REVIEWS:
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(reviewed by John Schlegel)
HIGH POINTS: Bang Bang, Model, Out Of Control. LOW POINTS: The Call, Hesitation (Rool Britannia), Take Me I'm Yours.
For starters, this album is actually self-titled, but seeing as how there was already an American band at the time named Squeeze, the true Squeeze we have come to know and love had to append the "U.K." portion to their name for the release of their first album. Anyway, John Cale produced, and, for some strange reason, he made the band throw out all of its material for the album except for the two singles "Take Me I'm Yours" and "Bang Bang." As a result, Glenn Tilbrook and the gang had to frantically throw together a whole new batch of songs for the record. And that's pretty much how U.K. Squeeze comes across, like a rushed, predictably uneven document. Now, I know that I'm the same dude who, just a little over a year before this writing, gruesomely overrated this on Adrian Denning's site, having claimed that most of the songs work simply because they are so much fun. But that's just the trick with this album - if you enjoy punk-inflected new wave, then U.K. Squeeze sounds pretty satisfying the first few times around (in fact, it doesn't even sound all that much like Squeeze). However, repeated plays can easily expose the awkwardness and inner frailties of several of these songs. There is still quite a bit of good stuff on here, though, and it's still a decent debut.
As for the songs themselves, they're vary (mostly) in being good or very good, but they certainly don't reflect what the guys are capable of when they have a little more time to, you know, try. But I think the band's conviction gets them by on a slight majority of the songs, many of which are not fully fleshed out, but still somewhat enjoyable. Melodically, "Sex Master" is almost stupid in its simplicity, but it still kicks off the album with a good, short burst of punkish fury. And I like it. "Wild Sewerage Tickles Brazil" is an odd instrumental, but those synthesizer and vocal noises are as intriguing as they are obnoxious, and the rhythm section gets one hell of a groove on here. Again, it meets my seal of approval. In fact, a few of the songs on here I happen to like very much. My favorite is "Bang Bang," an infectious punk-pop rave-up with appropriately juvenile back-up shouting to complement Tilbrook's perverted lines: "I would like to be like Peter, Peter, Pan, Pan, Pan, Pan/BANG!! BANG!! BANG!! BANG!!" "Model" is a solid pop confection with some catchy "Do, do, do, do, do, do, dooooo, do, do, do" vocals in the chorus; "Out Of Control" mixes trudging verses with a fast, raging chorus, and it's another definite standout.
So, the album is worth hearing, as there are a few hidden treasures here and there. However, the songwriting, as a whole, is still pretty spotty (as I described earlier). "The Call" is especially bad - if you can find a hook in that song, then you're just mentally deranged, and it takes forever. "Hesitation (Rool Britannia)" is a sloppy attempt at funk, and Chris Difford's flat singing is particularly awful here. "Take Me I'm Yours" was the U.K. hit single, but that's probably only because it was trendy new wave pandering - the song itself is generic, and it doesn't sound anything like the rest of the album. Most of the other songs I didn't mention are decent, but not worth writing home about. It is interesting to note that the band already start to show some interest in "boogie" music on here, especially in "First Thing Wrong"; the boogie song, of course, would become keyboardist Jools Holland's forte on the next two albums. Thus, U.K. Squeeze clearly shows potential, although it's pretty easy to tell that it was written in a haste, and it's not nearly up to par with the next three albums.
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(reviewed by John Schlegel)
HIGH POINTS: Up The Junction, Cool For Cats, Hard To Find, Slap & Tickle. LOW POINTS: None.
On Cool For Cats, Squeeze's sound truly begins to take shape, resulting in a mostly consistent set of light, poppy new wave tunes. Predictably, the first Squeeze record to sound like Squeeze is pretty convincing. If there's any major problem to cite, it's that the album is perhaps a little too immersed in cheesy new wave production values. Therefore, it might be difficult for some to get into. To my ears, however, the prominient synthesizers actually enhance some of these songs, especially the infectious disco opener "Slap & Tickle" - this is one really dancable number, as I believe it was intended to be. "The Knack," a darker dance tune, might have turned out unforgivably dreary, but once again, that heavy synth arrangement lends it just enough element of "fun" to be palatable. If I have any trouble with this record, personally, it's only that this is all perhaps a little too lightweight, and that a couple of the songs, like the rocking "Slightly Drunk," or the synthy ballad "Goodbye Girl," are somewhat generic at their cores. But even here, the former is saved by a catchy back-and-fourth vocal delivery during the chorus, and the latter gets by on its pretty melody. So, no serious complaints about the album.
