Cheap Lizard (Music) (King Crimson) Price

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Customer Reviews of Lizard

Genuine avant-garde music from a group in transition
Lizard is perhaps the most experimental album from the progressive band King Crimson. It encompasses feelings of a circus-like atmosphere in the beginning to a rather midevil feeling toward the end, especially in the last song (Jon Anderson of "Yes" guest vocals!). Overall it is a solid group effort, however, it lacks star power from other musicians besides Robert Fripp. The group was a couple of years away from the great Bill Bruford and vocalist/bass John Wetton joining. Instead, we have to settle for Mel Collins and other minimal musicians. For those just getting aquainted with King Crimson, buy their basic albums (In the Court..., Larks...). One bit of interesting news: I bought the album Larks Tongues in Aspic 2 years ago at Tower Records in Philadelphia knowing nothing about the band except Bill Bruford drummed for them. Since then they have quickly risen in my list of best bands of all time. They are probably number one.

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Still Classic
I discovered this album and Islands recently. I think this is a more true Crimson-sounding album than Islands, simply because there is more guitar and mellotron. The first track Cirkus is classic Crimson all the way, with lots of trademark mellotron, Fripp-clean guitar, flute etc. Indoor Games is a catchy number and Happy Family is a classic. I think it is this song that gets the incorrect "jazz" adjective thrown at it. It's "jazzy" I guess, mainly due to Keith Tippet, who is an accomplished jazz player and a composer as well. But this album is no more jazz than was Bowie's song "Alladin Sane" with Tippets' crazy piano solo at the end (absolutely amazing by the way). The long piece "Lizard" 1st section (Prince Rupert) features Jon Anderson in a typically sing-song tune perfect for his style, the refrain sounding very lush and Yes-ish. The tune "Lizard" actually has several contrasting sections over its 20 minutes. But still this is a more Crimson-ish album than their next one, Islands, which is very chamber-orchestral and introspective. And don't let anyone tell you Wake of Poseidon is any less of a Crimson album. It's as good as any of the others! Even a little better than this one. But Lizard, as the first album after Poseidon and the first without Greg Lake, does represent a shift in style as Fripp moved away from the Court influence, making the quiet parts a little quieter and the loud parts a little less..."dangerous", as Fripp says when he refers to tunes like 21st Century and Pictures of a City. Also keep in mind that the Court version of Crimson was a writing collective, so when the rest of the band quit after the Court tour, Fripp was left holding the bag for writing the music.
I believe Gord Haskell, a very accomplished bassist, was the original 1st choice for the band before Court. But Fripp had had the same music teacher as Greg Lake and wanted him in the band, as he was a better singer and front-man. He gave the band a choice, saying he would leave if Lake was not in the band. Funny that after the whole band quit on him after the Court tour, Fripp used Haskell. (This according to the extremely informative essays by Fripp in the booklet for the "Epitaph" box set.)

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imitated...not duplicated
this is my favorite king crimson album.it is consistantly powerful all the way through.each song has a corresponding portrait on the front cover.has anyone noticed the song "happy family" being about the beatles?(see top right picture on cover)......jon anderson of yes has never sounded better,and the drumming is superb.many bands have worn the label "prog rock",but dare i say robert fripp may have invented it.....