Lizard: 40th Anniversary Series

Marty posted a great review, and I would like to add some points. I'm one of those King Crimson fans that was a huge fan years ago (even before CD's), and I'm getting back to them again. What I remember of this album is that it was my least played Crimson album (and I had all of them), with the possible execption of Earthbound, which just sounded crappy - and even Fripp will admit that! My used copy of the Lizard LP was bought around 1987. It has a lovely shiny cover with a horribly scratched record - So scratched I had to add a gram of weight to the needle to overcome a skip in the title track. I made a point to play this old record before I listened to this 5.1 DTS version that arrived in the mail last night. What a huge, huge contrast. On this new DVD you can pick up every instrument's tiny little nuance. And every instument has it's place in the 3D space of your listening room - and sometimes they move about in a natural manor consistant with the orignal stereo recording. Just like DVD-A of "In the Court of the Crimson King", the recording is clear, crisp, and detailed, with no pops, hiss, hum, wow or flutter. Amazing since the tapes used were 40 years old. I have to add that I'm having a hard time believing what I'm hearing - I'm hearing detail and instruments that were completely lost in that old scratchy record of mine. Just for fun, pull down the levels on all but one rear speaker and you will see what I mean. I certantly have a new appreciation for this underdog Crimson album. It really is a great disk - it's like I've discovered it for the first time. I'm seriously impressed with everthing about this re-issue. The sound, especially, but the packaging, booklet, and bonus tracks on the disks are great. The only thing missing is a concert video like Red 5.1 has - of course there may not be one available since this lineup broke up soon after the recording was made. A really top-notch product here. I highly recommend it!

Lizard benefits more than any other single release in the 40th Anniversary series. Clarity, detail, and separation are outstanding. The 24/96 mixes are a joy to behold. The first 4 Crimson albums have all been lovingly cared for and whichever ones are your favorites Lizards is now firmly in the camp with the other 3. I would say Poseidon is definitely the weakest with Islands and the debut coming in on top for me. This is as whimsical as Poseidon but carries a stronger sense of material and structure now that we can accurately hear the mix. It is a bit on the shortside but really all is solid. Lady, Lizard, and Indoor Games are standouts. This remix has opened up this album and you can really get the vibe that was going on in these sessions in pretty stunning clarity. The other mix done for this album was poor in comparison. Indoor Games is the hit on the record and a fascinating song it is. You can hear some of the disjointed stuff from other periods of Crimson in many songs here but it has a distinct and older sound, one that seems to be an amalgamation of the other three mentioned albums. The 5 songs on here go by pretty quick and there are a few extras but far fewer than the Islands or Starless and Bible Black sets which had a ton of stuff. This is more than worth it. Give it a chance. Another amazing album by this band from their golden period.

Original.

I was very excited to hear the remix of Lizard, since the sound quality of the original was pretty awful, and I know it's now possible to clean tracks up in a way that wasn't possible before the advent and maturation of digital technologies. For the most part, Steven Wilson has done an incredible job, and just the fuller sound of the drums alone is worth the cost of the purchase. However, if you've listened to this album as many times as I have, be prepared for a few things to be different. A few sounds are completely missing from the stereo mix (although they are still included in the 5.1). This may be a deliberate choice to keep the stereo mix from getting too cluttered. One change that I don't understand at all is that there is a completely different bass take used in the lion's share of the "Bolero - A Peacock's Tale" section of the title track. Not only are a few lines missing that the brain expects to hear, but there are mistakes and missed notes in this take; it's clearly an earlier, inferior take. I fully realize I sound like the Comic Book Guy from The Simpsons when I whine about what is, in the grand scheme of things, a relatively negligible detail. That's always been one of my favorite parts of the album, though, so I'm a little sad that it doesn't have the bass line I expected. (Note: I'm well aware that there is also a version with a bass line by Tony Levin; this is clearly an alternate Gordon Haskell take, though.) This quibble notwithstanding, it's exciting to hear the album in such clear, punchy, well-defined sound.

For those who were bludgeoned into submission by "In the Court....", and puzzled by the blandness of "In the Wake...", "Lizard" was even more perplexing when initially released in 1970. Pointy rythms, discordances, (a not yet famous) Jon Anderson's elfin vocals, and strident mellotron, and a perception of discontinuity and stuff being chucked about by some musical poultrgeist! Enter Steven Wilson and digital wizzardry. Robert Fripp's unloved child become a prodigal son. 40 years later, I'm gratified that a true afficionado has taken this work and created the most wondrous sonic make-over...every bit as good as the "Aqualung" effort. I agreed with the criticisms of Lizard at the outset, but maintained what some saw as a perverse love of it. Steven Wilson has peered into the soul of this work, finding its true meaning, and made out of the master recordings more than its creator realized was there. A rare feat. The esentially percussive bases are preserved, but less harsh, the mellotron is less strident, and the improved resolution seems to have sharpened the vocals, especially Anderson's, without making them more than they need to be. I suggest the overall sonic balance is vastly improved, and much of what was previously easily missed, now comes forth to more rightful places. So many "I don't remember that" episodes. Now all the instruments sparkle, and the previously difficult "Happy Families", and "Indoor Games" sound more like a good-time had by all. (still don't get the sickly laugh bit, though) "Cirkus", "Lady of the dancing Water" and the title track shine as never before, and "Bolero" has every bit the legitimacy of Ravel's namesake work, in fact, I suggest more genuinely beautiful. This set comes as a CD with very recent remastering bit by bit from Mr Wilson, helpful notes from Mr Fripp, and the DVD several stereo or 5:1 formats for your delectation, . And Wonderment. If you ever shied away from this work..get this, and grock it now.

