JACQUES Chabiron CHRONICLE MAGAZINE ROCK & FOLK May 1971 No. 79/81 Page 52 3 albums 33 RPM 1970 Ref: Atlantic SD 8278 us - 6396042 Island It's strange to think that suddenly King Crimson might not owe its success to its "real" music. The group has indeed a dimension of love pretty amazing, especially in the US where it only took a tour (following which the group broke) to ensure the success of the first three LPs. A new King Crimson has registered this "Lizard" but it is always the same music, beautiful, peaceful, - at least apparently - that beauty and strength attention. But when you listen carefully when attempting to understand the words, it is surprising to see that such esoteric can reach thousands of people! The success of Crimson would it be due to a "mistake" to outright appearance? The aesthetics of this music does not he hide something more mysterious or tragic? This beautiful tree may well hide a dark forest. A haunted forest. Yet the "21st Century Schizoid Man" the first album left no room for ambiguity. It presented us with composers whose dreams are always populated by ghosts, whose thoughts remain dark, fantastic. Little sentimentality in these poems; Peter Sinfield, the author, tries to go back to the source of his ideas. He seeks his ego. Almost a psychoanalytic approach, leading here on the irrational, what we can not explain, whereupon the understanding remains confused. Attempting a description by means of pictures or stories. Translated into words, these dazzling illuminations can be integrated into a coherent system - ours today's world. They reposition naturally dreamed in contexts past (metempsychosis) or future (divination). Crimson is therefore now turned to the Middle Ages, now to the future, but also unknown root causes of unconscious questions that arises constantly, without our being possible to forget them. "Where do I come from?" and "What will I be," inexorable departure to his own identity. People like musicians of Pink Flyod have undoubtedly been led by a similar approach, but Crimson is specifically focused on the past. There is in this wonderful music many traces of a medieval mystical and morbid terror reappear cyclically, sometimes resulting from a period of "avant - garde" in which Keith Tippet plays a leading role. Its anti-melodies are transformed into an antiquated romance ("Prince Rupert Awakes"). Or the mellotron Fripp overwhelms, its invincible slow waves, peaceful walk of Saxony, a flute (Mel Collins), or the impeccable set of a horn section entirely freed heavy and round. A dull and oppressive atmosphere then invades the room. It crushes you. You needed objects. It makes them exist AGAIN, like petrified resurrected. Hold breath, not to trigger the sarabande of things. The fist in the mouth, not to scream in fear when grinning ghosts lurking around you. Again, for a few minutes, the colors are beautiful and pure; the lizard-lizard basks in the sun, imperturbable; peacocks shine. Rupert glass tears in the eyes ... Situations, heavenly images. Everything is orderly, majestic and refined ... Poems, splendid music. Everything is clear, nice and polite. But further, higher, deeper, shades of milky one feels and guesses, bloody cruelties, the power of the forces of the Hereafter.
