Although it was sad to see the landscape devoid of THE CHAMELEONS as the 1980s pushed to a close, the release of THE SUN AND THE MOON's sole album during 1988 was more than a cause for celebration and now that the dust has settled it still stands proudly as a highlight in Mark Burgess' formidable body of work.
It's tempting to view this eponymously-titled debut as almost the fourth CHAMELEONS album, as (superficially, at least) it's not a million miles sonically from the towering masterpiece that is "Strange Times", but stepping unenviously into the shoes filled by Dave Fielding and Reg Smithies, new guitar slingers Andy Clegg and Andy Whitaker acquit themselves remarkably well, with confidence and a similar, near-telepathic ability all their own that inspires a glut of terrific performances from Mark and John.
Indeed, housed in its' attractive Tarot card sleeve, "The Sun And The Moon" is a fine, undervalued album, regardless of THE CHAMELEONS legacy, and in this scribe's eyes, features several of Burgess' most exceptional lyrics in "The Price Of Grain", "A Picture Of England" and the magnificent "Dolphin". This latter, especially, is capable of moving the stoniest of hearts and features one of Mark's most impassioned vocals ever. I'm not ashamed to say the tears usually well up whenever I hear it even now.
Which isn't to say the rest of the album exactly lags behing, either. The single "The Speed Of Life" springs out at you like Mark and John had never been away, with the angular guitar riffs snapping at their heels, and "House On Fire" is THE SUN AND THE MOON's equivalent to THE CHAMELEONS's "In Answer"; the Top 20 that never was, replete with catchy harmonies and a great lust-fuelled vocal.
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Understandably, after recent tumultuous events, frustration and dissatisfaction riddle many of Mark's lyrics here. "Peace In Our Time" attacks the external: the canvassing fools who only need us at election time, while the beautiful, semi-acoustic "A Picture Of England" and the strident "Limbo-Land" turn things internally; the former resigned and the latter coming on like an updated "Singing Rule Britannia", with Mark singing: "Against boredom it's said even the Gods themselves struggle in vain." Amen to that.
Coming in the wake of THE CHAMELEONS' landmark "Strange Times" and the emotional events that followed, you'd excuse a lapse in quality, but "THE SUN AND THE MOON" carries itself with alacrity and sparks with positivism and pride well over a decade down the line. Your correspondent can vouch for the live power of this unit and it's only a pity they didn't convene for a second full-length opus, although the 1989 EP "Alive, Not Dead" (on Midnight Music) is a tantalising glimpse of what might have been.
So, while THE SUN AND THE MOON may have only been a brief excursion, don't mistake their album as merely an adjunct to THE CHAMELEONS, because it's a forceful artistic success regardless of politics or cirumstance, and thus investigation remains paramount even now.
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