court of the Crimson King introduced us to a talented band that masterfully played hard rock/proto-metal (21st Century Schizoid Man), instrumental improv (Moonchild) and Mellotron short epics (Epitaph).

In the Wake of Poseidon has a band returning to what they do best and expanding on it. Despite the shakiness of the lineup (a problem which plagued KC for years), this album is very consistent in exploiting what KC has already acheived as well as breaking new ground.

Peace (and I'm going to treat all three of them at once) is one of the niftier and more innovative ideas on the album. Splitting up the vocals and the instrumentals and playing them seperately, then bringing them together at the end to provide closure for the album is an effective device. And the short song isn't that bad either.

Pictures of a City has that 21st Century Schizoid Man sound. It has the same type of plodding first theme and the same menacing instrumentals. Pictures of a City has a more jazzy leaning; 21st Century Schiziod Man has a world class guitar solo. So Pictures doesn't quite live up to it's ancestor.

Cadence and Cascade, with it's soft interplay between flute and piano and Haskell's vocals, looks forward to songs such as Lady of the Dancing Waters off the next album.

Again, we go back to giving the people what they want with In the Wake of Poseidon. This is another Mellotron dominated mini-epic. Not quite as good as Epitaph, but it's up there.

Catfood is the song that really shows us which direction KC is taking short term. The athletic piano and the jazzy instrumental sections foreshadow the first half of the Lizard album. But here KC does jazz so much more tastefully.

Finally, what to make of Devil's Triangle? Classically based, Mellotron drenched, improvisational parts above rich chords and a droning drum beat. Another innovative piece, especially for it's time.

As King Crimson's most representative and consistent album from their earliest phase, I will give this four stars. I don't give it five because I keep finding myself saying that KC did things better on their debut.