King Crimson
In The Wake Of Poseidon

"In The Wake Of Poseidon" is the second official album by King Crimson, which is essentially the band-name for Robert Fripp, a guitarist and atypical musician of the late '60s English Progressive Rock scene. Their first album "In The Court Of The Crimson King" has been defined, for better or worse, the manifesto of progressive rock, and for their second work, critics have hastily given an unflattering judgment, calling it a clone of the first. Probably the structure and tracklist of the songs are indeed very similar to the first, but upon careful (and passionate...) listening, the listener realizes they are facing the true "concept-album" of K.C.

One only needs to mention track 7, "The Devil's Triangle", a true instrumental suite divided into three parts. Try closing your eyes for a moment, and enjoy the crescendo of this suite that thrusts you into the stormy waves of the ocean. The whole album obviously evokes the sea (you know who Poseidon was, right?), and it does so in an almost onomatopoeic way; the third track "Cadence And Cascade" features guitar arpeggios and piano parts that, gently accompanying Greg Lake's voice, represent one of the most relaxing moments of the album.
The agony of track number 4 "In The Wake Of Poseidon" represents, with all possible agony, the crimson romanticism already expressed in "Moonchild" in their first album. "Pictures Of A City" seems to closely recall the granitic "21st Century Schizoid Man", but listening to it to the end, it's clear that, perhaps, these tracks have much more in common than those of the first album; at least the "sea canon" is broadly evoked by the melodic choices, and for example, the guitar ostinato in this track seems to open the dance for the storm of "The Devil's Triangle". The sweet repetitions of the "Peace - A Beginning", "Peace A Theme" or "Peace an End" themes show that if the Kings can rely on the honeyed ensemble of winds, mellotron, and R. Fripp's guitar (strictly Les Paul), they manage to express themselves well with the skeletal simplicity of an arpeggiated guitar. The only "jarring" note of the album is represented by the lennonesque "Cat Food", which at times resembles both "Come Together" and "I Am The Walrus"; in some parts of the album, I can even hear echoes of the "Red" album, which surely drew much from the initial (unfortunately) romanticism of King Crimson. Finally, I can affirm that this album manages to shine in its own light (a slightly marine blue light!).

Great the early King Crimson!! I suggest to Mr. Adrian Belew and our Robert Fripp to listen to this album again!!!!!