😊 I was one of those kids that already had the previous two LPs. Court I heard on the culture radio - and went to get it. Poseidon and Lizard I picked up probably the week after they arrived at the store. No need to wait for FM coverage - which prepared me for today'sUSA ridiculous FM wasteland (I happen to have also become a Gordon Haskell fan. Try It Is And It Isn't). Great work here. Great drumming by Andy McColough: a military rap - reminds of some Mitch Mitchell /Experience. However: I have a beef and suspicion: Likely Steve Wilson was ready to do "Lizard: the alternate album". Please let him do it. We will pick the album again. Ps.: It seems that one of the 'things' that terrified humanoids about this album was/is Peter's lyrics. At that time there were The Three Peters - masters of the word in English ( = real poets 😊). Genesis had Peter Gabriel. Van Der Graaf Generator had Peter Hammill. Anndd: King Crimson had Peter Sinfield. In this album Sinfielfd reached a very fitting plateau of concentrated very evocative and indeed a parallel/medieval fantasy/SciFi--allusions to the 'real world' we live in. Very Scary indeed. Likely it hit subliminally many sensitive spots. 😊 it's another key ingredient making this work worthy both musically and lyrically. University-class study. Sinfield put out a beautiful poetry book soon after with these and other poems - including the PFM alternate English version of Il banchetto. super. It's only poetry: don't fear it: respect it

I have always been a fan of King Crimson‘s Lizard. Everything that you have heard about the 5.1 remix that Steve Wilson did with Robert Fripp is true. This beast of a record is mind blowing in 5.1 surround! Where to begin, there is so much to unpack. The listener will discover a treasure trove of sounds had been hiding in the prior mix. Even BIG TOP will get a listener’s attention as it has become a parade of nightmares that starts on the listener’s right, marches through the listener’s skull and then marches off to the listener’s left I’ve added the picture to my review just in case others have the same problem that I encountered after unwrapping. The slip case consists of a material that is much lighter than the material found on the slip case for In the Court of the Crimson King and the Reconstruction of Light. It was darn near impossible to get the disk set out of the slip case, even when pushing from other end. Eventually I did get it out of the slip case; my wife came up with this great idea of wrapping a ribbon around the digipak and then leaving a couple of pieces out where the disc could be pulled out using the ribbon. I’m sure that eventually there will be enough wear on the cardboard and I won’t need the ribbon any longer. I wonder why they used this flimsy stuff for Lizard. Annoying.

When I bought "Lizard" and listened to it for the 1st time, I thought, "What the *#!!*# is this crap?" Upon subsequent listens, I felt the same way. This is a tough album to acquire a taste for. Keep trying because, once it clicks-oh man, what an album!! I read somewhere that Fripp thought it would take around 24 listens to truly appreciate this album. I still find little nuances when I listen to it that all-of-a-sudden make sense. I dare you not to laugh along with Gordon at the end of "Indoor Games"! The boys slowly bring along Track 5 (the title track) to a crescendo at around 15 minutes into the song and lasting about 3 minutes. IMHO, this is one of the the greatest jam moments in recorded history. The way all the layers of instrumentation work together, well, it makes waiting the 13+ minutes worth while. And by the way, you'll learn to like the build up as well. The anticipation of what's ahead is delicious! A really brilliant album. The highlight to me is Andy McCullouch's incredible drumming. A lot of character-filled vocals by Gordon Haskell. Surprisingly, NOT that much guitar from Fripp as on other KC albums, he's on Mellotron as much as guitar here. What gutar he does play, however, is tasty. His one-take solo near the end of track 5 is hauntigly brilliant. This package features the traditional(although wonderfully remastered)CD, PLUS a DVD-Audio disc featuring 5.1 surround that thrillingly separates each instrument and brings out stuff buried in the original mix. A thoroughly entertaining sonic thrillride. Enjoy something that most people never will appreciate!!

