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Review Summary: Probably their hardest album to get into. But it's still great. “Lizard” is the third studio album of King Crimson that was released in 1970. The line up on the album is Robert Fripp, Mel Collins, Gordon Haskell, Andy McCulloch and Peter Sinfield. The album had also the participation of Jon Anderson, Mark Charing, Nick Evans, Robin Miller and Keith Tippet.
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 always acted as their leader. In fact, Fripp is one of the most respected musicians and guitarists in the universe of the prog rock music. Even young musicians like Steven Wilson of Porcupine Tree, love King Crimson. They admire him at the point of inviting the guitarist to participate in “Fear Of A Blank Planet”.
Again on this third studio work of King Crimson we have changes on their line up. This would be the first and only album of the band to feature the bassist and vocalist Gordon Haskell, apart from his appearance on the song “Cadence And Cascade” from their previous second studio album and drummer Andy McCulloch as official members of the band.
While “In The Court Of The Crimson King” always had and always will have a strong sentimental value for me, having been one of the first prog albums I heard in my early teens and “In The Wake Of Poseidon” still offers a lot of listening pleasure, especially due to Greg Lake’s great vocal performance, I’ve what amounts to a love-hate relationship with “Lizard”. The root of my conflicting feelings lies mostly with Haskell’s vocals. As a keen admirer of Lake’s singing, I couldn’t help finding Haskell’s performance anticlimactic. If not, this would be one of the band’s top albums, surely.
About the overall performance all over the album, we can say that the instrumentation is predominantly acoustic, but electronic keyboards and synthesizer sounds are used again and again to great effect. The Mellotron is also honoured, but not as bombastic chord filler, but as one part of the arrangement alongside others. We may say that “Lizard” is an album exhausting, cruel, bizarre, neurotic, surreal, insane, twisted, aloof and even pretentious. In short, it’s completely crazy. But it’s also entertaining, funny, uplifting, amusing, amazing and moving. In short, it’s brilliant. So, “Lizard”, with its inaccessibility and mystery, is one of the most rewarding works but isn’t for everyone. It’s simply an acquired taste.
“Lizard” has five tracks. All tracks were written by Fripp and Sinfield. “Cirkus” (Including “Entry Of The Chameleons)” is a perfect opener for the album. Haskell, who isn’t as good as Greg Lake, sings well on this track. Here we have a nice acoustic guitar work and a superb Mellotron sound. Despite some complex structure, it remains as one of the most accessible tracks on the album. “Indoor Games” is a jazzy improvised dissonant song with an interesting introduction. Haskell sings in a strange way. It has a nice acoustic guitar sound. “Happy Family” is another jazzy and dissonant song. Again Haskell sings in a strange way. This is another good song. “Lady Of The Dancing Water” is a mellow, soft and nice ballad, classically inspired. The sound of Collins’ flute is beautiful and gives the perfect magical atmosphere to the song. The title track “Lizard” 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”. It’s the epic track on the album. It doesn’t sound as an only piece but it sounds more like we have four different pieces. “Prince Rupert Awakes” is the best music on the album. It’s wonderful with the beautiful Anderson’s voice. The sound of the Mellotron is simply superb. “Bolero” is a fantastic music, probably the second best on the album. “The Battle Of The Glass Tears” is also great with the beautiful sound of the Mellotron. It’s a bit long and less good than the two previous. “Big Top” is short, a reprise of the first track “Cirkus”. Despite the title track be composed by several pieces, it’s a brilliant track, one of the best made by this band.
Conclusion: “Lizard” was, for me, one of the most difficult King Crimon’s albums to rate. It’s a very complex album, one of the most experimental, bizarre, strange, creative, original, and one of the most innovative albums. It’s 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 with extensive developmental sections, with more ornate lyrics and a more exotic subject matter. By the other hand, this isn’t one of my favourite band’s line up, especially due to Haskell’s vocals. I prefer the line up on “In The Court Of The Crimson King” and the line up on “Red”. So, after my first spins of the album I was a bit disappointed with it. My first impulse was to rate it with a low rating, as one the worst King Crimson’s albums of the 70’s. Still, with repeated listenings it grown up on me all over the years. “Lizard” is a fundamental album with some of the best and most beautiful moments created by this amazing prog band.
