Chameleons : Classic or Dud

btw wtf @ the fact that the combined scores of the 3 albums (well, major albums) wouldn't even have made the 80's poll top 100

If this is the stuff dreams are made of... then please god never let me sleep again.

wish they hadn't fucked up the second half of the song. even moreso I wish they had made it sound like "Move Your Ass."

it's nice to be important, but it's more important to be nice!!

7^%$%#$@#$@#@#$@$#

...actually this isnt too bad.

I'm too scared to heard the 2nd half tho.

...yeah ok they could have done better.

It loses all the euphoria!

Just received my 2xCD reissue of What Does Anything Mean? Basically and, as expected, it's a gorgeous remastering job. Going to listen to these demos in the coming hours as well. This is a really great album, too often underrated because of the company it keeps with the Chameleons' other two masterpieces.

Buy here: http://www.blueapplemusic.co.uk/chameleondetails/chamREF091.html

'perfume garden' is the best chameleons song

I just ordered that today. I thought it wasn't due to come out 'til January. I guess Blue Apple has some exclusive special edition. I wonder if they'll do the dbl deluxe treatment for Strange Times too.

Yep, it's available exclusively through Blue Apple for a couple months before it hits retail in Jan/Feb. And I can't imagine them reissuing the first two albums and not Strange Times... that'll likely be out within a year or so.

Chameleons non-album tracks OPO: Nathan's Phase

Good choice. "Things I Wish I'd Said" is a favorite of mine, "Dali's Picture" is okay enough, and "Sally" is way too obscure, such a sweet little song.

Never heard 'Sally' I don't think, what's that from? Other pick for me is 'Is It Any Wonder'.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cNqiTMN6Tl8

^ it's here I guess

Oh that is a nice song, bit of downer vibe going on though.

bit of downer vibe going on though.

Chameleons... downer vibe... really? ;-)

Yeah, that was kind of a dumb comment, but you know, they nearly always sound fairly hopeful to me. Didn't really absorb the lyrics to that song yet, but there they sounded like they know the game was up. Whatever game that might be.

Fair point!

Just got this email from Blue Apple Music, feel free to utilize the coupon code and get yerself some Chameleons in yer life:

Dear Chameleons Fan,

As a valued customer of Blue Apple Music, we would like to offer you £5 off your next Chameleons purchase from the official online store (valid until the end of February).

By using the voucher code (below) you can bag one of the new official t-shirts for only £10 (+ p&p), or knock a fiver from the price of the re-mastered versions of Script of the Bridge or What Does Anything Mean? Basically.

Alternatively, there are a handful of copies of the discontinued Ascension DVD still available, and the offer also applies to The Reegs Definitive collection and range of t-shirts.

To take advantage of this offer, simply place your order at www.blueapplemusic.co.uk/chameleons.html enter the code NOSTALGIA in the voucher box and then press Recalculate . The £5 will be deducted from your total order amount.

Please remember, this offer expires on February 28th 2010.

Thanks for your continued support in helping to keep the music of The Chameleons alive.

Best regards

Blue Apple Music

They have the reissues of the first two Chameleons albums (Script of the Bridge, What Does Anything Mean? Basically) each with a great bonus disc -- or the Ascension DVD which is out of print -- or the Reegs complete recordings compilation -- or a range of t-shirts if you're into those.

Go nuts!

Link is here: http://www.blueapplemusic.co.uk/chameleons.html

Cheers. Just ordered the DVD? Anyone seen it?

Yup.

Can't believe they've made the WDAMB look even worse than it did the first time around.

^ the WDAMB cover

Looks worse, sounds better. I'd say that's a pretty fair trade!

I've just picked up on The Chameleons in the last few months. Bought the remastered 'Script', 'WDAMB' and 'Strange Times'. Seem's pretty difficult to get the originals of anything else sadly. Managed to download FLAC's of the 'Peel Sessions' album but everything else seems to be only available on mp3. Really dug the 'Free Trade Hall Rehersals', the delayed guitars sounded amazing with all that empty atmosphere. The live bonus disc on the reissue of 'Script' is brilliant. Probably the best Chameleons live recording I've heard. Any other reccomendations?

Also, Mark Burgess solo and The Reegs, what's the verdict?

