King Crimson – 40th anniversary reissues (Inner Knot)

King Crimson‘s first few years of existence have largely been defined by its debut LP, the prog-defining masterpiece In the Court of the Crimson King, and its trilogy of mid-70s albums (Larks’ Tongues in Aspic, Starless & Bible Black, Red, with singer John Wetton and drummer Bill Bruford). But the band did, in fact, release a few records between their twin pillars of excellence, with only leader/guitarist Robert Fripp as a constant. Those albums tend to be dismissed offhand by a lot of fans, but some diehards, of course, cite them as their favorites.

Originally released in 1970, In the Wake of Poseidon is Crimson’s second record. There are some significant lineup changes – multi-instrumentalist Ian McDonald is gone, drummer Michael Giles‘ brother Peter replaces Greg Lake on bass (though Lake continues his lead vocal role), avant-garde jazzman Keith Tippett joins on piano, and session saxist Mel Collins enters the world of Crimson. That said, Poseidon is mostly of a piece with Crimson King, with the same mixture of majestic prog epics (“Pictures of a City,” the title track) and stately ballads (the three-part “Peace,” the lovely “Cadence and Cascade,” sung by the incoming Gordon Haskell). The LP does take a couple of steps forward, with the classical (and, it must be said, somewhat tedious) mini-symphony “The Devil’s Triangle” and the fractured quirk-pop tune “Cat Food,” which features an unhinged Tippett keyboard splattering and a shockingly aggressive Lake vocal that presages his work in Emerson Lake & Palmer.

The 40th anniversary edition includes some fine bonus material, including the free jazz-influenced single “Groon” (another Tippett showcase) and a version of “Cadence and Cascade” with a Lake guide vocal. The DVD-A disk also includes a bundle of alternate takes and mixes. As with prior reissues in this series, the whole thing has been remixed by Fripp and Porcupine Tree leader Steven Wilson, except for “The Devil’s Triangle,” the multi-tracks of which no longer exist.

Following the overtly jazzy Lizard (the notoriously difficult third album), Fripp assembled a new lineup of Crimson for the uneven Islands. Joined by singer/bassist Boz Burrell (later to join Bad Company), drummer Ian Wallace, Collins (now a full-time member) and a bevy of guests from the British jazz scene, Fripp pushes the band firmly back into prog rock territory, while folding in the improvisatory spirit of the previous LP. The best-known track is “Ladies of the Road,” a bluesy ode to groupies with a sleazy sax solo and a sinister bent. But other cuts stand tall as well, primarily “The Letters,” a bitter prog-jazz story of the consequences of infidelity, and “Sailor’s Tale,” an instrumental with a carefully crafted base and some stunning improvised axe-blade guitar. But the classical piece “Prelude: Song of the Gulls” and the epic title track come off as too precious by half, and the opulent “Formentera Lady” wears out its welcome fairly quickly, especially when soprano Pauline Lucas starts moaning wordlessly in the background.

The bonus cuts found here are mostly alternate takes of album cuts, of interest mainly to obsessives. That said, the two-and-a-half excerpt of a second take of “Formentera Lady” is actually more appealing than the 10-minute standard track, the rehearsal take of “The Letters” is more freewheeling and improv-oriented and the instrumental outtake “A Peacemaking Stint Unrolls” is a dry run for themes that would be reappear in “Larks’ Tongues in Aspic Pt. 1.” The DVD-A has even more alternates, including enough to make a whole new version of the entire album, plus live cuts and a rehearsal of “Drop In,” an early, unrecorded Crimson tune that was recycled for “The Letters.” Wilson and Fripp’s remix isn’t quite as sharp as on previous disks, due to technical imperfections in the original recordings, but is still an improvement over past masters.

At this point, all but two of the studio albums made during King Crimson’s original run have been remastered, remixed and re-released. The wait for Larks’ Tongues in Aspic and Starless and Bible Black will no doubt be breathless.

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