Genre: progressive
Rating: 4 stars ****
Title: In the Wake of Poseidon
Company: Atlantic
Catalog: SD-8286
Year: 1970
Country/State: UK
Grade (cover/record): VG / VG
Comments: gatefold sleeve
Available: 1
GEMM catalog ID: not yet listed
Price: $9.00
In the wake of an extended American tour and simmering personality clashes drummer Michael Giles and keyboardist Ian McDonald both tendered their resignations, reappearing under the short-lived collaboration McDonald and Giles.
With the addition of ex-Circus sax player Mel Collins and keyboardist Keith Tippet the band went back into the studios, quickly releasing the gap filling single 'Catfood' b/w 'Groon' (Island catalog number WIP 6080). At the same time, unhappy with Giles and McDonald's departures, singer Greg Lake also announced his decision to quit, though he subsequently agreed to stay through the band's next studio set.
Personnel changes continued during the recording sessions for 1970's "In the Wake of Poseidon". Though Lake had agreed to complete the album and handled most of the vocals, ex-Fleur de Les singer/bassist Gordon Haskell was brought in and handled the vocal on 'Cadence and Cascade'). Ex-World drummer Ian Wallace was also added to the lineup. In the midst of the turmoil, guitarist Robert Fripp and lyricist Peter Sinfield were left as the band's creative center. The pair may have borrowed liberally from their earlier catalog and outside sources ('The Devil's Triangle' was a blatant rip of Gustav Holst's 'Mars: Bringer of War' (Holst's estate apparently refused them permission to record the work), but the fact they managed to record anything was impressive. Even if the results sounded much like a continuation of "Court of the Crimson King", or as some critics complained, a complete remake of the debut, the album was worth hearing. Sure there was lots to remind one of the debut. Adapted from a live piece the band use to perform, 'Pictures of a City' in turn borrowed more than a little from the earlier '21st Century Schizoid Man', while the title track recalled the debut's 'Epitaph'. Similarly Sinfield's hippy/dippy fantasy lyrics ('check out the title track') recalled much of the debut. Still there were a couple of strengths included the pretty mellotron-powered ballad 'Cadence and Cascade' (apparently inspired by a pair of band groupies) and the earlier jazzy single 'Catfood'. Moreover, given there was little marketing support for the album and the band didn't tour, it sold well, hitting # 31 in the States and top-5 in the UK.
"In the
Wake of Poseidon" track listing:
(side 1)
1.) Peace - A Beginning (Robert Fripp - Peter Sinfield) - 0:49
2.) Pictures of a City (Robert Fripp - Peter Sinfield) - 8:03
3.) Cadence and Cascade (Robert Fripp - Peter Sinfield) - 4:27
4.) In the Wake of Poseidon (including Libra's Theme) (Robert Fripp - Peter Sinfield) - 7:56
(side
2)
1.) Peace - A
Theme (Robert Fripp) - 1:15
2.) Cat Food (Robert Fripp - Peter Sinfield - Ian McDonald) - 4:54
3.) The Devil's Triangle (Robert Fripp - Ian McDonald) - 11:39
Merday Morn (instrumental)
Hand of Sceiron (instrumental)
Garden of Wurm (instrumental)
4.) Peace (Robert Fripp - Peter SInfield) - An End - 1:53
Perhaps not a major surprise, completion of the album was followed by another round of personnel changes; Haskell replaced by Boz People vocalist Boz Burrell and McCullough replaced by ex-World drummer Ian Wallace.
