Difford & Tilbrook - Difford & Tilbrook

Essential for Squeeze fans

This is a lesser heard album even for Squeeze fans. There are some very interesting trax on this CD like "The Apple Tree" with some excellent pop trax like "Actions Speak Faster." Glenn and Chris apparently were not too proud of it, but I think it reveals very clearly where they were at the time it was recorded. July 1, 2008

A bit of an embarrassing reach for the charts?

I wasn't familiar with this album in the '80s. I couldn't stop listening to Singles 45s and under and East Side Story to notice Squeeze had made another record (Sweets For a Stranger) and then broken up, Difford & Tilbrook making a record together and then reuniting Squeeze for Cosi Fan Tutti, I didn't catch up with them again until Babylon and On. Recently I started filling in the gaps in my Squeeze collection, especially their earlier records and their mid-'80s stuff. The point of saying that is I have no nostalgic memories of this D&T record to fall back on.

And so: Ack! It's not as swamped in synths and fretless basses and big synthy drums as Cosi Fan Tutti is, but it is certainly dated. The strangest thing for me about this record is how it veers into '80s R&B and blue-eyed soul territory, with Tilbrook actually channeling Michael Jackson a couple of times.... there's female backup vocalists on some songs. It's just odd, and out of place, and feels a little bit like they said "hey look at that Hall & Oates duo, they're selling millions, why aren't we?" Almost like an album's-worth of genre songwriting exercises by very talented songwriters writing outside of their "niche". And then the kicker for me: the complete absence of Difford's oddball low voice! Not only does he not sing lead on anything, there's none of that great Difford-an-octave-below-Tilbrook sound. None!

Despite all this, I think "Picking Up the Pieces" is pretty good and "Man For All Seasons" is almost as excellent an Elvis Costello-esque jaunt as "I've Returned" was on "Sweets From a Stranger". I would have liked to have heard a lot more of the album go in that direction. But that's just me.

This record is absolutely worth having for Squeeze completists, but the casual fan might want to avoid it. December 13, 2007

Dated, but all the more enjoyable for it!

About time! The last album in the Squeeze cannon (ok, so this isn't OFFICIALLY Squeeze, but it is, really) to be released on CD has finally made an appearance. This album is something of a curio in that it doesn't sound like the classic Squeeze that went before, but is still interesting none the less.

Hope Fell Down is a real standout and deserved to be a hit, while You Can't Hurt the Girl, Man For All Seasons and the single, Love's Crashing Waves are all pretty good. Unfortunately the odd stinker spoils the album somewhat, but at least now that it is on CD you can skip through the poorer tracks with ease.

This album sounds very dated at times with its 80s style production but, with 80s music going through something of a renaissance, that isn't such a bad thing, and listening to this CD is actually all the more enjoyable for it. March 26, 2007

Post-Squeeze solo album reissued by Hip-o Select available on the internet only (and for less $$) 3 STARS

Remastered and reissued "Difford and Tilbrook" is only available online in a new edition from Hip-o Select. Unfortunately there aren't any bonus tracks but the CD is price right (less than $13.00 prior to shipping and handling).

The sound is terrific on the reissue. The booklet includes lyrics and photos. It's a pity that Hip-O didn't contract with Difford and Tilbrook to somehow include the demo recordings for the album. At the very least it would have been interesting to hear these performed live and, again, I'm sure that the duo kept live recordings of their performances either with the reformed Squeeze or on their solo tour. Either would have been great editions. Regardless I'm happy that this album is FINALLY available on CD with a great sounding transfer of the original recordings. Hip-O has a little way to go to replace Rhino's limited edition recordings (which have new liner notes, bonus tracks, etc. to make the releases even more collectible)but they've done a great job with the material included here.

While "Difford & Tilbrook" doesn't compare to the best of the duo when they were at their peak in Squeeze this is quite a good album with some terrific songs. Go to Hip-o select and order this so that you can get the remastered edition. August 24, 2006

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