The Chameleons

Damn, May was a dry month. Sorry that I didn't have much to say.

Sit down, kids, and let's take a trip to another world. This is a world of lovely sounds, gorgeous sweeping melodies, lush and vibrant sonic textures. This is the world of the Chameleons, one of the finest post-psychedelic British rock bands.

The Chams formed in Middleton in Greater Manchester in England in 1981. Leader Mark Burgess plays bass and sings lead vocals, and while he's no Clint Conley or Dave Allen, his bass work is driving and buoyant. John Lever plays drums, and though the Chams are mostly known as a guitar band, Lever's their secret weapon; his playing is consistently great and often jaw-dropping. Adept at speedy rhythms, off-kilter time signatures, and punishing pounding, he's all that a rock band can ask for. The signature element of the Chams' sound is the sensational guitar playing of Reg Smithies and David Fielding- their biting guitar riffs are polished to a pretty sheen, managing never to end up brittle or wispy even when soaked in reverb and delay effects. Their playing is superbly rich and textured, and their repertoire ranges from the melancholy to the epic, from the biting and scorching guitar riffs of "Return Of The Roughnecks" to the majestic bombast of the incredible "Swamp Thing", one of my favorite guitar tracks. Have a listen to Swamp Thing as performed by Mark Burgess and the Sons of God.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XJ6zVlIxnrQ

Sorry I can't embed, but it's been disabled.

Their first single, "In Shreds", is absolutely ace as well. Please enjoy.



Each of their albums is a fantastic listen, but most fans tend to cling to one or another for various reasons. For me, the atmospheric production of "What Does Anything Mean? Basically" and the wonderful drumming throughout propels it past even 1986's epic "Strange Times". It doesn't hurt that "What Does" also includes some of their loveliest guitar work and the hard-charging power of their debut single, the aforementioned "In Shreds" backed with "Nostalgia", a song whose title is a recurring theme in the discography of the Chameleons. Combine those great tunes with chiming, achingly beautiful tracks like "Perfume Garden" and the acoustic-prefaced but crunching "Intrigue In Tangiers" and its awesome vocals, and you've got a sure winner, "Swamp Thing" be damned.

For further proof, check out "Return of the Roughnecks", and dig that marvelous guitar interplay during the intro break. Solo rocks too.



The Chams disbanded after their manager took his own life in 1987, but reunited in 2000 and released one new studio album before disbanding again.If you have the chance, don't hesitate to check out Mark Burgess' solo projects and post-Chameleons work. He even performed a tribute to the Sound's Adrian Borland, mentioned here previously, in a concert series dedicated to the deceased musician's memory. Here's the Chams' Mark Burgess performing Borland's awesome ode to self-reliance, "Possession".



Dave Fielding and Reg Smithies, guitar virtuosos extraordinaire, also played in the Reegs, and any band with such a great guitar team is surely worth a listen. Hope that now that the Chameleons' work is available in deluxe editions, more of the public can enjoy their fine brand of lush and atmospheric rock and roll.

Thanks for reading.