Squeeze: Classic Or Dud

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Pub-pop classic or drab dud? Over to you...

― Tom, Saturday, 27 January 2001 01:00 (12 years ago) Permalink

I hardly know any of their music. I do like "Up The Junction", though.

― Robin Carmody, Monday, 29 January 2001 01:00 (12 years ago) Permalink

People don't even seem interested enough to chime in on this one, so it's looks like a sub-dud. I liked almost all the songs on the singles comp a lot, but I haven't listened to it in probably five years.

― Mark Richardson, Wednesday, 31 January 2001 01:00 (12 years ago) Permalink

Yeah, it seems Squeeze are a forgotten band. Which is interesting in itself. Anyway I think the singles compilation is muscular and fine.

― Tom, Thursday, 1 February 2001 01:00 (12 years ago) Permalink

This is one of those times when I'm not sure how good something is (in this case, the band) but do know that the singles comp is one of those albums you put on and get taken away to a special place. So: Classic for nostolgia.

― JM, Thursday, 1 February 2001 01:00 (12 years ago) Permalink

2 weeks pass...

Classic!

― the pinefox, Tuesday, 20 February 2001 01:00 (12 years ago) Permalink

2 years pass...

singles 45s and under was one of those perennial favorites of late-eighties american college kids (along with bob marley's legend or bat out of hell). so i wonder if one of the reasons why there is a dearth of posts is because those of us in my age group just got exhausted with them.

anyway, they were classic in their first incarnation -- after east side story, the quality drops off even faster than post-dance gary numan. what made squeeze pretty interesting is how they were at their best when they had one foot in the pub and the other in the studio, as opposed to being strictly one or the other. which may be why i like the first two (but esp. cool for cats) best -- they sound exactly like a bar-band that's been let loose in a fancy studio, only it works ("slap and tickle," "take me i'm yours," "goodbye girl.")

― Little Big Macher (llamasfur), Tuesday, 21 October 2003 06:11 (9 years ago) Permalink

Unleashed J Holland on the world, whatever yr take on implications of that

― dave q, Tuesday, 21 October 2003 06:16 (9 years ago) Permalink

j holland got away with saying the f word on national TV one decade before slash and two decades before bono!

― Little Big Macher (llamasfur), Tuesday, 21 October 2003 06:20 (9 years ago) Permalink

after east side story, the quality drops off even faster than post-dance gary numan

Only briefly. Their mid 80s output hardly consisted of masterpieces, but their, mostly overlooked, 90s output was mostly just as brilliant as the "Cool For Cats"/"Argybargy"/"East Side Story" trilogy

Of course, "hipsters" would accuse them of sounding dated, which is bullshit because they were kind of retro oriented already during the late 70s.

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Tuesday, 21 October 2003 13:33 (9 years ago) Permalink

Oh please, people, Squeeze are undeniably classic.

― Mike Ouderkirk (Mike Ouderkirk), Tuesday, 21 October 2003 17:08 (9 years ago) Permalink

Squeeze, during their Cool For Cats/Argybargy/East Side Story peak, are among the best pop/rock bands of all time. CLASSIC!

― Matthew Perpetua (Matthew Perpetua), Tuesday, 21 October 2003 18:43 (9 years ago) Permalink

A band that is quite good is The Squeeze.

― 10 Roddington Place, Tuesday, 21 October 2003 19:45 (9 years ago) Permalink

"Of course, "hipsters" would accuse them of sounding dated"
i find that hard to believe. i was listening to the singles 45s and under LP just last week and my friends and i were surprised at how well the sound had held up. i suppose you can't put an expiration date on a kickass hook though (unless you're eiffel 65).

― Felcher (Felcher), Tuesday, 21 October 2003 19:49 (9 years ago) Permalink

Almost ever worse than background music... and then yes, you gotcher "Cool for Cats" type cuts that just make your ass shake in that arched-eyebrow drunken low-class WASP kinda way... CLASSIC

― Ann Sterzinger (Ann Sterzinger), Tuesday, 21 October 2003 21:02 (9 years ago) Permalink

I'd take fucking "If It's Love" over half the shit ILM talks about.