Music was my first love.
John Miles (Rebel)
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Album Rating: 4.5
King Crimson is a band that needs no presentation. It's one of the pioneer bands of the prog rock and one of the most creative bands ever and that is also resposible for have written some of the best and most beautiful pages in that style.
"Lizard" is one of their best works and one of the most difficult to dig before the first listenings. But it well worth the effort. It's probably the most difficult of the early King Crimson's albums. It was also the most difficult to me too. Yet, it's also one of the most rewarding. Besides, it has a small but beautiful presence of the singing of Jon Anderson of Yes in one the parts of the title track suite.
| | | Album Rating: 4.0
I really love your review, the amount of depth you give it and go over everything to do with this album is extra appreciated. I agree that this album is incredible! It is among their best, I agree, and its always a joy reading these. Pos'd
| | | Album Rating: 4.5
Thanks Dyllan. I appreciate your comment.
| | | Album Rating: 4.0
Excellent review. I really dig this album. I think it's one of their stronger ones, actually, and I appreciate the appearance of Jon Anderson. Wish he'd done a bit more, truth tell.
Anyway, much better than Islands, better than Poseidon, and maybe edges Larks Tongue. Or at least as good.
| | | Album Rating: 4.5
Think it’s one of their stronger albums [2] much better than islands, Poseidon [2]
Another classic e review! Cheers buddy
| | | Album Rating: 4.5
Unless they somehow got way better after Beat (cuz I've only heard up to Beat) this is their best album
| | | Album Rating: 4.5
Yeah, I can agree, this is one of their best, a unique entry in their discography.
I alo love the part with Anderson. It would have been great to have a little more participation of him.
Thanks, trickert.
| | | Album Rating: 4.5
Thanks norma. Cheers to you too, buddy.
| | | Album Rating: 4.5
Interesting declaration, Ars. It's very curious to point this album as their best. Usually people point "In The Court..." or "Red", especially because in general people aren't the bigest fans of this line up. But, I can agree why you like it so much. I think this is a grower album with time that needs many listenings to can appreciate it in all its quality.
Thanks mate.
| | | Album Rating: 4.5
Of their classics there are only two albums I never heard, this and Starless. It is time to do so. Thanks for remind me. I will read your review lateer and listen to the album in the next days.
| | | Album Rating: 4.5
Court is mostly amazing but the last 10 mins of Moonchild aren’t for me at all, and it’s especially disappointing because I adore those first 2 minutes
10 bad minutes on a 44-min album is A LOT, so I only have Court at a 4/5 even though the rest of the album rules
Red’s probably my 2nd favorite King Crimson album and it doesn’t really have ANY issues, but I just like Lizard a tad more. I guess I’m more prone to prefer “quirky artyfarty colorful” stuff to “heavy rocking virtuosity” stuff even if both albums do those sounds exceedingly well. Similarly, I can see that most people prefer the inverse, leading to some struggling with Lizard and feeling that Red is their best
| | | Album Rating: 4.5
Yeah, that is an inexcusable failure, really, Intruder. Lol.
Check both and tell me your feelings about them.
| | | Album Rating: 4.5
I can see your point Ars. "Moonchild" is clearly the less good track on the album, really. But due to the rest of the album and its signify, it still is my favourite of them folowed by "Red". I'm not sure about my thid favourite. It depends of my mood at the moment. It's divided between "Lizard", "Larks" and "Discipline", a very innovative work at the time.
| | | Album Rating: 4.5
A very complex album but a great one. A truly unique album of the band. I like the album and review. 4.5 to the album and pos to you. I am going to listen to starless in this weekend. I will tell you my thoughts about it on monday.
| | | Album Rating: 4.5
Nice. This is really a great complex album of the band, indeed. Besides, almost all of their stuff is very complex too.
Good weekend with the checking of "Starless And Bible Black". Not as great as this one but it's still great. It's always a pleasure to listen to a King Crimson's work, especially the classic ones.
Thanks, bro.
| | | Album Rating: 4.5
I finished to listen to Starless. It is not so great. But is great enough. I gave it a 4.
| | | Album Rating: 4.5
Nice. Good point, Intruder. Of the three albums of the line up of "Red", this my least favorite album of the three. But as you mentioned, "Starless" is also a great work.
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