I feel I should write something clever about how the Chameleons have disguised themselves and remained undetected by me, or anyone else for that matter but that if you looked (or listened) hard enough you would be able to make them out. I couldn't really think how to word it though so I haven't bothered.
And anyway, it wouldn't quite be true. I mentioned before I'd seen them in concert twice, at the behest of my wife and the last time I saw them at the Devil's Arse we were with a long time friend who I think is in that group of fans who are bordering on the fanatical.
The Devil's Arse gig was good but the venue adds to that. I could remember nothing about the time I saw them at the Academy or even which Academy it was. And I didn't knowingly listen to them in the years inbetween apart from in preperation for going to see them again and thinking I ought to be a little bit familiar with at least some of their songs. Oh and a half hearted effort after that last gig as an acknowledgement that it had been decent really.
But, well, as many have hinted at here, it all felt a bit nothingy and first couple of plays here that hadn't changed. But, to introduce another slightly tortuous animal analogy type thing, or whatever, they say a leopard can't change it's spots, but can it change it's ears or... nah forget that.
Something happened third or fourth time in on listening to this and I think I've become something of a convert. A proper one. I'm not going to become one of thier fanatical fans but I found a lot to like in this album and whereas I might have stuck to the original ten tracks I've been quite happy to let it run on to the bonus ones. There isn't a noticeable "join" where you think you're getting a bit of cutting room floor stuff just to pad it out. Well, apart from the pretty pointless and poor cover of John I'm Only Dancing. Either a musical joke or a poorly conceived idea. Tomorrow Never Knows is a much better cover though.
The stand out tracks are on what would presumably have been side one of a long player so by definition side 2 must have been slightly weaker. It's not a big drop off though. I get the Mark Almond comparisons, up to a point but it feels like they come from a very different musical base.
I listened to their first album, only once so far and my initial thoughts were that it was better and I had a distracted listen to their second earlier, too early to have formed an opinion about that.
All in all though, this is a belated find for me. It's a solid 7 but it's possible that with more listens it would go higher than that. I shall look forward to them touring again and going along wit my wife with more enthusiasm than previously.
