LIZARD

This album was released nearly 34 years ago (in December 1970, as several "written information sources" say). In November of that year, the "McDONALD AND GILES" album and also "EMERSON, LAKE & PALMER"`s first album were released. So, in those two months the original members and original former members of KING CRIMSON released three very good albums recorded by 3 different bands.This "Lizard" album is good, and sometimes very good. It also has a very good cover design, with even THE BEATLES, who split some months before, in April, included in the cover painting! (the cover idea was by Peter Sinfield).The composers of the music and the lyrics in this album and also the producers are Fripp and Sinfield, the remaining original members of the band. This short- lived line-up never toured for this album, and they split after the recording of this album. Drummer Andy McCulloch is very good, similar in style to Michael Giles. Mel Collins plays very good saxes and flute. Gordon Haskell plays bass and sings lead vocals, but in my opinion his voice sometimes shows some difficulties because it seems to me that the music wasn`t adapted very much to his voice. So, he sounds forced sometimes, trying to reach the low tones of the music. He is a good singer, but I prefer Wetton or Lake instead for King Crimson. Robert Fripp plays the mellotron in this album apart from his guitars and other electric keyboards and "Devices". There are some acoustic guitars in this album, a thing Fripp later diminished in other albums. The additional musicians are good, too, particularly Keith Tippet on pianos. The "Side One" of the L.P. has some good songs, particularly "Cirkus" and "Lady of the Dancing Water". But the best part of this L.P. is the "Lizard" long song which has several parts ,and it is included in the "Side Two". Jon Anderson sings lead and backing vocals in "Prince Rupert Awakes", with very good mellotron arrangements, but in my opinion, Anderson`s vocals sound a bit forced when he sings the low tones. Maybe Fripp and Sinfield didn`t have enough time to adapt the songs to the lead singers, so the singers had some difficulties with the low tones in the songs. "Bolero-The Peacock`s Tale" is a very good instrumental section which sounds improvised a bit and with some jazz influences from Tippet and the wind instruments musicians. "The Battle of Glass Tears" is darker in mood. The album is finished with a brief instrumental piece called "Big Top", which has some variations in tape speed."Prince Rupert Awakes" and "Bolero-The Peacock`s Tale" are the best parts of "Lizard", in my opinion.