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35 of 36 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The Pivot-Point Around Which Early Crimso Revolves, November 24, 2006
Please understand that I came upon King Crimson just as Crimso Mk. I was laid to rest, in 1973 or so. I was a lonely, too-sensitive fifteen-year-old growing up in Alabama, and newly in love with prog-rock. I "learned" the King Crimson oeuvre chronologically, starting with ItCotCK, then ItWoP, then "Lizard."
"Islands" had just been released that very year; KC broke up immediately after the conclusion of the "Islands" tour, and I therefore had missed my opportunity ever to see them live--or so I thought.
Having put my POV in context, please know that upon first hearing I knew that "Lizard" would be my favorite of all the KC Mk. I albums, and so it remains to this day. There is truly no accounting for taste, of course, and I am sure that mine is the decidedly minority view, but the opinion formed in my sixteenth year is concurred with in my fiftieth.
First, "Lizard" is saturated with jazz fusion - another of my musical loves that lingers to this day. Many of the "sidemen" on the album, including Mel Collins and Keith Tippett, continue to produce experimental jazz, and they never sounded better than on this record. The complex, interwoven layers are, in fact, much more dense than what groups like Weather Report and Return to Forever were laying down in that era, and I would suspect that even the grand-daddy of Fusion, Miles Davis himself, was probably impressed with the complexity and breadth of "Lizard" (though I have no way of knowing this).
Half of the album (Side Two on the original vinyl) is a "concept piece," and the remainder is a loosely conjoined bit of psychedelic free-association that hangs together just as well. The sound is even more dense than the Mellotron-saturated first two albums, yet so much more sophisticated.
"Lizard" appears to have been a "perfect storm" of sonic bliss. The following offering, "Islands," featured most of the same ensemble - and has some flashes of the same brilliance - but is nowhere near as satisfying (and in fact, is the weakest of the four early Crimso works).
The hell of it is, even after KC was resurrected in 1974, with "Larks' Tongues in Aspic" (and the KC Mk. II era that would last to nearly the end of the seventies begun), it was obvious that the "Lizard" sound would never be heard again. It remains like a prehistoric insect in fossilized amber, and shines just as brightly.
Thank goodness for modern audio engineering and the wonderful world of the "Digital remaster." "Lizard" never sounded better, and I highly recommend it to anyone dedicated enough to King Crimson to procure the very best the band has to offer.
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11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Menacing Themes With Strange, Uncontrollable Laughter, August 31, 2006
After Gordon Haskell sang on "Cadence and Cascade" for King Crimson's "In the Wake of Poseidon," Robert Fripp asked him to become an official member of the band for the recording of "Lizard." Also asked to join the new line-up were saxophonist/flautist Mel Collins and drummer Andy McCulloch. This group was then augmented with some interesting supporting players, including another "In the Wake of Poseidon" alumnus - the noted jazz pianist Keith Tippett - together with Yes vocalist Jon Anderson, and the brass/woodwind players Robin Miller, Mark Charig, and Nick Evans (who also supported Soft Machine).
As a result, "Lizard" is arguably King Crimson's most jazz-inflected album, developing further the direction suggested by the track "Cat Food" on "In the Wake of Poseidon." The powerful opening track, "Cirkus", is the most reknowned track on the album, begining with a hushed verse from Haskell before launching into the menacing theme played by Fripp on the mellotron. The track boasts some of Fripp's most impressive acoustic guitar playing, not to mention a soaring saxophone solo by Collins. With memorable lyrics by Sinfield rich in theatrical imagery, the track builds to a cacophonous climax.
The next two tracks, "Indoor Games" and "Happy Family", are simultaneously offbeat and humorously full of mischief - the former with lyrics evoking disparate forms of hedonism, and the latter with lyrics concerning the dissolution of the Beatles. Haskell's vocals are distorted on both "Indoor Games" and "Happy Family", the two tracks being separated by the sound of Haskell laughing in a strange, uncontrollable manner.