Anyway, song for song, Cool For Cats is definitely one of the most consistent offerings in the Squeeze canon. "Up The Junction" is heralded as a Squeeze classic, and for good reason. While the vocal melody is lovely to begin with, it's really the clever wordplay that gives this song its spice, as Tilbrook sings a heartbreaking tale about having a child with the girl of his dreams, and then suddenly getting left in the cold. As "synth-ballads" go, this is certainly superior to "Goodbye Girl." The other "major" moment on here is the title track, a bouncy new wave song with Difford relaying some humorous rhymes, and no chorus. It may sound a little dated, but it's still a great one. Elsewhere, "Hard To Find" is perhaps the album's most overlooked song, with fun, robotic verses that segue into a soaring, melodic refrain. "Revue" and "It's So Dirty" provide more punk-influenced energy that recalls the better moments of the debut; "Touching Me Touching You" and Holland's "Hop Skip & Jump" are wonderfully retro-ish (recalling the '60s and '50s, respectively). "It's Not Cricket" is a fun ditty with a melody that follows the "ding-dong" of a ringing bell, and there's plenty more of Difford's thick, Cockney slang to go around. Overall, this is very solid and fun, and every Squeeze fan should track it down. The band had a little more maturing to do on the next few albums, but you'll love this anyway.
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(reviewed by John Schlegel)
HIGH POINTS: Vicky Verky, Pulling Mussels (From The Shell), Another Nail For My Heart. LOW POINTS: None.
M'kay - the sophomore album was a substantial leap ahead of the debut, but Argybargy only makes for another serious improvement over its predecessor. In addition, whereas Cool For Cats had the band beginning to discover its sound, this is the album that finds that sound more fully, and brings it to near perfection. On their third album, Squeeze really hit their stride, sanding off any remaining rough edges, and etching out the perfect blend of contemporary production values and their delightful musical style, which owes heavily to Tin Pan Alley and Paul McCartney's melodicism. The arrangements are also more mature and varied than before, and Squeeze would never sound this consistent on record again. The quintessential song on here is the popular classic "Pulling Mussels (From The Shell)." It's basically just a richly layered piano pop song, but the overall build-up of the tune feels rhapsodic, and the lyrical observations of different class types by the ocean are engaging, too. As great of an opener as this is, the pace really doesn't let up throughout the entire album, which is thoroughly brimming with bright, complex and catchy pop music.
The best song on here, IMHO, is "Vicky Verky," a melodic, but break-neck tempo, story song with tastefully used orchestration near the end. By the way, just how can the same song be "melodic," "break-neck tempo" and orchestrated all at the same time? It must be heard to be believed. The other major standout is the single "Another Nail For My Heart," a mid-tempo pop confection with a wonderfully buzzing keyboard line during the verses. Most of the rest is nearly as good. "Separate Beds" is a fine ballad that reflects upon parents' impressions of relationships: "Her father didn't like me/He thought I was on drugs/My mother didn't like her/She never peeled the spuds." "I Think I'm Go Go" is also great, a darker, gothy epic driven by that menacing piano line. "Farfisa Beat" is a fast pop rave with some impressive guitar picking, and the addictive sing-along "Wrong Side Of The Moon" would have to be the absolute pinnacle of Jools Holland's nasally-sung boogies. Even the "lighter" stuff on here, like the robotic, percussive "Here Comes That Feeling," or the poppy closer "There At The Top," is perfectly harmless, even enjoyable.
In the end, I know that this is still Squeeze we're talking about, and that the album isn't "innovative" in any serious way. Nevertheless, in terms of sheer quality, it's a landmark recording of the new wave era, and a fun addition to any serious rock collection. My only pet peeve is that Squeeze's classic albums are out of print, and extremely hard to find on CD (but that's not the band's fault, of course). Listen to a scratchy old vinyl copy if you have the means, this is one hell of a record.
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(reviewed by John Schlegel)
HIGH POINTS: Tempted, In Quintessence, Labelled With Love, Someone Else's Bell, Piccadilly. LOW POINTS: There's No Tomorrow.
Wow, Squeeze get all ambitious on us! While they are generally a straight-forward pop band, these guys do have an experimental side to them, and they manifest it quite well on their fourth album, East Side Story. I still think Argybargy is a better representation of what the band sounds like, but this one does show all of their sides a little better. So it can be difficult to figure out just what is the quintessential Squeeze album. And it can be equally as troubling to decide upon which is the best. Obviously, I have given the "best" nod to the third record, but that's mainly due to sheer song quality. This does not mean that ESS should be underestimated - in many ways, it is the band's most artistically accomplished statement, and most of the envelope-pushing on here is quite successful. ESS explores more musical styles than ever before, with even more elaborate arrangements. The result is, perhaps, the band's most evenly-flowing, Sgt. Pepper-like album. The lyrical themes are getting deeper as well, exploring the darker sides of relationships. Therefore, this is arguably the band's finest work. I disagree, but only because several of the songs on here, while good, are not quite as fleshed out and addictive as the ones on the previous record.
