Strange Times (The Chameleons album)

Strange Times
Studio album by The Chameleons
Released 1 September 1986
Recorded 1986 at Jacob's Studio, Surrey, England
Genre Post-punk
Length 52:09
Label Geffen
Producer David M. Allen
The Chameleons chronology

What Does Anything Mean? Basically
(1985)		 Strange Times
(1986)		 Tony Fletcher Walked on Water.... La La La La La-La La-La-La
(1990)
Singles from Strange Times
  1. "Tears"
    Released: 1 June 1986
  2. "Swamp Thing"
    Released: 1 September 1986

Strange Times is the third studio album by English post-punk band The Chameleons, released 1 September 1986 on record label Geffen. Two singles were released from the album, "Tears" and "Swamp Thing".

Release

The first single from the album was "Tears", released on 1 June 1986.[1]

Strange Times was released 1 September 1986 on Geffen Records.[2] Initial American pressings of the record came with a bonus 12" with six additional tracks, two of which are covers. The American cassette also had the same bonus tracks, split up so that each side of the cassette contained half of the bonus tracks. The record did not have a B side; it was credited as Side A and Side A+.

The album was never released on CD in any territory until 1993. Although Geffen released it as a two-disc set with all of the bonus tracks in the United Kingdom and Germany, the decision was made to omit one of the bonus tracks ("Ever After") from the American version to facilitate its release on a single disc.

The album's second single, "Swamp Thing", was released on the same day as the album.[3]

Reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source Rating
AllMusic [4]
Melody Maker favourable[5]
The New York Times favourable[6]

Strange Times was praised by the critics who reviewed it. Ian Gittins of Melody Maker called it "a marvellous departure" from their previous work and "a wonderful record".[5] Robert Palmer of The New York Times described it as "the band's most inventive and winning album yet and as a fine a record as any pop-rock guitar band has made this year. [...] it should delight just about anyone."[6]

Legacy

On the album, Chameleons frontman Mark Burgess said, "Strange Times is my favourite. Personally, I believe it was the best lyrical work I'd done with the band and some of the best vocal performances, and I think The Chameleons really began to mature and move forward with this album".[7]

Track listing

All songs written and composed by The Chameleons (Mark Burgess, Dave Fielding, Reg Smithies and John Lever), except as noted. 

Side A
No. Title Length
1. "Mad Jack"   3:55
2. "Caution"   7:46
3. "Tears"   5:05
4. "Soul in Isolation"   7:28
Side A+
No. Title Length
5. "Swamp Thing"   5:56
6. "Time/The End of Time"   5:41
7. "Seriocity"   3:00
8. "In Answer"   4:54
9. "Childhood"   4:39
10. "I'll Remember"   3:39

Personnel

The Chameleons
Technical

References

  1. ↑ "The Chameleons – Releases". The Chameleons. Retrieved 20 July 2013.
  2. ↑ "The Chameleons – Releases". The Chameleons. Retrieved 15 July 2013.
  3. ↑ "The Chameleons – Releases". The Chameleons. Retrieved 20 July 2013.
  4. ↑ Raggett, Ned. "Strange Times – The Chameleons UK | Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards | AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved 12 February 2013.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 Gittins, Ian (20 September 1986). "Strange Times". Melody Maker. Retrieved 15 July 2013.
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 Palmer, Robert (15 October 1986). "The Pop Life". The New York Times. Retrieved 12 February 2013.
  7. ↑ "The Chameleons – Releases – The Chameleons, Strange Times". The Chameleons. Retrieved 15 July 2013.

External links