Progressive Rock pioneers King Crimson have announced the upcoming reissue of two of their most distinctive early albums, “In the Wake of Poseidon” and “Lizard”. Set for release in October 2025, these new editions aim to bring fresh sonic depth and historical perspective to two works often considered both transitional and visionary within the band’s early catalog.
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.
Lineup:
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
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.
Pre-Order in various formats HERE
The complete recording sessions of King Crimson’s extraordinary Lizard on CD/Blu-Ray.
The Blu-Ray features all new mixes of the album in Dolby Atmos, 5.1 DTS-HD MA 24/96 Surround & 24/96 Hi-Res Stereo by Steven Wilson / All new Elemental Mixes of the whole album in 24/192 Hi-Res Stereo by David Singleton / The 30th anniversary remaster in 24/96 / The complete recording sessions from September 1970 in 24/48. The CD includes the 2025 Steven Wilson album mixes and a selection of Elemental Mixes
Presented in a replica mini-vinyl style packaging with booklet including photos and sleevenotes from King Crimson biographer Sid Smith.
Lineup:
Robert Fripp / Guitar, Mellotron, Electric Keyboards & Devices
Mel Collins / Flute & Saxes
Gordon Haskell / Bass Guitar & Vocals
Andy McCulloch / Drums
Peter Sinfield / Words & Pictures
With: Robin Miller, Mark Charig, Nick Evans, Keith Tippett and Jon Anderson
When Steven Wilson first mixed “Lizard” in stereo and 5.1 with Robert Fripp in 2009, he commented: “For me Lizard has always been an album that was too big for stereo to contain. I’ve always felt that if presented in the right way, I could make a case for this being the most experimental rock record ever made. It’s extraordinary what they’re doing on this album. In terms of fusing free-jazz with progressive rock for me there’s almost no parallel.”
Now, in 2025, Steven has returned to that album and the new mixes merely serve to confirm that analysis.
The 2009 mixes – released at the same time as the much better known “Red” and “In The Court of the Crimson King,” did much to focus fan attention on an album which was sometimes overlooked in the Crimson catalogue; Red, Court, Larks’ Tongues in Aspic, Discipline – the various KC incarnations all seemed to have definitive albums which represented certain periods in the band’s ever-changing development but “Lizard” – a single album group with an expanded line-up which was never played live, a healthy infusion of Jazz players and influences, a radical departure from the two previous Crim album releases and more musical ambition than many band’s entire careers – seemed almost forgotten.
But if any album was going to benefit from the more detailed audio that Hi-Resolution and 5.1 Surround created, it was “Lizard,” and fans old and new eagerly embraced it. By 2016, the latest touring incarnation of the band began to play pieces from the music on stage for the first time with original members from the original recording – Robert Fripp and Mel Collins visibly enjoying playing “Cirkus” and parts of “Lizard.” By 2018 Almost all of “Lizard” was being played as a complete suite, frequently to the sort of reception normally reserved for the likes of “Epitaph” or the best known of the Crimson songs.
Now, in 2025, “Lizard” appears in its most complete form yet. Steven Wilson’s new stereo and 5.1 mixes reveal fresh details in the original recordings, the Atmos mix is one of his most ambitious yet working with a recording that always has more to give to en expanded soundstage. If Steven’s mixes detail the best that can possibly be had from the album as presented, then David Singleton’s Elemental mixes probe the nuances of the original recordings and sessions, bringing (previously) background performances to the fore, adding alternate takes of individual performances and exploring different angles for mixing each piece. Working separately and with different remits, the producers bring fresh perspectives to this most intriguing of recordings.
Complementing all of this material, the Blu-ray disc also features Alex R. Mundy’s mixes of every single session from the original 1970 recording sessions along with the original 30th anniversary stereo master.
Pre-Order in various formats and remixes HERE