Reviewed by Ian Phillips.
By The Chameleons, Moochin’ About 2021.
The Chameleons were a band from Middleton, Greater Manchester, England who formed in 1981, disbanded in 1987, reformed in 2000, and disbanded again in 2003.
They consisted of bassist and lead singer Mark Burgess, guitarists Reg Smithies and Dave Fielding, and drummer John Lever.
Although they had only mediocre success during their active years their reputation has continued to grow as time has passed and they are now considered one of the most underrated Manchester bands of the ‘80s.
While their success was limited, they did develop a fanatical cult following and they are cited as important influences by bands such as Oasis, The Smashing Pumpkins, The Flaming Lips, and The Killers, all of whom went on to have massive international appeal.
During their first hiatus the band released nine live albums of concerts performed all over England as well as Toronto and Berlin, and sessions recorded for Radio 1.
They continued this process during their second hiatus.
The Live at The Camden Palace album was recorded in 1985, at the height of their powers, and it’s the latest historic release from the band.
The Chameleons emerged during the post-punk period and their sound was often dubbed as ‘Sonic Architecture’ or ‘Sonic Cathedrals’ because of their atmospheric guitar-based soundscapes.
As I was listening to this record I was once again reminded of just how fickle the music business is.
It’s often impossible to work out why some extremely talented musicians fail to achieve success while other, far less gifted, artists achieve international fame.
The Chameleons show in this fantastic live performance that they possessed all the requisite skills to succeed.
To my ears they are a damn sight better than many of their contemporaries.
Being in the right place at the right time, as The Chameleons were, is only part of the equation.
Sometimes it boils down to chemistry -either you have it or you don’t, and often it’s just a matter of bad luck.
Whichever way it goes The Chameleons deserve the re-evaluation of their work that is taking place.
Oasis and the other famous bands knew they were good and now we all can listen to one of their legendary performances.