― Chris Ott (Chris Ott), Wednesday, 22 October 2003 01:52 (9 years ago) Permalink

10 months pass...

Quite good.

― the squeezefox, Sunday, 22 August 2004 23:32 (8 years ago) Permalink

total genius classic I was listening to Singles 45 and under yesterday it is amazing and one of my favorite albums (so is Bat Out Of Hell, coincidentally)

― Daniel DiMAGGIO (Daniel DiMAGGIO), Sunday, 22 August 2004 23:56 (8 years ago) Permalink

One of those bands that I never got around to purchasing. I always enjoyed what I did hear and the Difford-Tillbrook "Tempted By The Fruit Of Aother" is absolutely grebt.

Question:

Are U.K. Squeeze and Squeeze the same?

― jim wentworth (wench), Monday, 23 August 2004 00:17 (8 years ago) Permalink

Yep.

― Rickey Wright (Rrrickey), Monday, 23 August 2004 05:33 (8 years ago) Permalink

Elvis Costello thanked them in his Rock n Roll Hall of Fame speech, talking about the greatest British songwriters- Lennon/McCartney, (I forget who 2nd), and Difford Tillbrook.
They wrote great songs that don't sound dated (but some have been killed by radio play, particularly tempted, black coffee, and pulling mussels).
And, Ott is OTM- my fave song by them was always "If It's Love"!
Classic.

― mclaugh (mclaugh), Monday, 23 August 2004 12:04 (8 years ago) Permalink

It's really nice of Elvis that he said that.

― the bellefox, Thursday, 26 August 2004 09:43 (8 years ago) Permalink

god that's weird.
i woke up in the *middle of the night* last night wondering suddenly
'hey how come i don't have any squeeze at all?'
i settled on thinking i'd get 'SINGLES 45...' and have done with it.

are the first couple of albums worth getting?
which one *specifically*?

― piscesboy, Thursday, 26 August 2004 10:22 (8 years ago) Permalink

1 year passes...

did they ever do anything else like "take me, i'm yours"

― Amateur(ist) (Amateur(ist)), Sunday, 28 May 2006 22:29 (6 years ago) Permalink

"Cool for Cats" has that kind of farty synth sound.

― Rickey Wright (Rrrickey), Sunday, 28 May 2006 22:55 (6 years ago) Permalink

take me im yours is always in my head

― chaki (chaki), Sunday, 28 May 2006 23:43 (6 years ago) Permalink

I've never met anyone who owned an album by them other than "Singles 45" (or maybe the later CD-era comp). Why is that?

― pleased to mitya (mitya), Monday, 29 May 2006 00:53 (6 years ago) Permalink

"Slap and Tickle" is the same kind of synth pop sound.

And the band is CLASSIC of course.

― zeus (zeus), Monday, 29 May 2006 12:32 (6 years ago) Permalink

"I've never met anyone who owned an album by them other than "Singles 45" (or maybe the later CD-era comp). Why is that?"

Because we've never met. I have each Squeeze albums until 'Babylon And On', plus 'Ridiculous'. It's a fact, though, that after 'East Side Story' their songwriting quality gets worse.

― zeus (zeus), Monday, 29 May 2006 12:34 (6 years ago) Permalink

classic, and it's criminal how much of their catalog is out-of-print in the states

― bernard snow (sixteen sergeants), Monday, 29 May 2006 12:42 (6 years ago) Permalink

How's the Difford-Tillbrook solo album?

― Alfred, Lord Sotosyn (Alfred Soto), Monday, 29 May 2006 12:49 (6 years ago) Permalink

Very classic. And their 90s work is terribly underrated.

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Monday, 29 May 2006 12:49 (6 years ago) Permalink

i have ARGY BARGY which i guess id worth some money. its a good album!

