LIZARD

I didn't really listened thus Crimson reign until "The Court...", nevertheless I've already meet them via Lizard. An acid-jazz-rock album. Primarily I must say this one is NOTHING like other KC's works; this one outstands for its mere rarity, a singularity in a Crimson way. The album's cover is sort of medieval romanic script all colorful spelling the words 'Crimson' for the front and 'King' on the rear, both replete in drawn scenes which illustrates the lyrics from the songs.

"Cirkus", starts with an almost ethereal harp but quickly turns into a quaint gypsy nightmare. As creepy as sensational the jazz goes from the acid hard rock mood in crescendo to a poppy sax interlude. Both acoustic and electric guitars leads this visual and burlesque show in perfect balance at the mouth of madness.

It's all vanish trough a playful sax intro of "Indoor Games" a little more relaxing, still an insane sound mainly directed by drums and bass, the arrangements on the guitars and sax. With an acoustic guitar and a desperate laughing, the song bridges to "Happy Family" in ironic psychedelic strength. Jazzy at its finest every instrument paint their way chromatic figures, a piano and a flute are invited to add more color into the crazy room. All ended on a numb voice claiming their loneliness 'Happy family one hand clap, four went on but none came back'.

"Lady of the Dancing Water" reminiscent to Crimson's previous album. The flute sounds almost in a romantic shape, as well as the guitar. The bucolic images among grasses subtexts the innocence of the insane.

As its impossible to speak about Crimson without energetic riffs and dark harmonies, it's also impossible talk about progressive rock without long length epic songs. "Lizard" is one of those complex and precious yet unrated tales in which progressive tend its bed. Really far from Fripp's crazy hands the first half of the song lies over the soft voice of Jon Anderson and a magical very folk flute. All carried in sweet tenderness as an awakening in the meadow. But then the Haskell voice's declaims for a lost kingdom and the fight begins, turn onto psychedelic and acid-jazz passages all of them growing in voracious until the death came to slow the path, a funeral march, the last an dying stream of sanity. Reborn in the dawn of madness. Maybe it isn't easy to listen "Lizard", but when someone can finally understand it, it is clear the reason of KC greatness; even beyond 'The Court'.

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