Solo/side stuff = good but the whole is much greater than the sum of its parts.

The Sun and the Moon's s/t album and follow-up EP are both excellent -- I believe it was Mark's side project (+ John Lever?) in between the Chameleons and his solo stuff with the Sons of God.

Cool, will check out in time.

What about live recordings? As I said, I'm totally blown away by the show on the bonus of the 'Script' reissue. Some tracks like 'Paper Tiger' and 'A person isn't safe' sound even better than the studio versions to my ears. I haven't been blown away by any of the officially released live discs I've been able to download in the same way.

"Live In Toronto" is damn good. There's a number of other live albums but "Toronto" and the Script bonus disc are the best of the lots.

Track down The Peel Sessions, The Radio One sessions and "Here Today Gone Tomorrow" for almost all of their radio appearances.

live @ camden palce dvd is totally frickin awesome; really well filmed, excellent sound quality.. a total must

"tripping dogs" is a pretty good live cd.. it has a really nice slow-burning version of "less than human"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=es_2bZ8ziv4

^ this is off the Camden Palace DVD. Always wondered where the stills in the WDAMB gatefold were from.

wow

What can I buy that has "Sally" on it????? It sounds like it was recorded in the WDAMB? era

From http://www.thechameleons.com/band/faq.php

Who is Sally?
Sally is the name of Mark's (ex) wife. The "Here Today, Gone Tomorrow" album includes a rather atypical song called 'Sally,' which was written by Mark for the woman who was to become his wife.

http://www.bobsy.per.sg/illusion035.jpg

The Chameleons - Here Today...Gone Tomorrow

Release Date: 1 Jun 1992
Label: Imaginary
Country: UK
Tracks:

* String Quartet 1
* Home Is Where The Heart Is
* In Answer
* Bobby Moore's Wine
* Sally
* In Shreds
* Nathan's Phase
* Up The Down Escalator
* On The Beach
* Dear Dead Days
* Things I Wish I'd Said
* String Quartet 2

Notes:
On "Here Today", "In Answer" is still developing lyrically. The lyrics for "Bobby Moore's Wine" were completely rewritten and it became "Mad Jack". Three tracks are not listed as taken from a radio session: "In Shreds", "Things I Wish I'd Said", and "Dear Dead Days". Are these studio versions? "Dear Dead Days" sort of became the end of "Soul In Isolation".

I guess I should probably get round to hearing this thing...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q0OHTj-3fyQ

^ this is a song that I've been listening to a whole heck of a lot lately - 'Is It Any Wonder' off the Tony Fletcher EP.

...which gets a fair bit of love upthread, but something I only heard in the last year cos I am the laziest of fans.

Got the Acsention DVD in the post today. God bless Blue Apple, they seem to sent stuff super quick. Looking forward to putting in on this weekend. Tracklist on both the DVD's looks great. Shame there's no 'Paper Tiger' though, one of my fave tracks.

Managed to order a vinyl called "Tripping Dog's". The info I've come across suggests its the same as the 'Free Trade Rehersals'. Anyone have it?

Yeah, Free Trade is just the CD version of Tripping Dogs -- the sole difference is that Free Trade contains "Tomorrow Never Knows" as well.

Coolio. I can live with that. Got it at a decent price too.

There's a good few tracks on the DVD I haven't heard off. Take it some are from the albums they released since they reformed. How do those ones stack up?

There's only one full-on reformation album, Why Call It Anything -- all the other ones are live or acoustic remake albums. WCIA is generally speaking the calmest of the four studio albums -- part and parcel with the band members being older and more reflective, perhaps -- but it has some excellent songs, my favorite being "Dangerous Land."

'Why Call It Anything' seems to be quite expensive second hand. Same with those acoustic remake albums. What's the deal here? The fact most Chameleons stuff is so hard to find and usually out of print. Most of the postuhumous stuff seems to be only semi-legit and released on small labels. I'm guessing they something like 'Fan and The Bellows' or 'Here today gone tomorrow' was only released in small numbers. Same with the live stuff that's been put out. How come it's all so terribly hard to find?

Because it's so good only a small number of people can handle it.

Why Call It Anything is marred by that track with the inexplicable reggae toasting on it