LIZARD

King Crimson always was a band where members often changed and Robert Fripp has been the sole consistent member throughout the group's history and acts as their leader. In fact, Fripp is one of the most respected musicians and guitarists in the universe of the progressive rock music. Even young musicians like Steven Wilson of Porcupine Tree, love King Crimson and admire him at the point of inviting the guitarist to participate in 'Fear Of A Blank Planet'.

'Lizard' is their third studio album and was released in 1970. Again we have changes on the line up. This would be the first and only album to feature the bassist and vocalist Gordon Haskell, apart from his appearance on the song 'Cadence And Cascade' from their previous album, and drummer Andy McCulloch as official members of the group. So, the line up on this album is Robert Fripp (guitar, Mellotron, electric keyboards and devices), Mel Collins (flute and saxophones), Gordon Haskell (vocals and bass guitar), Andy McCulloch (drums) and Peter Sinfield (words and pictures). Jon Anderson of Yes (vocals on 'Prince Rupert Awakes'), Mark Charing (cornet), Nick Evans (trombone), Robin Miller (oboe and cor anglais) and Keith Tippet (piano and electric piano) participated on the album as guests, too.

'Lizard' is an album with five tracks. All tracks were written by Robert Fripp and Peter Sinfield. The first track 'Cirkus' (Including 'Entry Of The Chameleons)' is the perfect opener for this so peculiar album. Gordon Haskell, who is no way as good as Greg Lake, sings very well on this track. We have also here a nice acoustic guitar work and the sound of the Mellotron is absolutely superb. Despite this track shows some complex structure, still remains as one of the most accessible tracks on the album. This is my second favourite track on the album. The second track 'Indoor Games' is the most peculiar and weird song on the album. It's a very jazzy improvised and dissonant song with a funny and interesting musical introduction. This time Gordon Haskell sings in a very strange way and the song has also a nice acoustic guitar sound. In the beginning I didn't like this track, but now I have a great respect for it. The third track 'Happy Family' is the other weird song on the album. Once more Gordon Haskell sings this song in a very strange way. It's another jazzy and difficult dissonant song. Musically, this is a very good song but despite of that, it continues to be my less favourite song on the album. The fourth track 'Lady Of The Dancing Water' is a very mellow, soft and nice ballad, very classically inspired. This is the shortest song on the album but it's also one of the best. The sound of the flute of Mel Collins is absolutely beautiful and gives the perfect and magical atmosphere to the song. The fifth and last track 'Lizard' who gaves its name to the album is divided into four parts: The first part 'Prince Rupert Awakes', the second part 'Bolero - The Peacock's Tale', the third part 'The Battle Of Glass Tears' who is also divided in 'Dawn Song', 'Last Skirmish' and 'Prince Rupert's Lament' and the fourth part 'Big Top'. So, this is the lengthiest and the epic track on the album and represents a great closer for it. This track sounds not like one only piece of music but it sounds more like four different pieces. 'Prince Rupert Awakes' sounds, without any doub,t as the best music on the album. It's absolutely wonderful with the beautiful Jon Anderson's voice and where the sound of the Mellotron is also absolutely superb. 'Bolero' is another fantastic music, probably the second best on the album. 'The Battle Of The Glass Tears' is also a great music once more with the beautiful sound of the Mellotron, but, in my opinion, is less good than the two previous, and a bit too long. 'Big Top' is very short and is simply the reprise of the first track 'Cirkus'. Despite the track be composed by several pieces, this is a brilliant track, one of the best ever made by King Crimson. I continue thinking that despite the lack of a cohesive structure all over the track it remains, for me, an excellent track.

Conclusion: 'Lizard' was, for me, one of the most difficult King Crimon's albums to rate until this moment. This is a very complex album, one of the most experimental, bizarre, strange, creative, original, and one of the most innovative albums ever. It's also a unique album of King Crimson. This is an album that clearly represents a break with their two previous works. 'Lizard' is a very jazzy oriented album, very progressive and with long pieces of music with extensive developmental sections, with more ornate lyrics and also with a more exotic subject matter. By the other hand, it's no secret for those who read my previous King Crimson's reviews, that this isn't, in any way, one of my favourite band's line up. As I wrote before, I prefer the line up on 'In The Court Of The Crimson King' and the line up on 'Red'. So, I must confess that after my first spins of the album I was very disappointed with it and my first impulse was to rate it with 3 stars and considered it one the worst King Crimson's studio albums of the 70's. However, with repeated listenings it grown up on me all over the years. Despite be a very weird album, 'Lizard' is a fundamental album in the discography of the band and it's an album with some of the best and most beautiful musical moments created by them.

Prog is my Ferrari. Jem Godfrey (Frost*)

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