Lizard (CD + DVD Audio) [Extra tracks, Special Edition, Original recording remastered]

King Crimson | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (January 12, 2010)
• Number of Discs: 2
• Format: Extra tracks, Special Edition, Original recording remastered
• Label: Discipline Us
• ASIN: B002LLE3PY
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #11,812 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

Disc: 1

1. Cirkus

2. Indoor Games

3. Happy Family

4. Lady of the Dancing Water

5. Lizard

6. Lady of the Dancing Water (alt. Mix)

7. Bolero (Frame by Frame remix)

8. Cirkus (studio run through)

Disc: 2

1. Lizard Album DVD-A Lossless Surround Sound, DTS 5.1 Surround Sound

2. Lizard Album original mix - High Resolution Stereo

3. Lizard Album new mix High Resolution Stereo

4. All 3 Bonus tracks in High Resolution Stereo

Editorial Reviews

Review

King Crimson: Gordon Haskell (vocals, bass); Robert Fripp (guitar, Mellotron, electric keyboards); Mel Collins (flute, saxophone); Andy McCulloch (drums); Peter Sinfield. Additional personnel: Jon Anderson (vocals); Robin Miller (oboe); Mark Charig (cornet); Nick Evans (trombone); Kevin Tippet (piano). LIZARD can be seen as the third album in the trilogy that makes up Crimson's first phase, which began with IN THE COURT OF THE CRIMSON KING. The musical and lyrical concepts are more complex than on the first two albums, the arrangements more elaborate. Pete Sinfield's lyrics, already full of surreal mystical imagery, changed by turns more inaccessible and slightly psychedelic. Horns play a much larger role on LIZARD, the horn section injecting some punch into the production, and Mel Collins' flute and sax emerging as an important solo voice. Things turn slightly harsher on tracks like "Indoor Games," a catalogue of people's private indiscretions, and "Happy Family" an allegory obviously about the then-current breakup of the Beatles. As always, there's a beautiful ballad ("Lady of the Dancing Water," singer Gordon Haskell's finest moment) included amidst all the uproar. Crimson's peers Yes are even represented, as Jon Anderson makes a guest vocal appearance on the title cut, a throwback to the semi-mythical lyric approach of KC's debut. --Muze

Product Description

Continuing with the 40th Anniversary Series, this version of Lizard contains an audio CD, with 5.1 Surround Sound mix from the original studio masters, by Steven Wilson, fully approved by Robert Fripp, as well as three extra tracks and a new stereo album mix by Robert Fripp and Steven Wilson. Also included is a DVD-A featuring a 5.1 DTS Mix and a High Resolution Stereo Mix (24bit). Compatible with all DVD and DVD Rom Players, DVD-A players can additionally access a 5.1 Lossless Audio Mix and Losless Stereo Mix.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

39 of 39 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Enigmatic 'Lizard', January 12, 2010

By 

Martin A Hogan "Marty From SF" (San Francisco, CA. (Hercules)) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Lizard (CD + DVD Audio) (Audio CD)

Robert Fripp provides some skeptical and cynical notes about this album. In 2009, he wrote of "Lizard": "Labour and laboring, mostly joyous, strive effortfully to present appearance of cohesion". He also reminds us that "Lizard" was both not as commercially successful as other King Crimson albums and that he doesn't feel it is the most critically accomplished of his albums. That's a lot to say about your work. All the more amazing that Steven Wilson was able to convince Fripp to release this 5.1 surround sound version. This is even more surprising when you realize that "In The Wake Of Poseidon" was skipped temporarily.

Always an amazing mix of progressive rock and jazz, "Lizard" arguably stands out among the best King Crimson accomplishments. Noted for a variety of distortions/effects of different vocals, Wilson manages to extract them and balance them so they stand out clearly and crisply. In fact, all the instrumentals on every track are separated or enhanced to truly bring attention to every detail. These are things that are often missed on the stereo mixes.