― chaki (chaki), Monday, 29 May 2006 19:54 (6 years ago) Permalink

Hourglass. Classic.

― neustile (neustile), Monday, 29 May 2006 20:21 (6 years ago) Permalink

i've got argybargy and east side story.

― Eisbär (llamasfur), Monday, 29 May 2006 20:42 (6 years ago) Permalink

The solo album is excellent though very much a product of it's time. Stylistically not too dissimilar to 'Babylon and on' but much, much better songs. Don't think it's available on cd though.

― Billy Dods (Billy Dods), Monday, 29 May 2006 20:51 (6 years ago) Permalink

10 months pass...

don't they do that song about milk?

― s1ocki, Monday, 16 April 2007 13:14 (6 years ago) Permalink

9 months pass...

I hardly know any of their music. I do like "Up The Junction", though.
-- Robin Carmody, Monday, 29 January 2001 01:00 (6 years ago) Bookmark Link

^^^this dude was drinking some Incorrect Juice when he made this post.

"Pulling Mussels From A Shell" is a banger, though.

― Dom Passantino, Wednesday, 16 January 2008 15:36 (5 years ago) Permalink

Classic, of course.

― Alex in NYC, Wednesday, 16 January 2008 17:38 (5 years ago) Permalink

1 year passes...

just heard up the junction
ca-lassic

― Meteor Crater (jdchurchill), Thursday, 10 December 2009 23:44 (3 years ago) Permalink

up the junction does really interesting things with the idea of time-lapse in narrative within the context of the 3-minute pop-song, no joke

― 102. LJ: British. 5. (acoleuthic), Thursday, 10 December 2009 23:44 (3 years ago) Permalink

also yeah it is k-classic although goodbye girl might be even better

― 102. LJ: British. 5. (acoleuthic), Thursday, 10 December 2009 23:45 (3 years ago) Permalink

i started screaming tempted in staples a while back. many heads turned

― FACK, Thursday, 10 December 2009 23:51 (3 years ago) Permalink

Hmmm, just listening to their BBC Sessions...surprised to find myself really liking the opening handful of tracks, which keep reminding me (in a general way) of a mishmash of Vapors, Vibrators, and maybe early Adam Ant. Less aggressive, for sure, but definitely in that vein.

― dlp9001, Friday, 11 December 2009 03:31 (3 years ago) Permalink

I absolutely love Squeeze. Up the Junction is amazing - yes. Also love Annie Get Yr Gun, Goodbye Girl, Another Nail in my Heart all of the big singles really.

― ★彡☆ ★彡 (ENBB), Friday, 11 December 2009 03:34 (3 years ago) Permalink

true story: my dad and my uncle gigged with squeeze and lent them their stuff

― 102. LJ: British. 5. (acoleuthic), Friday, 11 December 2009 03:36 (3 years ago) Permalink

Slap & Tickle is my jam, Cool For Cats is my album. Love it but never warmed to the others beyond the singles.

― sleeve, Friday, 11 December 2009 03:45 (3 years ago) Permalink

2 weeks pass...

Some people turn their nose up at them simply due to the Jools Holland connection, which is a shame. Far less consistent than the likes of XTC, yet their finest material - most of which is non-singles, believe it or not - more than compensates for the intermittent failed pop experiments and stylistic wrong-turns.

― PaulTMA, Monday, 28 December 2009 15:31 (3 years ago) Permalink

Heard Up the Junction in the car today and god damn that is one of the best songs ever, no question. <3 <3 <3

― ★彡☆ ★彡 (ENBB), Thursday, 31 December 2009 02:59 (3 years ago) Permalink

Classic for the "Hourglass" video alone

― Mr. Snrub, Thursday, 31 December 2009 03:22 (3 years ago) Permalink

Skipping 33 messages at this point... Click here if you want to load them all.

oh yeah, I bumped this because I was wondering if it's worth going past "Argybargy"

― frogbs, Thursday, 23 June 2011 13:48 (1 year ago) Permalink

oh yeah, I bumped this because I was wondering if it's worth going past "Argybargy"

Well certainly "East Side Story." And I think "Play" is the equal of "Cool/Argy/East," although it took some time to reveal itself--it's definitely not as poppy as any of those.

