Script of the Bridge by the Chameleons: '80s Made Music that Speaks to Today

Script of the Bridge was an album released by The Chameleons (The Chameleons UK as they were known in America) in 1983. It is truly one of the overlooked masterpieces of the early 80s and when listening to the sheer power of the album today one can’t help but wonder why it was U2 and not The Chameleons that were the guitar king bands from Britain to appear during that time that took off to international stardom. 

Anyone listening to Script of the Bridge cannot help but notice that it is far superior to anything U2 or Big Country or The Alarm were putting out at the time, and as far as U2 goes, they’ve been going downhill since their live album recorded at Red Rocks.

The Chameleons came out of that hotbed or British alternative music, the Manchester area; to name just a few of the other bands to spring from there would be name a veritable who’s who of 80’s music greats such as New Order, The Smiths, A Certain Ratio, and The Durutti Column. (And you thought Athens, Georgia was the locus classicus for great alternative music in the late 70s/early 80s.)

Script of the Bridge is The Chameleons debut album and it’s tough to find a more impressive one from a band that remains virtually unknown. I bought it on vinyl the year it came out and it has one of the best liner notes in the entire history of that long-lost musical tradition. At the bottom of the back of the album are these words: To obtain the best effect from this LP please turn it up.

Too true.

The album is a plethora of guitar anthems, opening on side one with Up the Down Escalator (There Must Be Something Wrong, Boys). Although written over twenty years ago, the song could be about today:

Obnoxious action, obnoxious results
From teachers who refuse to be taught
Distorted pictures and dizzy dizzy people
Rush by me at the speed of thought.

They sit at their tables and throw us the scraps
For Christ’s sake can’t they leave us something
Now they can erase you with the flick of a switch
Now much longer must be wait
Now!