Editing King Crimson (section)

=== 1970–1971: ''In the Wake of Poseidon'' and ''Lizard'' ===
King Crimson spent 1970 in a state of flux with various lineup changes, thwarted tour plans, and difficulties in finding a satisfactory musical direction while Fripp was learning and developing as a songwriter during the writing process of the next three albums.<ref name="RF's diary 2001-03-11">{{cite web |url=https://dgmlive.com/diaries/Robert%20Fripp/2001-03-11 |title=Robert Fripp's Diary: Nashville. |first=Robert |last=Fripp |date=2001-03-11 |website=dgmlive.com |access-date=2022-05-20 |archive-date=30 June 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220630134635/https://dgmlive.com/diaries/Robert%20Fripp/2001-03-11 |url-status=live }}</ref> As well as guitar, Fripp took on keyboard duties, while Sinfield expanded his creative role to operating synthesizers.

Following McDonald and Giles' departure, Lake, unsure of the band's future without them, began discussions with [[Keith Emerson]] of [[the Nice]] about possibly forming a new band together. With Fripp and Sinfield planning for recording the second King Crimson album, and Lake's position uncertain, the band's management booked [[Elton John]] to sing the material as a session musician, but Fripp decided against this idea after listening to his ''[[Empty Sky]]'' album.<ref>{{cite book |first=Keith |last=Hayward |title=Tin Pan Alley: The Rise of Elton John |year=2013 |publisher=Soundcheck Books |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=PEgPhgVOPpUC&pg=PT91 |page=180 |isbn=9780957570009 |access-date=25 February 2021 |archive-date=4 October 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231004144152/https://books.google.com/books?id=PEgPhgVOPpUC&pg=PT91#v=onepage&q&f=false |url-status=live }}</ref> Lake agreed to stay with the band until Emerson had completed remaining commitments with the Nice, at which point he left to form [[Emerson, Lake and Palmer]]. On the resulting ''[[In the Wake of Poseidon]]'' album, Lake provided all the lead vocals except on "Cadence and Cascade", as he left before he was able to complete this track. Fripp's old school friend [[Gordon Haskell]] was brought in to provide the vocal on the song.<ref name="poseidon TLV">{{cite web |url=https://dgmlive.com/in-depth/in-the-wake-of-poseidon-the-long-view |title=In The Wake Of Poseidon - The Long View |first=Sid |last=Smith |date=June 2010 |website=dgmlive.com |access-date=24 February 2021 |archive-date=24 February 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210224161618/https://dgmlive.com/in-depth/in-the-wake-of-poseidon-the-long-view |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.dgmlive.com/news/Greg%20Lake%20singing%20Cadence%20And%20Cascade |title=Cadence And Cascade And Greg |first=Sid |last=Smith |date=2016-12-12 |website=dgmlive.com |access-date=2022-07-18 |archive-date=23 November 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211123084110/https://www.dgmlive.com/news/Greg%20Lake%20singing%20Cadence%20And%20Cascade |url-status=live }}</ref> The sessions also included Michael and Peter Giles on drums and bass respectively,<ref name="poseidon TLV"/><ref>New Musical Express 28 February 1970: "Giles played on the session because he and another ex-member, Ian McDonald, have not yet been replaced in the group"</ref> saxophonist [[Mel Collins]] (formerly of the band Circus)<ref>Disc magazine 21 March 1970: "New King Crimson addition...flautist Mel Collins from Circus."</ref> and jazz pianist [[Keith Tippett]].<ref name="allaboutjazz Sailors"/>

