The Chameleons UK - Return of the Roughnecks: The Best of Chameleons UK

Title: Return of the Roughnecks: The Best of Chameleons UK Artist: The Chameleons UK Release Date: 6/30/1998 Re-Released On: 10/18/1999 Label: Dead Dead Good Records Album Type(s): Greatest Hits UPCs: 5018766962567, 5018766962574, 766482682829 Genre: Rock Styles: Alternative Pop/Rock, Post-Punk, Dream Pop, Alternative/Indie Rock Moods: Brooding, Cathartic, Melancholy, Bittersweet, Eerie, Literate, Passionate, Searching, Angst-Ridden, Detached, Hypnotic, Intense, Tense/Anxious, Theatrical, Urgent, Wintry, Acerbic, Calm/Peaceful, Confident, Elegant, Ethereal, Rollicking, Trippy, Wistful, Amiable/Good-Natured, Bitter, Dramatic, Earnest, Insular, Ominous, Reflective, Rousing Total Copies: 0 Members Wishing: 3 Number of Discs/SwapaCD Credits: 2

1. Silence, Sea and Sky
2. Swamp Thing
3. In Shreds
4. Home Is Where the Heart Is
5. A Person Isn't Safe Anywhere These Days
6. Mad Jack
7. Don't Fall
8. Caution
9. Second Skin
10. Perfume Garden
11. Tears
12. Monkeyland
13. Nostalgia
14. View from a Hill

1. Is It Any Wonder
2. Free for All
3. The Healer
4. Denims and Curls

Year Type Label Catalog # 1999 CD Dead Dead Good Records 12 1998 CD Dead Dead Good Records 18060

No other editions were found for this album.

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, All Music Guide

No credits were found for this album.