> Compared to Symbolics CL looks like a mess at least from reading the books.
Which books, may I know?
The Common Lisp Hyperspec is one of the best reference manuals for a programming language, ever. But it is not a tutorial nor a how-to guide!
Try "Pratical Common Lisp". Or "Land of Lisp" if you want to have lots of fun.
simple but refined, guaranteed to blow your mind...