"Lady of the Dancing Water" is a more tranquil piece, whose lyrics and instrumentation have a medieval feel, reminiscent of "Moonchild" on "In the Court of the Crimson King," or "Cadence and Cascade" on "In the Wake of Poseidon." Mel Collins' atmospheric flute playing provides much of the beauty on this track.
Concluding the album is the bombastic title track, "Lizard" (though divided into several sections, there is a narrative running through its entirety concerning a prince who takes part in an epic battle), the first fully-composed "side-long" piece to be recorded in rock history.
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9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A great and extremely experimental Crimson album, April 19, 2007
This 1970 release was created in-between the brilliant 1969 debut (In the Court of the Crimson King) and the staggering virtuosity and general "wildness" of the 1973-1975 incarnation of King Crimson (Larks Tongues in Aspic; Starless and Bible Black, and Red). Although some fans and critics regard Lizard as a weaker album (and even hard to "get into"), I personally feel that the music is excellent and shows a great deal of compositional sophistication (classical influences figure prominently). Pete Sinfield even turned the heat up on his lyrics and they are very elaborate and complex on Lizard. Come to think of it, the album stands among some of my favorite King Crimson albums.
The core lineup on Lizard included: Robert Fripp (acoustic and electric guitars, mellotron, electric keyboards & devices); Mel Collins (flute & saxophones); Gordon Haskell (bass guitar & vocals); Andy McCulloch (drums and percussion); and Peter Sinfield (words & pictures; VCS3 synthesizer). Additional musicians include: Robin Miller (oboe & cor anglais); Mark Charig (cornet); Nick Evans (trombone); Keith Tippet (piano & electric piano); and finally Jon Anderson of Yes fame (vocals on "Prince Rupert Awakes"). In terms of musicianship, Robert Fripp and excellent drummer Andy McCulloch are the true standouts here, although the supporting brass and woodwind players turn in some excellent ensemble work (especially on the track Bolero). Bassist/vocalist Gordon Haskell (who was apparently a fan of soul and Motown music) was either reluctant (or unable) to embrace the complex material on Lizard and it shows in his bass playing, which is fairly weak throughout (his vocals may be an acquired taste for some - although I like them a lot). Following the release of the Lizard album, Haskell left the band (along with McCulloch).
The five tracks on the album range in length from 2'47" (the delicate Lady of the Dancing water) to the massive (23'15"), seven-part Lizard suite, which would prove to be the largest piece that the band would ever compose. Musically, Lizard presents a nice mixture of symphonic prog, the avant-garde, and even some highly experimental, jazz-inflected moments here and there (apparently a Miles Davis influence), although it is extremely odd-sounding and angular jazz. Pieces that are good examples of the avant-garde aspects include Happy Family, which features Tippetts' insane pounding on the piano. Although there are some hectic and aggressive moments on the album, in large part it is quiet and even reflective at points. Lady of the Dancing Water is the most soft and pastoral piece on the album, and features some excellent flute playing by Mel Collins.
Other personal favorites include Cirkus (love the mellotron), Indoor Games, and the huge Lizard suite. The suite opens with the very delicate and pastoral Prince Rupert Awakes movement and features the high pitched and soft vocals of Jon Anderson. His vocals work perfectly with this track. Bolero (the second movement in the Lizard suite) is another favorite and is a virtual showcase for supporting musicians Tippett, Miller, Charig, and Evans. The Lizard suite goes through a number of twists and turns, ranging from the delicate to the all out instrumental chaos of The Battle of Glass Tears/Last Skirmish. The piece closes some 23 minutes later with Big Top, which consists of carnival music, sped up and otherwise distorted (very creepy sounding stuff).
All in all this is a very progressive and challenging album by King Crimson and is a personal favorite from the 1970 -1972 period. Very highly recommended along with the 1969 debut, Larks Tongues in Aspic (1973), and Red (1974).
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~ King Crimson
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by King Crimson 
