b o b

For a band that is known for having various incarnations that are so different from each other that they don't even sound like the same band, it's odd that their first two albums are practically carbon copies of each other. For the most part, this album is overshadowed by its more successful predecessor. Still, there are things to like here - as the other reviewers have mentioned, "Cat Food" is a wonderful, jazzy, unpredictable little song. I also like the way they open with the "Peace" theme, then restate it in the middle of the disc and again to close the album. Downsides are Sinfield's goofy fantasy lyrics and the lengthy version of "Mars" (nice of Fripp to give himself songwriting credit on a track where he basically quotes the orchestral piece note-for-note). Overall though, anyone who liked the first album and doesn't mind some repetition of style should enjoy this one. review by Bob Eichler — undated —

s e a n

This album stands as a fairly unsuccessful attempt by King Crimson to duplicate the successes of their previous album. Unfortunately, they chose to do this by cloning it. Thus, you have "Pictures of a City", which is the poor cousin of "21st Century Schizoid Man", "Cadence and Cascade", which is this album's attempt at hippie balladry, and finally the title track, which is fairly reminiscent of the title track from the last album. There is some material here which has no counterpart on the previous album, however. One example, "Cat Food", is a fairly silly and humorous rock song. On the other end of the spectrum there is the very tedious reworking of Holst's "Mars" entitled "The Devil's Triangle". While the original is a powerful and commanding triumph, the only thing triumphant about this version is making it through without falling asleep. There isn't much more to say about this album, except to perhaps wax philosophical for a moment. King Crimson made a rather large misstep here, but were still able to get it together and give us some very memorable music later that decade. So, kids, you can make mistakes but they won't scar you for life! Then again, maybe I'm just reaching for something positive here. review by Sean McFee — undated —

j o e

King Crimson's second release is basically a not so remarkable attempt at reproducing a remarkable debut. I actually quite like "Pictures of a City." But I liked it even more when it was called "21st Century Schizoid Man." "Cadence and Cascade" and "In the Wake of Poseidon" (oops: 'including Libra's Theme,' of course, how can we forget that?) handle the sensitive "Moonchild" and wistful "Epitaph" angles, respectively. I've never been able to enjoy the band's plodding adaptation of Gustav Holst's "Mars" (here it opens "The Devil's Triangle") and find it wholly bland and uninteresting. The album's highlight for me is "Cat Food," which again echoes aspects of "21st Century Schizoid Man," but also shows the way towards the edgy, jazzier Canterbury approach to be found on Lizard. Everyone from the previous album is on board here (barely) save for Ian McDonald, who had already jumped ship but picks up some writing credits nonetheless. But by this point all except Fripp and Sinfield were just hanging on, and In the Wake of Poseidon is pretty clearly a transitional album in the KC canon, with all the strengths and weaknesses thereof. review by Joe McGlinchey — undated —

e r i c

King Crimson's 2nd release was in a difficult spot having to follow up the classic In The Court Of The Crimson King. The magic of Court is missing here. At some points this sounds similiar to, and at other times it is jazzier and more improvisational than Court. Fripp was trying to keep a band together so understandably it is a more disjointed effort. "Cat Food" is a great offbeat song with some crazy eclectic piano and it helps to lighten up the mood. "The Devil's Triangle" is broken into 3 sections using mellotron, marching drum beat and a sinister horn section. This is a good record, but does not compare to Crimson's best works. review by Eric Porter — undated —

b r a n d o n

Although it's pretty clear that this is more or less a clone of King Crimson's auspicious debut, I think In the Wake has its merits. The jazzy "Pictures of a City" is a favorite of mine, especially in concert recordings which feature the blazing sax lines of Mel Collins. The version on this studio album is much tamer, with a much less interesting middle instrumental section, but it's still a step forward for the band. "Cadence and Cascade" is a ballad (a la "I Talk to the Wind"), but a nice one; and while the title track is an obvious comparison to "Epitaph" or "The Court", and is equally pretentious and mellotron-soaked, I think it's a very nice piece overall (I particularly like the drumming) and I find it easy to forgive it its weaknesses. In fact, I think "In the Wake" has a grandeur missing from either of the mellotron epics on the debut. "Cat Food" is an obvious winner, a crazy tune accentuated by Keith Tippett's bizarre piano runs. "The Devil's Triangle" is something I feel I might really like had I patience to wade through it, but most of the time I don't. The dementia and noise present on this track is a complete change from the melodic niceness of the rest of the album, and though it's refreshing, it's also very grating. Overall, then, In the Wake is an uneven but still enjoyable transitional release, and I don't hesitate much in recommending it. review by Brandon Wu — undated —