Listen to my picks of better later Squeeze here:

The ILM Fan-made BEST OF/ANTHOLOGY Compilation project -- POST Tracklists, Cover Art, Liner notes, editorials, spotify links and/or otherwise LEGALLY obtained streaming album lists HERE!

― Hideous Lump, Friday, 24 June 2011 04:08 (1 year ago) Permalink

There's something inexplicably great about the lines "I'd beg for some forgiveness / but beggings not my business" in Up The Junction.

― textbook blows on the head (dowd), Friday, 24 June 2011 07:13 (1 year ago) Permalink

my favorite song by them right now is "Goodbye Girl", such a wonky time

― frogbs, Friday, 24 June 2011 13:40 (1 year ago) Permalink

It's great!

― the pinefox, Monday, 27 June 2011 07:34 (1 year ago) Permalink

Melody Motel is so weird.

― Kim, Wednesday, 29 June 2011 20:36 (1 year ago) Permalink

7 months pass...

Tempted is among the worst songs ever written. Utter crap, and every copy on earth should be destroyed, similar to what happened with smallpox virus.

― Poliopolice, Sunday, 19 February 2012 16:56 (1 year ago) Permalink

― wolf kabob (ENBB), Sunday, 19 February 2012 18:14 (1 year ago) Permalink

How's the Difford-Tillbrook solo album?

― Alfred, Lord Sotosyn (Alfred Soto), Monday, May 29, 2006

I heard an excerpt a few months ago -- sounds like the boys decided to record a Hall & Oates album and failed.

― Exile in lolville (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Sunday, 19 February 2012 18:38 (1 year ago) Permalink

3 months pass...

The live at the Hammersmith Odeon, March 9, 1980 set on the deluxe edition of Argy Bargy is just super hot.

― timellison, Monday, 21 May 2012 05:04 (11 months ago) Permalink

i really like squeeze, but i cant abide jools holland's superfluous boogie woogie breakdowns. 'cool for cats' is a prime example. needless.

― dextor ellis bextor, Monday, 21 May 2012 05:11 (11 months ago) Permalink

Where? There's an instrumental break in that song and then a melodic solo at the end. Neither of them strike me as "boogie woogie."

― timellison, Monday, 21 May 2012 05:22 (11 months ago) Permalink

the instrumental break. it just seems crowbarred in.

― dextor ellis bextor, Monday, 21 May 2012 05:33 (11 months ago) Permalink

I think that's how people educated by message boards describe piano playing on a Squeeze album

― Morrissey & Clunes: The Severed Alliance (PaulTMA), Monday, 21 May 2012 19:03 (11 months ago) Permalink

Just listened to that live set (I always had it, just never really bothered with it for some reason), you're right, this is really fun

I mean these guys have nothing on XTC or whoever they're usually compared to, but they are one of the most likeable bands ever, so there's that

― frogbs, Friday, 25 May 2012 15:15 (11 months ago) Permalink

I listen to Another Nail in my Heart on repeat sometimes.

― Trip Maker, Friday, 25 May 2012 15:29 (11 months ago) Permalink

Squeeze are a fucking class act, man. so much excellence.

― some dude, Friday, 25 May 2012 15:41 (11 months ago) Permalink

I LOVE SQUEEZE.

I listen to Another Nail in my Heart on repeat sometimes.

― Trip Maker, Friday, May 25, 2012 11:29 AM (12 minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

I do that too, sometimes.