Review of `Lizard' 40th Anniversary CD plus MLP Lossless 5.1 & DTS digital surround DVD package. *** `Lizard' was released in December 1970, King Crimson's 3rd album & a radical departure in style from their previous recordings. It has a very jazz feel and makes liberal use of classical orchestral instrumentation & musical structures. It sold less well than almost all KC's other albums up to 1980, and is often seen as an oddity. However `Lizard' contains some stand-out pieces, and still sounds fresh after 40 years. Gordon Haskell (who made a brief appearance on `Poseidon' singing `Cadence & Cascade') joined the band as full-time bass player/vocalist. Haskell's voice is neither strong nor distinctive, but does a workmanlike job. Andy McCulloch plays drums with a precise & understated soft-jazz style, one of the defining characteristics of the album. Mel Collins again plays woodwind & sax, with Bob Fripp on guitars & Peter Sinfield on VCS synthesizer. Jazz pianist Keith Tippett (who started playing on the band's studio sessions at the beginning of 1970 & contributed to `Cat Food' on `Poseidon') again makes an outstanding contribution; Fripp unfortunately failed to persuade him to join the band full-time. Brass/woodwind players Nick Evans, Robin Miller & Mark Charig act as session musicians to help create the album's unique sound. The outstanding cameo is from Jon Anderson, vocalist & founder-ember of `Yes', who Fripp persuaded to sing `Prince Rupert Awakes' which opens the long `Lizard' suite. The original album: `Cirkus' opens the album, a classic mellotron-dominated Crimson track a la ItCotCK with Sinfield on top lyrical form describing a circus in full swing - with sinister undertones. A pair of light-hearted jazzy tracks `Indoor Games' & `Happy Family' (describing the then-contemporary break-up of the Beatles with the fab four given pseudonyms) follow, then the short `Lady of the Dancing water' with some fine flute work. The stand-out track of the album is the `Lizard' suite which took up the whole second side of the original vinyl release. Jon Anderson sings the opening piece `Prince Rupert Awakes' over a simple piano accompaniment, the song then opening out into one of KC's `big sound' numbers with choral backing. The theme continues in the same key with `Bolero' where the brass players & Tippett take over and stretch-out the piece into a long, fine jazz improvisation, to return finally to the main theme. The suite continues with a battle scene orchestrated in a classical-style (i.e. like Tchaikovsky's 1812 Overture) & its aftermath `Prince Rupert's Lament' with Fripp producing some long, sustained wailing guitar over a slow bass line, and a closer `Big Top' which returns to the `Cirkus' theme. The 40th Anniversary offering: Like other KC releases in this series you get a CD plus audio-only DVD presented in a gatefold sleeve decorated with the distinctive original album cover artwork, images of the album's content presented in the visual style of the Lindisfarne Gospels. A 16-page colour booklet with the song lyrics and story behind the music, written by Bob Fripp and Crimson biographer Sid Smith, completes the package. Fripp mentions that Steven Wilson has `redeemed' the music of `Lizard' and restored it to its original glory. The DVD is once again the star, with the music offered in MLP Lossless 5.1 surround, DTS 5.1 digital surround, MLP Lossless stereo, PCM stereo 2.0, plus the 30th anniversary remaster of the original 1970 stereo mix. The DVD graphics are easy-on-the-eye, the menu simple to navigate, the sound fabulous. The bonus material includes an alternate version of `Lady of the Dancing Water', an excellent `Bolero' & studio run-thru of `Cirkus'. Fripp and Wilson have again done an excellent job in resurrecting this fine and unusual music. `Lizard' is a true oddity and proof that KC were never afraid to experiment, combine different styles & produce something unique & special. This is easily the best version we're likely to see, so buying it should be a no-brainer.

Allein dieser ca. 4-Minuten Auftritt von Jon Anderson ist den Anschaffungspreis schon wert. Der Rest ist schwierig aber genial.

Must have for king crimson fans

Como es habitual con Steven Wilson, esta edición es un CD con la nueva mezcla en estéreo y un DVD con esa misma mezcla, la mezcla original y el plato fuerte, el 5.1 El 5.1 es absolutamente impresionante para este álbum con tantas capas musicales. Le hace justicia a cada detalle, Steven como siempre entregando un producto imponente en cuestión de sonido. Totalmente recomendable si posees un 5.1, de verdad te rompera tus sentidos, sobretodo si ya conoces el álbum.

Uno dei migliori dischi del Progressive Rock. Un vero poema in musica 🎶. La musica come messaggio di vita, accompagnata da sfumature liriche di vario genere musicale, con strumenti classici mescolati divinamente a quelli elettronici che, nella loro fusione, danno una dimensione innovativa al rock standard, che la rende per l'appunto, Progressive insieme a un Complesso in continuo mutamento, Robert Freep a parte, non solo nei componenti, ma soprattutto per il loro sviluppo musicale che li rende unici ed eterni nel mondo della musica contemporanea. Grazie di esserci ancora.......