Upon its release in May 1970, ''In the Wake of Poseidon'' reached No. 4 in the UK and No. 31 in the US. It received some criticism from those who thought it sounded too similar to their first album.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.allaboutjazz.com/in-the-wake-of-poseidon-king-crimson-dgm-live-review-by-john-kelman.php |title=King Crimson: In The Wake Of Poseidon |first=John |last=Kelman |date=23 April 2005 |website=[[All About Jazz]] |access-date=8 Mar 2021 |archive-date=10 April 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210410150048/https://www.allaboutjazz.com/in-the-wake-of-poseidon-king-crimson-dgm-live-review-by-john-kelman.php |url-status=live }}</ref> With no set band to perform the new material, Fripp and Sinfield brought Mel Collins and Gordon Haskell on board (with Haskell doubling as lead vocalist and bassist and Collins quadrupling as saxophonist, flautist, occasional keyboard player, and backing vocalist), and [[Andrew McCulloch (drummer)|Andy McCulloch]] joined as drummer.<ref name="ls sid islands">{{cite web |url=https://www.loudersound.com/features/king-crimson-and-the-making-of-islands |title=King Crimson and the making of Islands |first=Sid |last=Smith |date=5 December 2021 |website=loudersound.com |access-date=20 December 2021 |archive-date=20 December 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211220202305/https://www.loudersound.com/features/king-crimson-and-the-making-of-islands |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="allaboutjazz Sailors" />

Fripp and Sinfield wrote the third album, ''[[Lizard (album)|Lizard]]'', themselves – with Haskell, Collins and McCulloch having no say in the direction of the material. In addition to the core band, several session musicians contributed to the ''Lizard'' recording, including the returning Keith Tippett, who was offered to be a member of the new lineup, but due to other commitments preferred to continue working with the band as an occasional guest musician,<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.allmusic.com/artist/keith-tippett-mn0000085158/biography |title=Keith Tippett Biography |first=Bruce |last=Eder |access-date=24 February 2021 |website=allmusic.com |archive-date=15 June 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200615143931/https://www.allmusic.com/artist/keith-tippett-mn0000085158/biography |url-status=live }}</ref> and two members of Tippett's band, [[Mark Charig]] on [[cornet]], and [[Nick Evans (trombonist)|Nick Evans]] on [[trombone]]. Robin Miller (on [[oboe]] and [[cor anglais]]) also appeared, while [[Jon Anderson]] of [[Yes (band)|Yes]] was brought in to sing a section of the album's title track, "Prince Rupert Awakes", which Fripp and Sinfield considered to be outside Haskell's natural range and style. ''Lizard'' featured stronger jazz and chamber-classical influences than previous albums.<ref name="InTheCourtOfKingCrimson" /><ref name="allaboutjazz Sailors" /> The album contains Sinfield's "[[Phantasmagoria|phantasmagorical]]" lyrics, including "Happy Family" (an allegory of the break-up of [[the Beatles]]),<ref name="allmusic lizard" /> and the title track, a suite which took up the entire second side, describing a medieval/mythological battle and its outcome.{{sfn|Tamm|1990|p=47}}

Released in December 1970, ''Lizard'' reached No. 29 in the UK and No. 113 in the US. Described retrospectively as an "outlier",<ref name="allmusic lizard">{{cite web |url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/lizard-mw0000190503 |title=King Crimson - Lizard |first=Dave |last=Lynch |website=allmusic.com |access-date=2 February 2021 |archive-date=18 November 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211118224450/https://www.allmusic.com/album/lizard-mw0000190503 |url-status=live }}</ref> the album had been made by a group in disagreement over method and taste. The more rhythm-and-blues-oriented Haskell and McCulloch both found the music difficult to relate to, and tedious and confusing to record. Collins disliked how his parts were composed, while both Fripp and Haskell detested Sinfield's lyrics.<ref name="ls sid islands" /> This lineup of the band did not survive much longer than the ''Lizard'' recording sessions. Haskell quit the band acrimoniously during initial tour rehearsals after refusing to sing live with distortion and electronic effects on his voice, and McCulloch departed soon after.<ref name=AMGBIO /><ref name="InTheCourtOfKingCrimson" /> With Sinfield not being a musician and Fripp having seemingly given up on the band, Collins was left to search for new members.<ref name="ls sid islands" />