Oh and guess what? I'm going to see them in July! :D

― wolf kabob (ENBB), Friday, 25 May 2012 15:42 (11 months ago) Permalink

I was just going to say something about Up the Junction being one of the best songs ever but thought to C&P myself first and, well:

Heard Up the Junction in the car today and god damn that is one of the best songs ever, no question. <3 <3 <3

― ★彡☆ ★彡 (ENBB), Wednesday, December 30, 2009 9:59 PM (2 years ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

― wolf kabob (ENBB), Friday, 25 May 2012 15:44 (11 months ago) Permalink

they're pretty killer live. i mean they did that album a couple years back where they did virtually identical re-recordings of old songs, they can play everything perfectly and Tilbrook's voice hasn't really aged any.

― some dude, Friday, 25 May 2012 15:45 (11 months ago) Permalink

Awesome. I'm really excited. They're opening for the B-52s who will be fun to see and all but I bought the (fairly expensive) tickets pretty much for Squeeze alone.

― wolf kabob (ENBB), Friday, 25 May 2012 15:46 (11 months ago) Permalink

Up The Junction is my all-time favorite Squeeze song, no joke.

― Brony! Broni! Broné! (Phil D.), Friday, 25 May 2012 15:49 (11 months ago) Permalink

i'm like the only person who likes Squeeze that doesn't really get the song. I appreciate the craft of it but I prefer the big shameless chorus stuff.

― some dude, Friday, 25 May 2012 15:52 (11 months ago) Permalink

Saw them play several times in the Argybargy/E Side Story period.

Alfred, I have an autographed Difford-Tillbrook solo album if you want to make me an offer!

― World Congress of Itch (Dr Morbius), Friday, 25 May 2012 16:05 (11 months ago) Permalink

I haven't listened to anything past Argybargy but right now I don't think they've topped "Goodbye Girl", such a cool, wonky tune

― frogbs, Friday, 25 May 2012 16:05 (11 months ago) Permalink

"Vicky Verky" is the classic for me

― some dude, Friday, 25 May 2012 16:06 (11 months ago) Permalink

^Yeah, I love that one, too.

― Trip Maker, Friday, 25 May 2012 16:08 (11 months ago) Permalink

ok this Hammersmith Odeon set is good but jesus Difford singing "Mess Around" stfu

― some dude, Friday, 25 May 2012 16:25 (11 months ago) Permalink

Tempted is a very, very bad song.

― Poliopolice, Friday, 25 May 2012 16:26 (11 months ago) Permalink

I really love Cool For Cats, Argybargy and East Side Story, and a few selections here and there from what came after. I remember quite liking Glenn Tilbrook's solo record Transatlantic Ping Pong, too.

The first album is quite interesting though, and some of the stories surrounding its making are quite funny. John Cale apparently was so off his face he passed out during the sessions, so Jools Holland wrote "I am a cunt" on his forehead in marker. Apparently Mr. Cale was none the wiser and came into the studio STILL wearing the same slogan on his head the next day. Once he found out what the band were laughing at, he was understandably not amused and apparently he made life hell for the band for the rest of the studio time they had.

― The Jupiter 8 (Turrican), Friday, 25 May 2012 16:36 (11 months ago) Permalink

Tempted is a very, very bad song.

It's not their greatest, but it's not terrible when Tilbrook sings it. Paul Carrack always felt like an invader in this band, and that's the reason I have issues with both East Side Story and Some Fantastic Place.

― Johnny Fever, Friday, 25 May 2012 17:46 (11 months ago) Permalink

I'd rather Carrack had sang the whole thing, he's a far superior singer to Tilbrook. Tilbrook's strengths is in the way he puts his chord sequences together. Stuff like 'King George Street' features a maddening amount of chords.

― The Jupiter 8 (Turrican), Friday, 25 May 2012 17:52 (11 months ago) Permalink

1 month passes...

Guess who I'm gonna see tonight? :D

― (✿◠‿◠) (ENBB), Wednesday, 11 July 2012 18:09 (10 months ago) Permalink

i saw them open for the b-52's two weeks ago and they were both so so good

― radical ferry (donna rouge), Wednesday, 11 July 2012 18:36 (10 months ago) Permalink

just gonna warn you now tho: glenn tillbrook's facial hair is really unfortunate

― radical ferry (donna rouge), Wednesday, 11 July 2012 18:36 (10 months ago) Permalink

They are opening for the B-52s tonight! I'm excited about both but a little more so about Squeeze tbh. LOL re Tillbrook's facial hair. I checked out a recent clip on youtube and noticed that myself. NAGL!

