The Chameleons- Second Skin REACTION & REVIEW

[@thesoundlikechameleons2082]

MASTERPIECE. This lp will gradually become your favourite lp

[@chinard]

love this track, perfect dreamy post-punk bliss. i don't really get the comments about his voice, Mark Burgess fits the genre perfectly

[@davidcopson5800]

Mark's voice is great for this type of music.

[@chasethehorizonx]

Someone even said that Mark's voice was soulless. Lmao. Some people have no ability to grasp nuance whatsoever. They don't understand the genre at all.

[@aaronclick6388]

@@chasethehorizonx, I’d even say Mark’s voice is the EXACT OPPOSITE OF SOULLESS! That voice is FULL of integrity, heart, and soul!

[@davidhubbert9445]

Goosebumps feeling of the highest quality what a magnificent tune.

[@mandrillion2524]

My favourite track ever. The guitar parts in the final section are sublime

[@mathias-xb1ux]

...mine`s too buddy, i couldnt even explain how much

[@katrinamorgan2926]

This is one of my favourite songs ever!!

[@cadanrichards2615]

I was waiting for the upload and This song changed my life when i heard it. This album just keeps getting better from here. Justin Youll love this band!!

[@chrissheldon9427]

How was Second Skin not a single? Though TBH this album is almost a Best of, not bad for a debut studio album. Possibly the best post punk album ever released (that hardly anyone bought!). I still have the original LP in pride of place. It would be great to be younger but I'll never regret being a teenager growing up shifting my moods between The Chameleons and Talk Talk. Can't wait for Up the down...oh wait there must be something wrong boys! Enjoy continuing your first listen with a great single next up.

[@robhammer6547]

What about perfume garden??… absolute must listen

[@TravisBickle-k5v]

One of the great 80's albums, fell in love with this on release. Sadly the Chameleons never achieved the success they deserved. Great live as well. Every track on this album is at least excellent. Play them all. Then check out the slightly earlier raw and punkier sound on In Shreds and Nostalgia. Jumped forward to their third album and listen then to Swamp Thing - more polished and commercial but just as good. I think it's failure ended the band. The second album is very good but I think those songs are best heard on the Peel Sessions album that is also essential.

[@mindwavezz-MeditationRelaxZen]

Possibly the greatest UK Band ever

[@lennon1482]

they're alright but a bit like echo and the bunnymen without the attitude

[@marysweeney7370]

This album was big in the college music scene of the 80's.

[@sunkenindeaf]

The working title of this song was "Dreams in Celluloid", released in a compilation of early recordings of the band. Could be paired with Marillion's "Chelsea Monday", perhaps -- _"...hiding in her cellophane world in glitter town."_

[@JustJP]

Nice connection sunken!

[@johnmavroudis2054]

On your point... YES. The Chameleons make hypnotic, chiming, goosebump-inducing music. On "SECOND SKIN"... yeah... I always thought about the term "Opportunity Knocks." This song ALWAYS brings the house down when they played this song live. Definitely Top 3 in the catalog of favorites for Chameleons' fans. Originally called "Dreams In Celluloid," you can actually hear that version of that song (and it's great, too!) on a couple of their compilation albums.

[@petercarmody4897]

I've fell asleep, too, with this, too. Great music

[@jasonbrandt5504]

Great album. Not sure who came 1st but reminds me of Joy division + The Church + Echo and the Bunneymen

[@patrick3926]

All three of these bands pre-date chameleons

[@a.k.1740]

@@patrick3926 Yep! Joy Division (early 1978), Echo & the Bunnymen (fall 1978), The Church (1980), The chameleons (1981).

[@thesoundlikechameleons2082]

This track was definitely a future influence on The Stone Roses, the part where Mark Burgess sings 'But is this the stuff dreams are made of' C

[@vsander09]

Joy Division came first

[@hognaut]

Another great band from that time are Comsat Angels... Well worth a listen, anybody agree ?

[@chrissheldon9427]

Agree and even less well known...

[@a.k.1740]

I more than agree and would add The Opposition (definitely one of the lesser known post-punk bands of the lot). From The Comsat Angels I would suggest the tracks "After the Rain" + "What Else!?" which were both filmed in 82 for English TV (but in fact the whole Fiction album is worth it), and from The Opposition I would recommend the tracks "Breaking the Silence" and "Black & White" (from the Breaking the Silence album in 1981).

[@plushy9849]

Agree, and add The Sound.

[@a.k.1740]

@@plushy9849 I didn't mention The Sound this time because Justin has already listened to this band (which is not the case with The Comsat Angels and The Opposition) but I agree that The Sound is an essential band!

[@chrissheldon9427]

@plushy9849 funnily enough I was going to suggest them, but no one knows them! Jeopardy or Lions Mouth?

