King Crimson - (1991) Lizard

King Crimson has gone through many changes since its inception, but it was always a case of brilliant musicians replacing brilliant musicians, and there's really no room to give you any band history here; I'd rather discuss this most phenomenal album. What's special about LIZARD (1970) is the contribution from the jazz players. Mark Charig (cornet) and Nick Evans (trombone, can be heard on Soft Machine THIRD) were joined by the dazzling Keith Tippet (returning on piano). These three musicians were instrumental in generating much of this music's added enchantment. And, here again, we get Pete Sinfield's captivating lyrics, which are a world unto themselves and some of the most entertaining lyrics in all of rock.

The magic begins at once with the hushed introduction to "Cirkus." The theme is peaceful and the embellishment almost twinkles. Then the band kicks in with a loud, eerie, minor-infused, twisted-smile-like riff and the song proceeds, the guitar and drums refreshingly hitting all the accents you wouldn't expect them to. And at the end, Mark Charig's trumpet solo takes us to the stratosphere. "Indoor Games" is a complete change of mood. Andy McCulloch's drumming is superb. Different harmonies played through each channel with the horns. The bridge gets cosmic, and then there's a pleasingly playful improvisation between sax and guitar. The end is a gas, as Gordon Haskell's laughter (and such) abruptly segues to the highly sardonic opening riff (more twisted-smile stuff) of "Happy Family." Here, we are delighted by Tippet's deliciously "out" piano playing, Haskell's very altered vocals and another stellar group-jam with flute and trombone. "Lady Of The Dancing Water" is a gorgeous tune, beautifully sung and beautifully ornamented with guitar, flute and trombone. Piano and percussion also make a subtle appearance in this calming, wonderfully lazy tune.

The haunting voice of Jon Anderson (Yes) mystifies us in the opening section of the title cut. Keith Tippet blows us away with his brilliant countermelodies. When "Bolero--The Peacock's Tale" begins, mellotron enters and we are given a grand, wordless treatment of the verse theme--absolutely breathtaking in its beauty! Toward the end of the oboe solo, Tippet's piano hints of the bluesy improvisation to come. The horns then create the most spellbinding and meaningful improvisation on a theme I've ever heard on a rock album--enthralling in its detail, brilliant in its invention. The music resolves, the ad-libbing goes away and the oboe returns to the gorgeous theme from before. The Bolero section ends, and we get quite a foreboding atmosphere as we enter "Battle Of The Glass Tears." The battle begins--the drums wickedly bizarre, a menacing sax riff enters and the band eventually improvises around this eeriness. After this fit of group interplay comes "Prince Rupert's Lament," a gut-wrenching guitar solo by Fripp that cries in anguish. And finally, the playful absurdity of "Big Top" (remember "Cirkus"?) eases the anguish from that pain-filled guitar solo.

I usually point to LIZARD as one of the most brilliant rock albums because rock, jazz, intense imagination and incredible musicianship intelligently collide to produce one thoroughly engaging work of art. It is a monument of the genre. I can't recommend this strongly enough to those who enjoy their music on the progressive side. It differs in sound from all other King Crimson albums, but it is the most developed, the most advanced of any they made. Because there is so much thematic detail involved here, LIZARD will grow on you the more you listen to it. The music is deep, and richly rewarding. The whole album reads like some kind of nightmarish fairy tale.

Line-up :
- Robert Fripp / guitar, mellotron, electric keyboards & devices
- Mel Collins / flute & saxes
- Gordon Haskell / bass guitar & vocals
- Andy McCulloch / drums
- Peter Sinfield / words & pictures
with
- Robin Miller / oboe & cor anglais
- Mark Charig / cornet
- Nick Evans / trombone
- Keith Tippet / piano & electric piano
- Jon Anderson / vocals (5a)

Track List :
01. Cirkus (including Entry of the chameleons) (6:29)
02. Indoor games (5:39)
03. Happy family (4:25)
04. Lady of the dancing water (2:45)
05. Lizard (23:23)
a) Prince Rupert awakes
b) Bolero - The peacock's tale
c) The battle of the glass tears
i) dawn song
ii) last skirmish
iii) Prince Rupert's lament
d) Big top

CD 1
CD 2