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Always in the shadow of its
illustrious and shockingly original predecessor "In The Court Of The
Crimson King" (their debut from October 1969) - KING CRIMSON's second
platter "In The Wake Of Poseidon" arrived mid May 1970 in Blighty on
Island ILPS 9127 to howls of genius and bollocks in equal measure.
The last Remaster stab at
this album came in 1999 for a 30th Anniversary Edition (Simon Heyworth and
Robert Fripp did the honours) - but this '40th Anniversary Series' Edition has
had the magic and nimble fingers of STEVE WILSON around it's smiling throat -
and once again the Porcupine Tree boy wonder has brought forth nuances that I
for one hadn't heard before (the DVD-A includes the 1999 Remaster and Flat
Transfer versions too). Here are the Cadences and Cascades...
UK released October 2010 -
"In The Wake Of Poseidon: 40th Anniversary Series" by KING CRIMSON on
Panegyric KCSP2 (Barcode 633367400222) is a CD and DVD-Audio Reissue and New
Remaster that plays out as follows:
Disc 1 - CD (51:53 minutes):
Original Album - 2010 Mix
1. Peace-A Beginning
2. Pictures Of A City
(Including 42nd At Treadmill)
3. Cadence And Cascade
4. In The Wake Of Poseidon
(Including Libra's Theme)
5. Peace-A Theme
6. Cat Food
7. The Devil's Triangle
(Part 1) Merday Morn
8. The Devil's Triangle
(Part 2) Hand Of Sceiron
9. The Devil's Triangle
(Part 3) Garden Of Worm
10. Peace-An End
Tracks 1 to 10 are their
second studio album "In The Wake Of Poseidon" - released May 1970 in
the UK on Island ILPS 9127 and September 1970 in the USA on Atlantic SD 8266.
Produced by ROBERT FRIPP and PETE SINFIELD - the LP peaked at No. 4 and No. 31
on the UK and US album charts.
BONUS TRACKS:
11. Groon (2010 Mix)
12. Peace: An End (Alternate
Mix)
13. Cadence & Cascade
(Greg Lake Guide Vocal)
Disc 2 - DVD-AUDIO, NTSC,
Region 0 (Code Exempt):
MLP Lossless 5.1 Surround
DTS 5.1 Digital Surround
Original Album
1. Peace-A Beginning
2. Pictures Of A City
(Including 42nd At Treadmill)
3. Cadence And Cascade
4. In The Wake Of Poseidon
(Including Libra's Theme)
5. Peace-A Theme
6. Cat Food
7. The Devil's Triangle
(Part 1) Merday Morn
8. The Devil's Triangle (Part
2) Hand Of Sceiron
9. The Devil's Triangle
(Part 3) Garden Of Worm
10. Peace-An End
11. Groon
Tracks 1 to 11 Mixed and
Produced from the original multi-track tapes by STEVEN WILSON - except Tracks
7, 8 and 9 which were up-mixed to 5.1 from the original stereo master by SIMON
HEYWORTH at Super Audio Mastering (Executive Producer Robert Fripp)
MLP Lossless Stereo (24/96)
PCM Stereo 2.0 (24/48)
2010 New Stereo Mix
As Per 1 to 11. Produced and
Mixed by STEVEN WILSON and ROBERT FRIPP except Tracks 7 to 9 which are Pete
Sinfield Produced original album mixes
Original 1970 Stereo Mix –
30th Anniversary Edition
Tracks 1 to 10 as above
30th Anniversary Edition
Remastered by SIMON HEYWORTH and ROBERT FRIPP
DVD-Audio BONUS TRACKS:
1. Cat Food (Single Version)
– March 1970 UK 7” on Island WIP 6080
2. Groon (Single Version) –
Non-album B-side to Cat Food
Cadence And Cascade
Versions:
3. Cadence & Cascade
(Unedited Master)
4. Cadence & Cascade
(Greg Lake Guide Vocal)
5. Cadence & Cascade
(Instrumental Take from Wessex Studios)
Groon Versions:
6. Groon (Take 1)
7. Groon (Take 5)
8. Groon (Take 15)
9. The Devil's Triangle
(Rehearsal Version from Wessex Studios)
10. Peace: An End (Alternate
Mix)
Tracks 1, 2, 4 and 5
Produced by Robert Fripp and Pete Sinfield
Tracks 3, 6 to 8 and 10
Produced by Steven Wilson and Robert Fripp
KING CRIMSON was:
GREG LAKE – Vocals
ROBERT FRIPP – Guitars,
Effects and Mellotron
KEITH TIPPET – Piano
PETER GILES - Bass
MICHAEL GILES – Drums
Guests:
MEL COLLINS (of Circus) –
Saxophone and Flute
GORDON HASKELL – Vocals on
"Cadence And Cascade" only
PETE SINFIELD – Words,
Sleeve Design and Paintings
Like the other issues in
this series – the outer card slipcase and 2-disc foldout digipak contained within
are aesthetically nice in a limited sort of way – but the loose 16-page booklet
leaves much to be desired despite a short and informative set of liner notes by
noted writer and music nut – SID SMITH. Not surprisingly you get the "Cat
Food" picture sleeve to Island WIP 6080 pictured as well as the rare New
Zealand pressing of the album on none other than a Vertigo 'Spiral' label – but
alongside some black and whites of the boys in the studio and a Disc/Music Echo
advert for the LP – there's not a lot else. The print is tiny and when you
consider just how stunning the Jethro Tull Book Reissues are (I think there's
six now including a recently reviewed "Stand Up: Elevated Edition"
which may well be Reissue of the Year 2016 in my books) – the presentation on
all of these Crimson so called 'Definitive' editions is staggeringly ordinary
by comparison.
