After their first two monumental albums, Robert Fripp took the King Crimson sound a step further, distancing himself from the initial approach with its grandeur, sweeping classical inspiration, and controlled cacophony that characterized it, to delve into even more progressive and eclectic sounds like free jazz on this third album.
For this occasion, Fripp surrounded himself with a lineup that differed somewhat from those who recorded his first two albums. Here, drummer Andy McCulloch appears for the first time, while bassist and singer Gordon Haskell and saxophonist Mel Collins return as permanent members of the band, replacing Greg Lake, Michael Giles, and Peter Giles. Completing the lineup are keyboardist Keith Tippet, Robin Miller (oboe), Nick Evans (trombone), Marc Charing (cornet), lyricist Pete Sinfield, and Yes vocalist Jon Anderson, who lends his beautiful voice to the superb "Prince Rupert Awakes".
“Lizard” showcases a structure quite different from their previous work, with longer tracks divided into distinct sections, featuring expansive developments, clearly reminiscent of classical music. Robert Fripp delivers a dazzling guitar performance, Pete Sinfield offers poetic and surreal lyrics, and the Mellotron makes intensive and eloquent use of the instrument. Moments range from devastated and sorrowful beauty to sinister and repulsive scenes, making this album one of their most arrogant and dark works, yet simultaneously brimming with originality. Despite the continued dominance of this pessimistic aura, musically we find pieces of greater beauty, as demonstrated by the jazzy “Indoor Games” and “Happy Family”, or the complex and inaccessible “Cirkus”. Meanwhile, the epic “Lizard” is a suite with a more purely rock flavor, a progressive orientation, and less jazz experimentation, where the grandiose sounds of the Mellotron and arrangements of clear Classic style.
“Lizard,” one of the most brilliant works in the history of progressive rock, has stood the test of time and is considered another essential KC album.
