About This Track
“Lizard” is the longest composed (as distinct from improvised) piece ever recorded by King Crimson. This piece is divided into several sections and even subsections, with a narrative running through its entirety, about a prince who takes part in an epic battle. The track’s grandiloquence verges on (self-) parody.
Lizard’s opening section, “Prince Rupert Awakes”, features Jon Anderson (from Yes) in his only ever contribution to a King Crimson recording. This section of the track alternates between sincere and ethereal verses, and an amusingly folksy chorus accompanied by handclaps. The two styles are then combined in a rousing, worldless chorale, that segues into the track’s next section, “Bolero”.
“Bolero” provides a showcase for the talents of supporting musicians Tippett, Miller, Charig, and Evans. Playing over McCulloch’s bolero-like drum part, they are given the space to develop progressively more jazzy solos around a central theme. When this section of “Lizard” was excerpted from the whole, for inclusion on the compilation Frame by Frame: The Essential King Crimson, Gordon Haskell’s bass guitar was replaced with a part recorded by the later King Crimson bassist Tony Levin.
As “Bolero” comes to a halt, it is followed by “Dawn Song”, the first of three subsections that comprise “The Battle of Glass Tears”. “Dawn Song” opens with an ominous theme led by Robin Miller, which is then joined by a subdued vocal sung by Haskell. The next subsection of “The Battle of Glass Tears”, “Last Skirmish”, is arguably the instrumental high point of the Lizard album.
Lizard’s opening section, “Prince Rupert Awakes”, features Jon Anderson (from Yes) in his only ever contribution to a King Crimson recording. This section of the track alternates between sincere and ethereal verses, and an amusingly folksy chorus accompanied by handclaps. The two styles are then combined in a rousing, worldless chorale, that segues into the track’s next section, “Bolero”.
“Bolero” provides a showcase for the talents of supporting musicians Tippett, Miller, Charig, and Evans. Playing over McCulloch’s bolero-like drum part, they are given the space to develop progressively more jazzy solos around a central theme. When this section of “Lizard” was excerpted from the whole, for inclusion on the compilation Frame by Frame: The Essential King Crimson, Gordon Haskell’s bass guitar was replaced with a part recorded by the later King Crimson bassist Tony Levin.
As “Bolero” comes to a halt, it is followed by “Dawn Song”, the first of three subsections that comprise “The Battle of Glass Tears”. “Dawn Song” opens with an ominous theme led by Robin Miller, which is then joined by a subdued vocal sung by Haskell. The next subsection of “The Battle of Glass Tears”, “Last Skirmish”, is arguably the instrumental high point of the Lizard album.
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Albums featuring this track
Shouts
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Strikerpro wrote:
1 - 23 minutes in = mindfuck
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SmellyStuff wrote:
This took a while to grow on me but holy shit when it finally did.
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nikonas wrote:
Can anyone recommend me anything similar to this?I really want to listen to more of those chaotic improvisations! Send me a PM if u know anything please .
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CamelStrez wrote:
The beginning with Jon Anderson is just great. Hell, the whole song is just great.
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BlackLodgeDwarf wrote:
King Crimson and Jon Anderson together = Too much epicness for me too handle.
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Ozymandias90 wrote:
I think this song alone eclipses any of the songs in ITCOTCK. Anyone else?
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mouritsdebeer wrote:
I wish the lyrics were "burn a bridge and burn a bowl".
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BrianRomeo wrote:
8 - 9 minutes in = mindfuck [2]
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ineedmoretool wrote:
Maybe my favorite KC's song [3]
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radyokafa_ wrote:
j. anderson and king crimson. yes!
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moonmadness- wrote:
Indeed be a very difficult track, can not do any band cover.
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Ek90 wrote:
Maybe my favorite KC's song [2]
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JDarling69 wrote:
Lizard bones become the clay.. And there a swan is born.
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Vlad__canard wrote:
It never gets old. Real masterpiece. [2] Maybe my favorite KC's song
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HeadShoteR wrote:
It never gets old. Real masterpiece.
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DavidBG16 wrote:
MAS TER PIECE
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Huge_Cohones wrote:
What an epic masterpiece
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bobgreen623 wrote:
That would drive me nuts too Smekermann, unless of course it was a remixing approved by Fripp! I like being made to jump by that sudden increase in volume (btw, don't want to split hairs, but isn't it an oboe?), then again I love the whole damn thing, especially the instrumental section as it becomes more and more jazzy, and the spooky guitar solo towards the end, and more. I love the whole album really
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Smekermann wrote:
ok, why the FUCK does the new remaster not have the clarinet right before "march forward" get really fuckin loud after getting soft and before the mellotron kicking in? this is driving me insane. I KNOW it's on the vinyl, why the fuck didn't they keep it for the remasters? none of the remasters have this and it was one of the best parts of the song. the 30th remaster has the clarinet go totally quiet before the mellotron kicks in and the 40th remaster has it hold that sustained note into the mellotron, this is fucken driving me bonkers. that was pretty much the climax to the song.
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Twentyonetwelve wrote:
8 - 9 minutes in = mindfuck
Track Stats
79,969 Scrobbles
19,951 Listeners
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Recent Activity
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Matchovsky, Strikerpro, lucasweber_ and 12 other people loved King Crimson – Lizard. Thursday evening
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Bodek125 added Lizard to Bodek125’s library. last month
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NerfOptique, Shadop, mfn40 and 11 other people loved King Crimson – Lizard. last month
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pdlourenc0 tagged Lizard with ‘jon anderson’. last month
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xuveki, Vlad__canard, M3nT4T73 and 20 other people loved King Crimson – Lizard. last month
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tavosmetal added Lizard to the playlist Epics. December 2011
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Camilo_101, Garyleeweinreib, Kain_111 and 13 other people loved King Crimson – Lizard. December 2011
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metal180 added Lizard to the playlist Good Christmas Songs. December 2011
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mustapha91 added Lizard to her Loved Tracks. December 2011
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