Search - The Chameleons UK :: Strange Times

A cornerstone in the history of music...

D. Pfeiffer | Georgia, USA | 04/28/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Strange Times is a classic. End of story. Why do British bands always burn out at their peak? If anyone was listening in the 80's (and apparently U2 was) they would have realized that this band was going into previously uncharted territory. Often categorized as Gothic, New Wave, etc. Chameleons broke several boundaries and really, in my mind refuse classification other than that they are a band deserving of their legendary status. Strange Times is the swan song of the 80's. Listen to this album and the others and you'll realize just how influential these guys were without getting much credit. They created the reverb, ethereal guitar sound emulated by such greats as The Chrurch, U2, The Fixx and in many ways the Police. The ghosts of Chameleons even haunt some eighties releases by Rush and David + David. Where'd you think tha guitar sound came from on "Welcome to the Boomtown". Listen to Script of the Bridge. Listen to the Chameleons and pay your homage! Where as Script of the Bridge was the White Album of the 80's, Strange Times was the Let it Be. At time incredibly powerful and delicately eerie. The lyrical content is simply amazing as it walks the fine line through British surrealism and wrenching emotional confusion. Thanks for the timeless music guys!"

The Greatest Album Never Heard...10 stars

D. Pfeiffer | 04/12/1999

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The Chameleons are the lost soul of rock music, and Strange Times is a journey that will never end. If only everyone had heard this record back in 1986, popular music would have taken a radically different course. This record skies to melodic heights unforeseen, while safely plummeting through the depths of melancholy, only to bring you back up time and again. No one did this better than the Chameleons. In their third, last, and greatest album, this Middletown band of geniuses combine their mastery of guitar delay and reverb with a restraint and commitment to detail that is simultaneously frightening and beautiful. (To U2's Edge, please take notes.) Layer upon layer of choral guitars will make you feel like you're hidden in a lighthouse in Scotland...waiting for the crashing waves and thunderstorms to roll in. And Mark Burgess' voice...weaving, crying in and out of Reg Smithies and Dave Fielding's chiming guitars will send chills down your spine. Fools compare them to U2 or maybe Echo (both great bands), but for those who know the Chameleons, they understand that this is like comparing 3-dimensions to one. BUY this record...it is perhaps the greatest album ever recorded."

Incomprehensible Brilliance from Manchester, UK

Jesse Johnson | Massachusetts | 02/26/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"It's always hard trying to figure out which Chameleons album is their finest, since the band seemed incapable of writing a ho-hum, or even merely good, tune. I guess this will do, even though it will appear uneven at first (since all of the epics are on the first half) until you realize the charms of the shorter stuff towards the end such as "Seriocity", "In Answer" and "Childhood". The trio of stunners "Caution", "Soul in Isolation" and "Swamp Thing" is quite possibly the most brilliant guitar-rock triptych ever. Possessing unfathomable complexity, ridiculously depth, and grabbing melody, they're just one jaw-dropping riff after another flowing together flawlessly. Mark Burgess' one-of-a-kind voice is an acquired taste but his lyrics transcend the typical melancholic introversion quite often and this is possibly the most passionate singing ever on a studio recording. This is the kind of record you'll be playing ten years from now. P.S. Amazing as it seems, the Chams have reformed and are playing a few shows in Manchester in May, 2000!"