IN THE WAKE OF POSEIDON

This is the second and last great album by the original band formed in 1969 called King Crimson. After this last great album King crimson became somewhat of a catch all band for some brilliant avant British musicians at the whims and why-nots of the third founding member of Giles Giles and Fripp, the British band that preceeded and then became King Crimson.

As we all know, The Bands name was coined by a brilliant poet/songwriter named Peter Sinfield. Peter Sinfield wrote some of the most beautiful and hallucinogenic progressive lyrics and melodies that the music world has ever known and they have more than survived the test of time. The power of Sinfields contributions to the original band cannot be swept away by simply pretending he did not exist, and the first two KC albums prove this handily.

Greg Lake made his vocal debut with King Crimson and went on to a brilliant career both with ELP and solo recordings. His vocal stylings on In the wake of Poseidon are pure genius as they were on King Crimsons debut album In the court of the Crimson King. I have heard ITWOP a million times and every time I hear it I hear a different album... It is important to me to listen to this album only on it's original vinyl. Every digitized CD version leaves me cold and feels like there is something missing or else it sounds rushed and cramped... Especially the 30th anniversary remaster of this album. Belew era King Crimson sounds fine on CD... Not these first two King Crimson albums. ITWOP is a mood altering trip from track to track. It's lyrically beautiful like no other album. It is a pure classic prog album in every sense.

The cover art itself conveys the eerie mysticism of another worldly journey... it beckons you, warns you, and pretty much gives you a hint as to where you will be going when you decide to sit and listen. From Peace a BEGINNING... to Peace an END... The only track that sort of upsets the psychedelic flow of the album is Cat food, which on it's own is one of the greatest songs ever commited to vinyl thanks to Keith Tippetts contributions. but somehow detracts from the mood brought forth by the original King Crimson band and the feel of In the wake of Poseidon. This album and the one before it remain in their rightful place... light years beyond the Discipline bands good but more sterile albums, to be reviewed one day as well unfortunately under the name of the iconic and once mythical King Crimson.