― (✿◠‿◠) (ENBB), Wednesday, 11 July 2012 18:39 (10 months ago) Permalink

They are playing for free in Coney Island on the 20th, with The Romantics opening.

aforementioned UFH:

http://www.brooklynvegan.com/archives/2012/07/2012_seaside_su.html

― Pangborn to be Wilde (Dr Morbius), Wednesday, 11 July 2012 20:20 (10 months ago) Permalink

band I was in opened for Squeeze in 1982.

― schicksalsschlag (doo dah), Thursday, 12 July 2012 01:30 (10 months ago) Permalink

That is assume doo dah! Ok so that was awesome. They sounded great but a) donna r otm that beard is so so bad and b) middle aged white people cutting loose is sort of horrifying to watch.

― (✿◠‿◠) (ENBB), Thursday, 12 July 2012 02:23 (10 months ago) Permalink

Like really cringe worthy and the worst part is that I AK not sure how to avoid turning into that or if it is even possible. :/

― (✿◠‿◠) (ENBB), Thursday, 12 July 2012 02:25 (10 months ago) Permalink

I am not I AK.

― (✿◠‿◠) (ENBB), Thursday, 12 July 2012 02:26 (10 months ago) Permalink

3 months pass...

Poor Glen, one he had the good fortune to have John Lennon's looks and way with a pop song. Now he looks like Col Sanders on a bad beard day

― Dr X O'Skeleton, Tuesday, 16 October 2012 21:16 (7 months ago) Permalink

that Docu was great on the bbc over the weekend. they had some MENTAL issues though.

― piscesx, Tuesday, 16 October 2012 21:21 (7 months ago) Permalink

The beard is gone now btw

― 'Separate Lives', by Phil Collins & Marilyn Manson (PaulTMA), Wednesday, 17 October 2012 11:26 (7 months ago) Permalink

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=pYUOJxXdrXM

Youtube link for the documentary

― 'Separate Lives', by Phil Collins & Marilyn Manson (PaulTMA), Wednesday, 17 October 2012 11:28 (7 months ago) Permalink

i thought chris difford looked great considering all his past indulgences.

― stirmonster, Wednesday, 17 October 2012 11:30 (7 months ago) Permalink

Here's the legit link, higher quality and with the correct aspect ratio -

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01n8kmq

― TracerHandVEVO (Tracer Hand), Wednesday, 17 October 2012 12:08 (7 months ago) Permalink

3 weeks pass...

New single 'Tommy' is streaming, now:
http://soundcloud.com/squeezeofficial-1/01-tommy

― 'Separate Lives', by Phil Collins & Marilyn Manson (PaulTMA), Friday, 9 November 2012 18:05 (6 months ago) Permalink

My favourite Squeeze story is still the one where Jools Holland wrote 'I am a cunt' on the forehead of a passed-out John Cale during the first album sessions. I noticed THAT story was absent from the recent documentary! Hehehehe!

― The Jupiter 8 (Turrican), Sunday, 11 November 2012 20:34 (6 months ago) Permalink

2 weeks pass...

Every so often (like tonight) I'll find myself digging out Cosi Fan Tutti Fruitti in an attempt to listen to it with fresh ears and see if I manage to catch anything I've missed or possibly find something in it that I never have before, but I always end up coming to the same conclusion: 'King George Street' and 'Last Time Forever' = keepers, rest of the album = does nothing for me.

I also really am not too keen on the production on Cosi, either - which is strange because Laurie Latham (who produced Cosi) worked on The Stranglers' Aural Sculpture only the year before, and I think that album sounds absolutely fine!

― The Jupiter 8 (Turrican), Thursday, 29 November 2012 04:08 (5 months ago) Permalink

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