760 King Crimson - In The Wake of Poseidon (1970)

 760 King Crimson - In The Wake of Poseidon (1970)

Studio Album - Progressive Rock



About the Act:

King Crimson were/are a Progressive Rock band from England. They started ahead of the curve in 1968, and many people claim they actually kicked the whole thing off with their first album, "In The Court of the Crimson King." To say they have been influential in the genre is a bit of an understatement. They have been active in short bursts over the years, and with various line-ups, but guitarist Robert Fripp has been the central driving force throughout. They have constantly reinvented themselves over the years, and pushed the boundaries of music in interesting and challenging ways, also challenging the concept of what it means to be a band. For a while they were a loose collaboration of sub-groups (called ProjeKcts) and they currently have a three-drumkit frontline

.While you can definitely hear the influence of other bands and of particular genres and musical styles in their music, then have always been leaders rather than followers. They are one of the most progressive of Progressive Rock bands. All hail to the King.

About the Album:

This was their second album, and their most commercially successful, achieving Number 4 on the UK Album Charts. While it was made, the band fell apart and members left, although mostly coming back to record as session musicians. When their singer, Greg Lake left, the band considered approaching the up-and-coming Elton John to replace him, but decided against it.

My History with this Album:

I have heard it, but it is not one that I know well.

Review:

So, I know their first album (In The Court Of The Crimson King) really well, and there are quite a few similarities, which naturally leans me towards comparisons. However, if you don't know the first album, then everything I say that is based on those comparisons is not helpful to you. This is why I make a point of trying to review albums in isolation, without reference to earlier or later work, or other bands. It is almost impossible at times, and some very well-known things do get referenced, but... well here we go.

Musically this is very diverse. There is gentleness, like flute, classical guitar and the thick string sounds of a mellotron (kind of like an early sampler). There are classical and jazz influences along the rock, which sometimes is sparse and sometimes busy. It is all very musically intelligent and often complex, and there are chaotic sections with discordant improvisation (and other improvised bits I think). It's all about textures, and the playing and interplay, at times is lovely. This is home ground to me, quite progressive and some might think overblown and pretentious, I don't. There is a long instrumental track called The Devil's Triangle which features parts of Mars from Holst's Planets in with lots of other stuff (this track is at times the most chaotic).

The songs are predictably fantasy-based or vague, with the exception of Cat Food. They are reasonably engaging. 

In some ways this is an extraordinary album, full of invention and variety, intelligent and complex. There is a but, though, and we are back to comparisons, because at times it feels very like they are trying to replicate the genius of their first album, which overshadows this one, because it is genius. Don't get me wrong, this is a good, even great album and there are significant differences between the two.

So, if you know and like In The Court of the Crimson King, you will probably like this too. If you hate prog, you will definitely hate this. If you don't know either way, you could give it a go, you never know. It is the sort of thing that can be a bit of an acquired taste. Definitely my taste though.

8.4/10


Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/album/4dgsjsPIogKXhFlPZSYjvT

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLXRKTcRs-Xs6dl3N9JijxMfcz6fdreyaz

Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/In_the_Wake_of_Poseidon



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