King Crimson’s Lizard from 1970 is probably the most overlooked of the Crimson catalogue and undeservedly so.  Perhaps fans of the first two albums were expecting more of the same wonderful mellotron-laden long songs with Greg Lake’s emotional and intense vocals.  Though the mellotron is indeed present on nearly every track, this album is far jazzier (with some exceptions) than either of those and represents a major foray into that style.  And I don’t mean the jazz-tinged sections that sometimes roll in and out of pieces to give them some spice but then revert to the rock idiom so as not to lose the audience; this is full blown jazz at times bordering on free jazz and requiring an appreciation of playing and composition.  Not to say this is not an enjoyable album; I just want to mention this to listeners new to King Crimson and just beginning to dip their toes in.

Okay, I’ve set the stage; let’s get into specifics.  With the original members quitting and leaving for different pastures (most notably Greg Lake to Emerson Lake and Palmer), Robert Fripp made the decision to carry on and put together a new band for their third album.  With the aid of Peter Sinfield, the original lyricist, Fripp wrote all the music and produced.  He took on guitar of course, as well as mellotron, keyboards and electronic devices. Joining him were Mel Collins (flute and saxes), Gordon Haskell (bass and vocals – he did a pretty good job considering he had to replace Greg Lake) and Andy McCulloch (drums).  In addition, a small group playing oboe, cor anglais, cornet and trombone supplemented Mel Collins’ work and of special note was the addition of the great Keith Tippet on pianos.  Jon Anderson of Yes made a special vocal contribution on one track as well.  All of the players really had a chance to shine on Lizard and Fripp made a lot of room for people to flow and groove. 

The album opens with Cirkus and we hear something quite familiar: a plaintive vocal over tinkling keyboards, reminding the listener of something from the first album or In the Wake of Poseidon (the second).  Mellotrons ebb and flow, enriching the steady rhythm.  Fripp’s excellent acoustic guitar makes way for Mel Collins’ sax work as the track weaves along giving the listener warm thoughts of Crimson King or even Moody Blues’ To Our Children’s Children’s Children.  So with the basic simple rock melody pulsating, the jazzy elements begin to take hold and grow with Collins’ ending the track with a sax wail which then fades away, a precursor of things to come.

Indoor Games begins as a bit of a ditty, almost a vaudevillian piece, but then its stop and go rhythms allow jazz guitar and bass to interweave with a lot of busy but subtle drumming. The sax then makes an appearance and pretty soon you have a tapestry of horns, keyboards and guitar with Haskell’s voice treated with a bit of fuzz and the track ending with maniacal laughter, admittedly a device used once too often in future rock recordings, but it really works here.

Happy Family, another simple song with a simple cadence, has Haskell almost chanting the lyrics accompanied by horns and keyboards leading to Collins’ flute and his wonderful up-tempo solo worthy of any Herbie Mann LP.  All the instruments then roar in, vying for space as they weave in and out, trading solos with Keith Tippet’s off-kilter piano.

Next up is Lady of the Dancing Water, a lovely track and a beautiful vocal ballad with flute, acoustic guitar and horns.  It serenely moves along and would not be out of place alongside Julia on the Beatles’ White album - a nice break from the previous manic playing.

Lizard, the main piece of the album, is divided into four sections.  The first, Prince Rupert Awakes, features Jon Anderson trading vocals with Haskell over flowing piano and acoustic guitar.  The piece then welcomes mellotron back, cutting its way over the same piano and creating a very symphonic mix, not unlike on Crimson King.  (I would like to note here that Robert Fripp is not known for his keyboard work but constantly amazes on this LP).  Several beautiful horn solos follow, still keeping up with the undulating piano runs.  Oboe then comes in to take a turn reminding the listener of classical interludes you would find in Grieg’s Peter and the Wolf.  The trombone is next and this leads into more pure jazz as the musicians really begin to improvise over the basic melody, but all at a club volume and with that kind of atmosphere.  This in turn moves us into the next section, a rendition of Ravel’s Bolero called Bolero – The Peacock’s Tale.  The trombone, played by the amazing Nick Evans, takes centre stage here for a time and as it ends another horn dominates and the familiar Bolero theme becomes louder in the mix. The third section, The Battle of Glass Tears, is in itself divided into three subsections: Dawn Song, Last Skirmish and Prince Rupert’s Lament.  The music reminds me of Moon Child with its delicate vocals and mellotron again adding a forlorn quality.  The music goes quiet and then suddenly erupts with some heavy bass and drum work, again similar to Crimson King.  This evolves into a blues structure with Collin’s flute attacking over the mellotron while horns reemerge.  It gets busier as all the musicians push for space and the solos become increasingly more out there until it reduces back to mellotron once again.  I can almost taste the old Crimson in the guise of the mellotron battling it out with these jazz horns.  The soloing comes back one more time but then suddenly stops and the bass and bass drum create an ominous beat. Way in the background Fripp’s electric guitar now begins, growing in volume, weaving back and forth with his trademark sustains.  It is too short, but a stunning interlude nonetheless.  The final section of Lizard, Big Top, ends the album with music that you might hear at a circus; you can see the clowns dancing and the hawkers beckoning you into the tent.  It is all done in a minor key, and fades away as suddenly as it began. 

So there it is.  Lizard is a unique blend of the original King Crimson and the jazzy direction the band would head towards with Islands awhile later.  Horns, flutes and sax share equal time with guitars and keyboards creating a real eclectic mix of sounds and styles.  There is beauty here and outstanding musicianship from all of the players and to me it is a refreshing listen that never gets repetitive or boring.  I highly recommend Lizard to those of you who want some challenge along with your progressive rock. 

And the sound?  Once again, the great Steven Wilson of Porcupine Tree has worked his remastering magic on Lizard.  It has never sounded so clean, clear and simply perfect.  Every instrument is defined but also sounds natural as if they recorded it today on vintage instruments.  For those of you that are purchasing Lizard for the first time you are getting the definitive sound recording.  If you, like me, have already purchased the King Crimson catalogue at least twice (not counting vinyl), this recording is a good enough reason to buy it again.  As I’ve said in previous reviews I do not yet have a 5.1 or greater set-up, but other reviews I’ve read plus the comments of friends indicates to me that Wilson has done an excellent job in the multi-channel version.  He is becoming recognized as THE authority in sound re-engineering so I think you could easily take the chance with this package.  I for one hope that this remastering of the King Crimson catalogue continues and I look forward to more in the future.

CD – original album plus 3 bonus tracks
DVD – original album in MLP Lossless 5.1 Surround, and DTS 5.1 plus the 35th Anniversary mix and the same bonus tracks