The Chameleons UK - "The Fan and the Bellows"

In the history of cash-ins that backfired by actually being good and not selling any copies, The Fan and the Bellows by The Chameleons UK has to be near the top of the pile. Apparently, shortly after the group disbanded (the first time), their label decided to release this collection of singles, B-sides, and demos to recoup some of the money they'd spent on promotional costs. Or possibly cocaine, I don't know. It was the 80's.

A short history: The Chameleons UK were formed in 1981 in the post-punk capital of the world, Manchester, England. Only a town that bitchin' could give the world a band like The Chameleons and have so many other great bands that people barely know their name anymore. Anyway, vocalist and bass player Mark Burgess recruited guitarists Reg Smithies and Dave Fielding from some local bands that had recently broken up, and with the addition of drummer John Lever, the group was off and running.

They did some BBC sessions that built their reputation before recording their first EP with the master of the big 80's drum sound, none other than Mr. Steve Lillywhite. (It's kind of a shame that he doesn't mix records that way anymore; the last U2 album could have had a lot more punch but the "poppy" radio sheen really takes away from the overall vibe.) From this point, they started releasing albums that arguably just got better and better even though they got slicker and slicker, culminating with the release of Strange Times on Geffen Records in 1986. A badical collection of great songs it may have been, but it also proved to be their swan song.

Well, at least until 2000 when the Chameleons reunited and did some acoustic gigs. They also released a record in 2001 but I haven't heard it and I don't think I ever . I have a feeling it's exactly what you can expect from a band that's been dormant for 15 years-- the kind of much-improved musicianship that results in excruciatingly long ballads where entirely too much attention is paid to details like, "I know, I'll try playing an interesting inversion of the chord progression on the third chorus. that ought to spice things up." Mix in a really bad, generic drum machine beat to show that the group is incorporating "modern influences" like "that rap music that the kids all love" and voila!

Actually, I'd like to be proven wrong on this one so if anyone out there knows it's not that bad, let me know.

In any case, if you're into new wave, post-punk, or good ol' fashioned pop rock with some brains, get this file and then go buy some Chameleons UK at Amazon. Remember to add the "UK" to your search field, otherwise you'll get a bunch of listings of stuff by some obscure folk group.

P.S. I recommend checking out a site called Pandora Internet Radio. It's this service that's supposed to recommend new music based on bands you already like. For instance, you type in "Metallica" and a bunch of shitty music starts playing. It's not always very accurate, but I'll tell you this: everything I've heard this morning on the "Neu!" station has knocked my socks clean off.