Squeeze Album: “Frank [Bonus Tracks]”

After the lush production of the 2 previous albums, Squeeze stripped down to quite a live sound for Frank. There are very few additional instruments, and it's straight ahead rock and roll, from five brilliant musicians in the same room. The piano and lead guitar and especially good, and sound as if you're sat right next to the band on this album.

As usual with Squeeze, every song is wonderful, and I really can't agree that it has filler.... Personally, I prefer Play, but much prefer Frank to Some Fantastic Place.

Apart from a few pop songs on side one, the album is mostly American styled R&B (Perhaps to keep Jools Holland happy?). My only criticism is that it has too many songs in the same genre, while the classic Squeeze albums go through every style with aplomb. I'd give this five stars, if Squeeze's other albums hadn't set their standards so high.

Though this isn't as sublime as Argybargy or East Side Story, there are a lot of great tracks on here, with just a couple of fillers.

The band stretches out in ways that, perhaps, some Squeeze fans are not accustomed to. Melody Motel is a classic piece of irony, pairing music straight out of an evening at your local 'good times' honky-tonk, with a dark tale of personal misery. Is It Too Late? takes them rockabilly in a way that never fails to get me bouncing. And while Dr. Jazz finds Jools Holland gone completely bayou, Chris Difford's tune Slaughtered, Gutted and Heartbroken is nearly Cole Porter.

As evidenced by the first track, the band is really having fun on this album, so loosen up and let yourself stretch with them. You won't be disappointed.

As a die-hard Squeeze fan, I must advise others that, in my opinion, this is their weakest offering. Holding perhaps two listenable pop tunes ("If It's Love" and "She Doesn't Have to Shave") the rest is best described as medicocre filler. Both albums that came afterward ("Play" amd "Some Fantastic Place") are FAR superior and highly recommended.