The album is made up of fourteen songs, all shorter in length. In addition, there were four producers (one of them Elvis Costello), all of whom handled certain songs individually. Predictably, the song selection is pretty versatile; luckily, the sequencing is sensible enough. All of the songs, except for one, are good, with a handful being great. With keyboardist Jools Holland's departure from the fold, ESS features the intervention of blue-eyed soul journeyman Paul Carrack, who helps pen one of the greatest songs of the band's entire career. This of course would be "Tempted," the exquisite, retro-soul tune on which Carrack sings lead. "In Quintessence," with its buzzing organs and pounding beat, is a great opener. The sexually naughty story song "Piccadilly" is just delightfully bouncy and hook-filled. Once we move to side two, there appears to be a rather impressive, two-song suite, as the exhilarating, highly-orchestrated "F-Hole" suddenly dies down into the peaceful, bittersweet "Labelled With Love." The latter is an old school, Country Western-style piano tune, but not annoying for a second, because it's sung beautifully by Tilbrook, and not yodeled by some American. What is more impressive is how this song, after a short pause, is suddenly followed by the warmly chiming ballad "Someone Else's Bell."
Most of the other songs are not too shabby, either. On side one, the tracks I have not mentioned yet are a little slight, but predominantly still good: "Someone Else's Heart" offers a nice downbeat space between "Quintessence" and "Tempted"; on "Heaven," poor Chris Difford has more trouble singing on key, but the track is joyfully funky, and has cool, angular melodies. Unfortunately, the one "low point" is here - "There's No Tomorrow," a dark, sleepy piano thing that goes nowhere. Side two is a slightly stronger collection overall. "Is That Love" pounds away confidently, and "Mumbo Jumbo" is a pretty catchy rocker as well. "Vanity Fair," another female character portrait in the vein of "Labelled," is some sort of cello ballad, I think, and it's pretty; "Messed Around" finishes things off with some foot-tappin' rockabilly that trumps the greater part of the Stray Cats' catalogue. As an album, ESS is very accomplished, and the songs manage to remain good. In fact, it may be the band's best ever. Well, song-for-song, I've generally sided with Argybargy, myself. But to be honest, on certain days, this one has sounded like the best to me. Don't take that to heart - I said on certain days.
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(reviewed by John Schlegel)
HIGH POINTS: Black Coffee In Bed, Stranger Than The Stranger On The Shore, His House Her Home, I Can't Hold On. LOW POINTS: When The Hangover Strikes, Onto The Dance Floor.
Squeeze attempts even more experimentation than on East Side Story, except for this time, the results are very mixed between "inspired" and "mundane." I think that the biggest problem with Sweets From A Stranger is that several of the songs just come off as incomplete. There are still some really good songs, and a lot of great ideas. It's just that the band is now a little too concerned with trying to sound eclectic and versatile, and the guys somewhat abandon their roots as a solid, pop-song-writing unit. Thus, it should be no surprise that Squeeze was on the verge of break-up at this point in time (and they did break up after this, but reunited in 1985). Now, having said that, I still like the album, personally, because I can still hear a lot of potential in this noticeably unfocused set. But don't expect this to be anything other than a fall-off from the last three records.
Side one suffers the most, mainly because the biggest failures rest here. But the LP sure starts out promisingly enough. "Out Of Touch," a shifting, synth-driven number, is a fair opener, and the hammering, tuneful pop rock of "I Can't Hold On" stands out as one of the album's finest moments. "Points Of View" provides a decent, mellower tune, only to be followed by "Stranger Than The Stranger On The Shore," which is just excellent. It is simply one of those songs that has everything - the marching-style chorus is catchy, and the verses are driven by that cool fog horn sound, dissonant guitar plucking and a fabulous drum groove laid down by Gilson Lavis. Unfortunately, after this, things get a bit messy. "Onto The Dance Floor" is really awkward, and "When The Hangover Strikes" is a pointless and boring lounge lizard song. As "low points" go, these songs are not actually that much lower than the rest of the album, but once you finish listening to "Stranger," it's best just to turn the record over then.
Once we arrive at side two, the album improves to some degree. Of course, there's "Black Coffee In Bed," which, while another well-constructed retro song, is honestly just this album's version of "Tempted" - they even bring back Mr. Costello for more back-up singing! Predictable? Yeah, sure. But the song is sooooo giddy and fun! The piano pop tune "I've Returned" is soaring and melodic, and that key change in the middle is cool, too. "His House Her Home" is quite impressive as ballads go, not only for its harmonious melodies, but for those grabbing lyrics about adultery - especially vivid are the lines about the child, "watching cartoons," and noticing a strange man in his mother's home. The other three songs on side two aren't bad either, although kind of gimmicky and filler-ish. But that's just something to watch for on this album, that it's a bit heavy on the oddball gimmicks, and therefore some of the songs sound like incomplete filler. It's still pretty good, though, and worth hearing if you like Squeeze. SFAS also features one-time keyboardist Don Snow, if you want to get technical.
