Squeeze - Singles 45's and Under

Squeeze wanted to be the next Beatles, and you can't fault them for trying. Their distinctive Brit-pop stylings often came close; with songwriters Chris Difford and Glenn Tilbrook marrying supremely catchy melodies to equally adept wordplay just like, well, The Beatles. Singles: 45s & Under gathers a dozen of their most well-loved classics into one truly five-star collection. It represents the prime of their first five years and it's all, well, prime--from Difford croaking out "Cool for Cats," to Tilbrook chiming "Another Nail for My Heart," to former Ace vocalist Paul Carrack crooning the delightful "Tempted." Necessary stuff for pop fans. --Michael Ruby Amazon.com

A Genuinely Good Remaster

Those of you who know Squeeze know what a solid group they were with excellent song craftsmanship. Consider buying this Millennium reissue of what is in essence their greatest hits. The sound here is considerably better than the originally issued cd. I know, I bought this reissue with the sole purpose of getting a better sounding cd than the original release. I compared them song by song and there was no contest. Of course the remaster doesn't turn this cd into a sonic masterpiece like Dark Side of the Moon. But, if you are a Squeeze fan it is worth a repurchase. March 5, 2008

romantic themes set in musical contexts so vivid, you can smell and taste them...

Squeeze could take a tune and bat it straight out of the ballpark with their awesome vocals and arrangements! This CD gives us just twelve of their great numbers; but what we do get is five star quality all the way!

The track set begins with the highly charged "Take Me I'm Yours." Obviously, with a title like that I don't need to tell you much about the topic of the song. What is remarkable, however, is the musical arrangement with its quick paced tempo and pulsating beat. The band harmonizes really well, too! "Take Me I'm Yours" was released back in 1978 but it still sounds fresh and exciting today! Great electric guitar, too. "Goodbye Girl" also uses a fast tempo, interesting chord changes and the creative use of several musical instruments as the band members sing of their character meeting a special woman who gets away all too soon. Love it! Moreover, "Cool For Cats" sports some unusual but very creative minor chords along with some great vocals to make this number very spicy! The ladies on backup work well for "Cool For Cats," too.

"Another Nail For My Heart" features the singers harmonizing to perfection alongside minor chords that enhance this number; they sing of how a man and a woman can have a rough relationship. "Pulling Mussels (From The Shell)" boasts excellent yet subtle tempo changes as Squeeze uses both major and minor notes and chords to make "Pulling Mussels (From The Shell)" a masterpiece! Wow.

"Tempted" is a classic ballad about a man leaving his woman to start a new life; and both the melody and the lyrics lack nothing--it's THAT good. I predict that you will enjoy "Tempted" very, very much; "Tempted" is easily a highpoint of this album.

The album ends strong with "Annie Get Your Gun." This song rocks hard and we see the band transitioning from a type of disco beat to a number that has a much more rock and roll flavor to it. The band sings of how Annie gets upset with her man; and the electric guitars work wonders to bolster "Annie Get Your Gun." Terrific!

The liner notes don't give you much; but I love this album so much that I will ignore this disappointment. You do get the release dates for each song along with the song credits, however. The excellent cover artwork shows a great deal of creativity and thoughtfulness--love it!

Squeeze put out a great album with Singles 45's And Under. The proof is in the pudding; this album still sells well today and it has never been out of print. I highly recommend this for Squeeze fans and anyone who wants to have a lot of fun getting to know a great band that was called Squeeze.

Enjoy!
September 14, 2007

Almost the same, but not quite

This was one of my favorite albums in high school/college. It's great. I love it. However, my one peeve with this CD is that it replaces the British version of "Goodbye Girl" (which was on my original album from way back when) with the American version. The differences between the two are in the lyrics (all in the third stanza - British: my silver razor, American: my silver bracelet; B: money in the waistcoat, A: money in the billfold; B: my wife has moved to Jersey, A: my wife has moved to Boston). Not huge differences, but enough to annoy me when I'm singing along since I'm so used to the British version. June 14, 2007

Pop Exquisiteness: Don't Pass This Up!

This is, without a doubt, one of the most thoroughly enjoyable compilations I own. Every track on here is either immensely inventive fun or is a sure-fire pop marvel. Despite the low number of songs on this collection, each selection is flawless and demonstrates how Squeeze crafted some of the strongest tunes in all of pop.

1. Take Me I'm Yours- Imagine Suicide and the Beatles out for tea. 7/10

2. Goodbye Girl- Catchy, as you might expect. Not overly energetic, but pretty. 9.5/10

3. Cool For Cats- The tempo picks up here, and we're in pop nirvana. 10/10

4. Up The Junction- Another pop gem! 9/10

5. Slap And Tickle- An unexpected bit of experimenting results in an off-kilter pop track: Imagine the first track passed through a high-speed phaser. 7/10

6. Another Nail For My Heart- Pop brilliance shines once more. A guitar magazine editor once said this track has a solo that combines everything that's great about pop, rock, jazz, classical and R&B in one tiny time span. I agree. 9.5/10

7. Pulling Mussels (From The Shell)- Has the band reached pop perfection here? I would say "YES!". Fabulously catchy. 10/10

8. If I Didn't Love You- "If I didn't love/I'd hate you," is one of the most memorable lines and the most outstanding feature is its dark and off-kilter "if I/if I/if I" refrain. Good pop song, over all. 8/10

9. Is That Love- Starts off as power pop and ends as a Beatles-like nugget. A good pop tune that evolves into something you wouldn't expect. 7.5/10

10. Tempted- The one Squeeze song everyone knows. Quite good, I must admit. The 60s soul inflections here are something new in the overall formula, but its still pretty good. 10/10

11. Black Coffee In Bed- The soul quota rises here, and the results are spectacular. Dig the repetition on some of the lines. Its great stuff. 10/10

12. Annie Get Your Gun- A fast-paced closer with another resoundingly singable chorus. 9.5/10


As you could see, I happen to believe that practically every track on here is a winner. The band had a penchant for creating quality material, and the songs all exhibit tremendous talent and superb pop sensibilities. This compilation's only fault is that its too short in terms of quantity. it's a straight reissue of a 1982 compilation, and as such, the limitations of the LP format are revealed in the number of tracks enclosed in this collection. But that's okay: It keeps filler to a minimum and ensures that listeners get a tremendously high dose of quality pop rock.

If you enjoy excellent pop music of the highest calibre, buy this compilation now! May 25, 2007

Fantastic

Timeless pop music is usually an oxymoron, but not in the case of Squeeze. May 24, 2007

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