Return Of The Roughnecks, The (The Best Of The Chameleons)

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As Mark Burgess states in the liner notes, "Best of the Chameleons?! Contradiction in terms, mate!!" True, the Chameleons never had much chart success over the course of their five year existence (at least "hits" doesn't appear in the title!), but in retrospect they were one of the most excellent, awe-inspiring bands of the '80s. Their three studio LPs are works of genius, each with distinct qualities, each capable of consuming your soul and tugging your heartstrings. If you were to poll any number of diehard Chameleons fans as to what their favorite LP is, you would likely have a three-way tie. Even when considering the non-album tracks this Manchester band produced, you can count on one hand the number of less-than-quality tunes. That's a pretty good success rate! So why even bother with a best-of? After all, with brilliance running rampant throughout the course of their discography, which includes myriad radio session and live releases, it's a monster task to whittle a fair representation onto one CD. The track selection is excellent, though no compilation is likely to be seen as completely accurate from the judgment of one Chams fan to another. But since best-ofs are meant for beginners, this is a moot point. Avoiding the risk of making a fractured compilation, Return of the Roughnecks flows extremely well, and each of their LPs are represented quite evenly: five songs are from Script of the Bridge, three are from What Does Anything Mean, and four are off Strange Times (both sides of the "In Shreds"/"Nostalgia" single are included as well). Packaged lovingly with the involvement of the band, it's made to please the familiar as well. Some copies include their swan song, the Tony Fletcher Walked on Water EP, as a second disc. If given a choice between the single and double disc set, go with the double -- regardless of price difference. ~ Andy Kellman