MUSIC OBSERVER: LIZARD

LIZARD

Progressive Jazz rock
AUSTRALIA

Lizard is one of the forgotten progressive rock bands from Australia from early '70's .
Releasing one album at Harvest in 1973 named Bad Companions, they didn't get much attention, and because of that soon they disbanded, even in the band were great and talented musicians .
It's a very rare album, hard to get in original form - vinyl, I have a CD-R with the album from a friend of mine who were kind enough to make me a copy from the original vinyl, he didn't want to sell it. The album so far, from my knowledge didn't get a re issues, maybe in the future someone will think about this band and give a proper CD release. Some members from Lizard were earlier in another good band from late '60's White Wine and the sax player Dave Connors will play with one of the most famous british psychedelic - space prog from the '70's - Jade Warrior.
The music is progressive rock with some blues and jazz moments, just a fiew but they are, given a certain atmosphere of the album. In some parts the album sounds a bit to experimental side with killer guitars and absolute stunning sax playing, some times they remind me in places of
King Crimson or same jazz bands from mid '70's. The voice of Mich Tulk is very ok fiting very well in the album, aswell the rest of the musicians are very talented. The killer piece is Page
Missing From My Book, mindblowing guitar leads and fabulous sax interplaying with the rest, the rest are ok. Now, I'm not saying that this is a masterpiece of this genre, but is filled with good pieces and excellent musicianship. One of the rare and forgotten progressive rock bands coming from the land of canguroo.3.5 for Bad companions, good towards great but not an essential
album. Good art work, specially the back cover looking like a page from a newspapper.

Albums:

1973 - BAD COMPANIONS

Musicians :

- Dave Connors - Sax

- Greg Hill - Bass

- Robert Souter - Drums

- Mich Tulk - Guitar, Vocals

- John Wheeler - Keyboards

Another one album band, Lizard was one of EMIs Harvest label Australian signings. Bad Companions
is a very rare album full of 70s progressive jazz rock.
A five piece band, three of Lizards members were earlier in White Wine. Prior to Lizard, sax
player Dave Connors also appeared in Jade Warrior (UK) and later went to work with Graham Parker and the Rumour.
There are moments on Bad Companions that remind me of Company Caine so it no surprise to learn
that both Connors and guitarist/vocalist Mike Tulk also sessioned on Gulliver Smith's solo album.