The Chameleons
Lovely fall day here today ... I went for a walk with my dog and was thinking about posting the song "View from a Hill" for you all ... but when I did a search in the artists' lounge, I found there were no entries for the band who wrote it. While I think surely the name has come up before (not sure where though ... Neill again?) At any rate, this is a band who deserves their own page.The Chameleons (a.k.a The Chameleons UK in the U.S.) were a foursome from Manchester, England, who, in my opinion, were one of the greatest bands to come out of the 1980s post-punk scene. They are commonly credited for influencing the likes of The Smiths, Catherine Wheel, Comsat Angels, and more recently, Interpol. The first time I ever heard the band back in the mid 80s, I was totally blown away. I read something recently, where an author who was reviewing a 20+ year old album felt a sense of envy toward the person who got to experience hearing and falling in love with it for the first time. The Chameleons first album, _Script of the Bridge_ is, for me, that type of gem. Anyone familiar with the album will remember the lead-in quote on the first song, "Don't Fall," ... a snippet of conversation by two british voices from an old film: "In his Autumn before the Winter comes man's last mad surge of youth," followed by a woman's perplexed response, "What on earth are you talking about?" - after which a gloriously dark guitar riff propels the listener into a tense spiraling wall of echoey guitars, and Mark Burgess' brooding vocals. From the first time I heard it, this song picked me up by the scruff of my neck and would not put me back down. But fortunately, that's not where my love of The Chameleons ended. _Script of the Bridge_ is a tremendous album, that, after the initial onslaught of "Don't Fall," weaves in and out of a blend of dream pop and moody rockers. The two albums that followed - the harder edged, _What Does Anything Mean, Basically_, and moodier _Strange Times_ were no disappointment in comparison. Yet as much attention as these albums should have garnered The Chameleons, they never broke through to any deserved amount of mainstream success. But it wasn't for lack of musical prowess or great songs. The group ultimately broke up in 1986, leaving a bevy of disappointed fans who would wait nearly 15 years before they reunited for one last album containing new material, and a subsequent tour (though an additional recording has since been released containing acoustic restylings of previously released songs). I've always kicked myself for missing my chance to see them live both times ... but suffice to say, the Chameleons sit comfortably amongst my favorite artists of the 80s, and the albums still sound every bit as good to me today as they did then. So without further ado, here's "Don't Fall," because I spoke about it above ... but more will follow in comments.
Locating MOG account...
Comments (25)
So glad you posted something by The Chameleons. They are/were one of our great, lost bands. Coming from Manchester as I do, I've always had a soft spot for them as a "local band" and I've seen them live at least a dozen times, from the early 80s through to the "reunion" gigs in 2000.
The first two albums in particular ("Script of the Bridge" and "What Does Anything Mean, Basically") are both excellent examples of riff-driven, indie rock. Think early Cure, or maybe the first Echo & The Bunnymen album. For the guitarists among us, there are layers of tunes just dripping out of the speakers. There's lots of early 80s reverb, chorus pedals and echo units going on, giving you the most fluid and beautiful guitar sounds you've heard in ages.
They never really bothered the charts much here in the UK after their first single ("In Shreds") but they had critical acclaim in spadefuls to make up for the lack of commercial success.
Thanks for reminding me of all this!