Housed in a suitably obscure
yet almost childlike gatefold sleeve with no obvious title in sight - Pete
Sinfield's painted artwork followed on in visual style from the "Court Of
The Crimson King" debut – only this time sporting a stippled effect on the
gatefold (knowledgeable collector types will know what I mean). That artwork is
fully represented here – albeit in a reduced form that lessens its impact
considerably.
I can't honestly remember
what the 1999 booklet looked like (I sold it years back) but I can't see much
improvement except that this new one has endless lists of the same tracks in
the booklet filling up a lot of space. And what's all that MLP Lossless Data on
the rear cover that few seem to understand or even care about (doesn't even
list the bonus tracks on the DVD-A which is what fans would want). Sure many of
the tracks on the DVD-Audio are new and therefore Previously Unreleased – manna
for fans of this most revered of KC line-ups – but in truth – it all feels a
bit of a let down on the visuals. The CDs themselves are picture discs and a
nice touch is the Pete Sinfield gatefold reproduced underneath the see-through
CD trays – even if is impossible to read in such a small size. The booklet also
reproduces the lyrics and some photos of Fripp and Lake at the BBC before old
Greg buggered off to Emerson, Lake & Palmer. I'm afraid the Panegyric YES
CD reissues resemble these in the looks department - could have done better
boys...
The Audio is however
thankfully another matter. As Lake's vocals come floating in for the short
opener "Peace-A Beginning" and stop being echoed – the instruments
are so clear. But of course the huge seven-minute Prog Rock of "Pictures
Of A City" follows that – a Brass and Guitars King Crimson tune that is
actually hooky (if we might be as bold as to say such a thing). Things mellow
with the incredibly pretty "Cadence & Cascade" - an Acoustic
ballad from the pen of Robert Fripp and lyricist Pete Sinfield. I'm loving that
delicate piano and the double-vocals when he sings "...sad paper
courtesan..." followed by a flourish on the Flute from super-sessionman
Mel Collins. The speaker-bursting Mellotron opening of the title track "In
The Wake Of Poseidon" was in yer face for the 1999 Remaster - here it's
the same but a little more controlled. When Lake comes in - the Acoustic Guitar
and those drums are assaulting yer speakers as he waxes on about a
"...world on the scales..."
The beautiful "Peace-A
Theme" passage only lasts just over a minute but it sounds awesome here.
"Cat Food" is another audio winner - supermarket ladies grooning to
the muzak. The near inaudible 30-second lead in to the three-part "Devil's
Triangle" used to cause all many of problems on original 'Pink I' label
original of the British LP (clicks and pops ahoy) - Part 1 quietly building in
Bolero fashion with the Mellotron and marching drum pattern. But then after
nearly seven and half indulgent minutes it all goes King Crimson with the 'Hand
Of Sceiron' Part 2 that quickly morphs into the difficult 'Garden Of Worm'
section. Greg Lake's lone vocals at the outset to "Peace-An End" are
amazingly clean and I'd often thought that second voice over the acoustic
guitar was a 'girl' but it’s just him doubling up!
I've listened to the 5.1
Surround Mix (on a friend's set up) and I can only describe it as 'powerful'
with a capitol 'P'. I'm reminded of hearing those 'Quad' albums back in the
Seventies - instruments coming out of speakers that you'd swear you've never
heard before. As with all of these reissues - I can understand the completist
reason for the Flat Transfer of the album but it’s just that - flat - and after
the Wilson version - hard to go back to. And why weren't the Unreleased
Versions put on the CD - there was room?
To sum up - I'm genuinely surprised
at how much I like "In The Wake Of Poseidon" in my later years (I
recall it didn't float my boat at the time) - but this gorgeous Audio makeover
by Wilson and Fripp has made me rethink that. And despite my reservations about
presentation - isn't that the best compliment you can pay a reissue...
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