[@jamesadkisson7510]

Never listened to this before and enjoying it. You like it so much I’m thinking you might like the early Cure albums. Like Seventeen Seconds and Faith.

[@vsander09]

Agree, early Cure is great. But it’s not near this level of musicianship.

[@rusca1962]

Great choice grest great sound

[@davidcopson5800]

Great to see you listening to this. For me the best track on the album, but the whole album is extremely good (maybe the production could have been a bit better?). Keep going Justin, and, as others have prompted, listen to 'Strange Times' as well. (Not that 'What Does Anything Mean' needs to be missed out). Must go. Someone's banging on my door!

[@thoru4367]

Strange Times is even better imo

[@thesoundlikechameleons2082]

Production is amazing!

[@thesoundlikechameleons2082]

Do the rest of the lp! many more great songs 🎵 yet

[@cheripi1338]

Second Skin means best friend 🧡

[@taitrobin5854]

So did it become one of your favourite albums? How could it not do?

[@InsideBilderberg]

Always liked this band since I heard them first, the vocals of Mark Burgess don´t resonate with everyone, I really like his voice though and I think it fits the music perfectly.

[@davidcopson5800]

His voice works for this type of material.

[@ZalMoxis]

Hey JP have you done any early Blue Oyster Cult ??? If not tracks off the first three albums like Cities on Flame , Before the kiss, Dominance and Submission, Career of Evil, Astronomy, Flaming Telepaths, The Red and The Black, Hot Rails to Hell , O.D.'D on Lie Itself, to name a few....

[@JustJP]

I've done a couple songs a long time back, but nothing recently

[@Azabaxe80]

So, Chameleons, huh? This song would have more of a shoegaze feel to it if the vocals were dissolved more into the mix....But hey, it's good. I'm waiting for you to get to Strange Times.

[@HippoYnYrEira]

Glad I'm hearing this LP. So easy for me to dismiss this as a Copy of "Boy-era U2 with added sauce" as I did initially with an album by The Sound but I wont do it as it is simply only partially true. . The question is , does my post 50s perspective require me to Dig Into these bands' music having already Lived: "October, kingdoms rise & kingdoms fall but You Go On & On" and "Baby, Baby, Let's Go Out Tonight!". Rags to Riches - The Blue Nile awaits, Justin! Diolch

[@vsander09]

Boy is a great album but the first 3 Chameleons albums are all far better. Be real.

[@HippoYnYrEira]

@@vsander09 I'm always trying to be real my friend, but I need to hear em .!

[@HippoYnYrEira]

20/20 : a yt music discussion channel featured chameleons in some detail. Worth a watch for you I'm sure. Made me wanna listen again! Peace!

[@spartacusforlife1508]

I know you like the 80's music but how about 70's british blue eyed soul. Best exponents were average white band and kokomo

[@jaybird4093]

This album has been a nice surprise so far. My only issue is with the vocals. It’s not a deal breaker but one that keeps it from going into my rotation.

[@a.k.1740]

Musically this piece is not bad although a bit repetitive but I find the singer's voice anonymous, lifeless, without personality. That's really the thing that annoys me with this band ! Replace this bland voice with that of Adrian Borland from The Sound and that changes everything!

[@TravisBickle-k5v]

Completely disagree. His voice is perfect for this music. It blends in well.

[@thesoundlikechameleons2082]

Borland was a great vocalist

[@a.k.1740]

@@thesoundlikechameleons2082 Yes, Adrian Borland's voice was distinctive and he felt what he sang. He conveyed emotion while Mark Burgess' voice is totally devoid of it.

[@a.k.1740]

@@TravisBickle-k5v Personally the timbre of his voice and his phrasing leaves me unmoved.

[@jaybird4093]

Completely agree with your opinion about the voice. Repetitive, yes, but I can tolerate it because I kind of like music and timbre.

[@lucianoteixeira7993]

This a band that I never really listened to. Just a song or other on the radio at the time. And I'm liking what I'm hearing. Nothing particularly notable about it, but following this album has been an enjoyable experience. As others said, the singer's voice is a bit boring. A very standard 80's pop rock voice. But the songs are good. Thank you for the opportunity to follow this.

[@paulcollins5586]

its goth post punk voice. and its superb.

[@thesoundlikechameleons2082]

agree

[@lucianoteixeira7993]

@@paulcollins5586 Ok. It's just a matter of taste. And I understand the style behind the singer's delivery. But for me there are other goth post punk singers with much better voices.

[@a.k.1740]

@@paulcollins5586 His voice has the same effect on me as Ian Curtis or Bernard Sumner. it bores me. Take the voice of Stephen Fellows, Adrian Borland or Mark Long, it's much more convincing to my ears !!!

[@chasethehorizonx]

​@@a.k.1740Not everything has to be theatrical.