At the peak of their powers, the Chameleons combined the strong songwriting and driving guitars of their debut with atmospherics and production techniques gained from What Does Everything Mean? Basically to create their best album. Roaring out of the gate with "Mad Jack,"
Strange Times slows down for a tender acoustic ballad ("Tears") but then builds energy on "Soul in Isolation" -- highlighted by the cascading drum workout of
John Lever -- and "Swamp Thing." The rest of the album alternates mood and energy as well, with atmospheric synth lines that later come crashing down in a hail of guitars. Out of print for several years,
Strange Times was reissued in 1995 with five additional tracks (originally available in limited copies with the LP), including an airy cover of
the Beatles' "Tomorrow Never Knows" and a more straight-ahead reworking of
David Bowie's "John, I'm Only Dancing." [
Strange Times is also available in a release with added bonus tracks.] ~ John Bush