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(reviewed by John Schlegel)
HIGH POINTS: Well, most of them. LOW POINTS: Take Me I'm Yours, If I Didn't Love You.
If you're any kind of post punk enthusiast as I am, then you know that Singles, 45's And Under is one of the best-conceived compilation albums ever released. This is true not only because it contains so many great songs, but because it does such a wonderful job of representing the classic, early Squeeze period, from before the band's first break-up. While some argue (like me) that Squeeze made great albums, there really is no legitimate argument that they weren't a dynamite singles band in their heyday. This is just an objective fact. And their most popular songs are presented here for your enjoyment.
Selections from Cool For Cats include the impressive "Up The Junction," "Slap & Tickle" and the title track; from Argybargy, you also get a majority of the album's biggest highlights, including "Pulling Mussels (From The Shell)" and "Another Nail For My Heart." The "experimental" albums, East Side Story and Sweets From A Stranger, are not as well-represented, but you still get most of the hits: "Tempted," "Is That Love" and "Black Coffee In Bed." And, if that weren't good enough, you even get an exclusive single, "Annie Get Your Gun," which is very good.
I only have two minor complaints. First, I know that "Take Me I'm Yours" was an important hit for the band when they first came out, but it's still not nearly up to par with "Bang Bang," the other single from the debut (although I admit that the latter song would sound really out of place on here, because of its punk influence, and very non-Squeeze sound). Second, I find "If I Didn't Love You" to be perhaps the least memorable song on Argybargy; in its place, they should have put ESS's "Labelled With Love," as they did on the 1994 compilation Greatest Hits. Still, Singles offers an ideal portrait of what the band sounds like, and includes many of the better moments from their first five records, so there is really very little fault to be found here. On top of that, unlike most of their studio albums, this CD is still in print, so it's very easy to come by. Therefore, it's only practical that, if you only buy one Squeeze album, buy this one. It even runs in chronological order, which is also a boon if you're anal retentive like me, and you normally prefer that sort of thing. Put it in your CD player and smile!
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(reviewed by John Schlegel)
HIGH POINTS: Trust Me To Open My Mouth. LOW POINTS: 853-5937, Some Americans.
Truly, this record presents a noteworthy problem with so much pop music. So often, a good, but simplistic, band will define its sound and record some really good early albums within that sound. But then, the band will fail to really "branch out," therefore succumbing to stagnation and mediocrity. Being filled with talented musicians, Squeeze was able to branch out with varying success on East Side Story and Sweets From A Stranger. Only problem was, they quickly ran out of steam and broke up, only to reunite three years later and record an experimental failure, Cosi Fan Tutti Frutti. Hence, Babylon And On is the inevitable "return to form"; it's also the start of the band's "milking the same formula ad nauseam." From this point on, Squeeze begins a long career of making more-or-less average albums that mostly center around the old, straight-ahead pop rock vein. Since their newer songs are mediocre when compared to the older ones, monotony overcomes the band. Let's face it, with "simple" pop music, not many bands can get away with doing the same thing over and over and still be entertaining. The Ramones could do it - they were profoundly infectious - but I can't think of any other examples (I'm not an AC/DC fan). Another good pop band, the Smithereens, withered into a similar fate some years later.
So, then, as you could gather from the paragraph above, BAO is a record filled with glossy, faceless pop and rock songs. So much production, so little melody. Side one starts out with two minor highlights. The radio hit "Hourglass" is on here (you've probably heard it), and it's followed by the pleasant "Footprints," which includes a reference to watching The Flintstones. Cute. Both songs are catchy in their own bland, '80s-Top-Forty sort of way. The second-to-last song on the side is the annoying as hell "853-5937," which was somehow also a radio hit at the time. 'Nuff said. Side two fares slightly better, but it's still not strong enough to redeem the album. It also begins with two highlights, in particular the organ-spiked roots rocker "Trust Me To Open My Mouth," which has some nice forward momentum going in the rhythm section. I confess, I do like this song - it's like a good Huey Lewis tune that hasn't been played to death. Then there's the perky, Difford-sung "Striking Matches," which is okay. Hey, is that Cindy Lauper singing back-up? Yeah, probably, but who cares? I will also mention "Who Are You?" because the bass playing is cool during the verses (but it's still not that good). Oh, and, I'll bring up the closer "Some Americans," because it sucks. You know something? Andy Metcalfe, of Robyn Hitchcock's Egyptians, plays keyboards on this album. How embarrassing. Maybe he needed money? To close on a relatively positive note, I've raised the rating of BAO to a 4.5 from the mere 4 that I was originally going to give it, simply because, if you listen to it enough times, it does grow on you a little. On the other hand, though, there really is no reason to listen to it that much in the first place.
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