"Cirkus" flat out rattles your senses with its mix of rock and freeform blasts. Fripp's mellotron is so powerful, it's stunning. Andy McCulloch on drums is dizzying and emphatic. These tracks (along with others here) take Pete Sinfield's lyrics and elevate the entire song to a nearly psychedelic level. "Happy Family", allegedly a comment on the Beatles break-up is one of the few songs that get muddied in the new mix, but not for great effort from Wilson. The original tracks and "scraps and fragments of stuff" were meticulously remixed. As Sid Smith notes: "For me `Lizard' has always been an album that was too big for stereo to contain." In terms of fusing free-jazz with progressive rock for me, there's almost no parallel." "Lady of the Dancing Water" contains some of the prettiest flute work available anywhere, in fact, all the horns and woodwinds are clearly pronounced. The immense song, "Lizard" with its bridges, alterations and variations is one of the most interesting and strongest songs on the album. With virtually eight songs connected with a barrage of ingenious methods, it becomes an easy favorite. Jon Anderson's vocals on the section, `Prince Rupert Awakes' is alive with strength and beauty complimented by Fripp's stinging mellotron. The album closes with `Big Top', an amusing and somewhat demented climax.

This package contains the CD with a new 2009 stereo mix and three bonus tracks, (an alternate take of "Lady of the Dancing Water", another remix of "Bolero" and a `studio run through with guide vocal from original session' of "Cirkus". These tracks are great to have, but only "Bolero" stands out as something truly worthy, although this version of "Cirkus" is interesting to hear if only for the improvisation of the vocals.

The DVD contains the album in 5.1 surround sound, the new 2009 stereo mix, the original album (1999 remastered version) and the three bonus tracks. Robert Fripp and Sid Smith's notes make for a very interesting contrast in perspective of "Lizard". If not for the persuasion of Steven Wilson, we might not have ever heard this album in its purest form, that is, every instrument clearly marked out and placed and a sensory experience that you could only hope from any band. "Lizard" ranks up there with "In The Court of the Crimson King".

The two latest 5.1 surround sound CD/DVD King Crimson packages, In the Court of the Crimson King (Deluxe) and Red are available now.

27 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Lizard is RESURRECTED! Amazing 5.1 surround sound!, January 13, 2010

By 

Eric Sorensen (Louisiana) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Lizard (CD + DVD Audio) (Audio CD)

Marty posted a great review, and I would like to add some points. I'm one of those King Crimson fans that was a huge fan years ago (even before CD's), and I'm getting back to them again. What I remember of this album is that it was my least played Crimson album (and I had all of them), with the possible execption of Earthbound, which just sounded crappy - and even Fripp will admit that!

My used copy of the Lizard LP was bought around 1987. It has a lovely shiny cover with a horribly scratched record - So scratched I had to add a gram of weight to the needle to overcome a skip in the title track. I made a point to play this old record before I listened to this 5.1 DTS version that arrived in the mail last night. What a huge, huge contrast. On this new DVD you can pick up every instrument's tiny little nuance. And every instument has it's place in the 3D space of your listening room - and sometimes they move about in a natural manor consistant with the orignal stereo recording. Just like DVD-A of "In the Court of the Crimson King", the recording is clear, crisp, and detailed, with no pops, hiss, hum, wow or flutter. Amazing since the tapes used were 40 years old. I have to add that I'm having a hard time believing what I'm hearing - I'm hearing detail and instruments that were completely lost in that old scratchy record of mine. Just for fun, pull down the levels on all but one rear speaker and you will see what I mean.

I certantly have a new appreciation for this underdog Crimson album. It really is a great disk - it's like I've discovered it for the first time. I'm seriously impressed with everthing about this re-issue. The sound, especially, but the packaging, booklet, and bonus tracks on the disks are great. The only thing missing is a concert video like Red 5.1 has - of course there may not be one available since this lineup broke up soon after the recording was made.

A really top-notch product here. I highly recommend it!

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Finally!, January 19, 2010

By 

Old Fan (Corvallis, Oregon United States) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Lizard (CD + DVD Audio) (Audio CD)

I owned this album back in the 70's and bought the 1989 remaster in hopes that the sound would be better. As with Court of the Crimson King, the soft parts were too low in volume and the dynamic parts were too loud. Jon Andersons voice on Prince Rupert's Lament were entirely too low in volume and muddy. It was dissappointing because these two albums are just brilliant! Finally! I can't say enough about the new mix and especially the Digital 5.1 Surround. This new release is the way I always knew it should sound. Balanced, brillant and clear. I highly recommend it.