The complete recording sessions for King Crimson’s majestic In The Wake of Poseidon on CD/Blu-Ray.

 

The Blu-Ray features completely new mixes* of the album in Dolby Atmos, 5.1 DTS-HD MA Surround & Hi-Res Stereo by Steven Wilson (*except Devil’s Triangle) / New Elemental Mixes of four of the tracks in Hi-Res Stereo by David Singleton, plus two additional versions of Cadence and Cascade / Complete recording sessions of the album in Hi-Res Stereo / The Original Stereo Master of the album (30th Anniversary edition). The CD contains the 2025 mix with Devil’s Triangle sourced from the alt mixes (as featured originally on the Sailors’ Tales box set), and the new Elemental Mixes.

 

Presented in a replica mini-vinyl style packaging with booklet including photos and sleeve-notes from King Crimson biographer Sid Smith. 

 

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Robert Fripp: Guitar and Mellotron & Devices

Greg Lake: Vocals / Michael Giles: Drums

Peter Giles: Bass / Peter Sinfield: Words

Keith Tippett: Piano / Mel Collins: Saxes & Flute

 

and Gordon Haskell: Vocal (Cadence & Cascade)

                

When “In The Wake of Poseidon” was first issued in 1970, Melody Maker ran the unforgettable headline: “If Wagner were alive he’d work with King Crimson”. Stranger still, this was just two months after King Crimson had issued a single “Cat Food” & appeared on Britain’s Top of the Pops miming – as all bands did in those days on the TV show – to a pre-recorded playback of the song. 

 

Strangest of all was, how could a single and an album have even been recorded, when the band had split up in December 1969 following their debut US tour and release of their acclaimed “In The Court of the Crimson King” mere weeks before that? The answer, not for the first or last time in the band’s lengthy career, was Robert Fripp’s determination to keep the band going – whatever it took. In the case of “Poseidon” this involved hiring leaving KC members Michael Giles & Greg Lake and former Giles, Giles & Fripp member Peter Giles as guest musician & bringing in players who would all feature on future KC albums: Keith Tippett, Mel Collins and Gordon Haskell. The result was an album that claimed the band’s highest ever UK chart position (No. 4) and consolidated its position as one of the most original and experimental groups to emerge from the Underground Scene.

 

For an album that shouldn’t have been recorded by a band that didn’t exist, “In The Wake of Poseidon” continues to intrigue and delight King Crimson fans.