Squeeze Album: “Excess Moderation”

For anyone who's ever heard of Squeeze but never really listened to them, this is the compilation to buy. At the same time, die-hard Squeeze fans will love "Excess Moderation". It's 2 CDs of tracks from Squeeze's entire career up to the "Some Fantastic Place" album in 1993, selected by songwriters Difford & Tilbrook themselves. The tracks are all in chronological order and are many of the group's greatest works, so you can actually hear how Squeeze has evolved. Many of the songs are also hard-to-find non-album tracks, including the fan favorite "Maidstone". Included with the CDs is commentary about each song from Difford & Tilbrook.

Is it possible to have 40 fantastic songs of pop perfection on just two discs? Well, yes it is. Ok, I could do without "Squabs on the Forty Fab" and "Cold Shoulder" tends to get old quickly, but 38 songs of pop paradise are worth the price. This is a CD I never tire of listening to. It is simply great pop music. All the extra b-sides that are thrown in are a real treat. "Christmas Day" is a seasonal surpise, although some of the British references are unknown to me. "Blood and Guts" threatens to jump right out of the stereo. The album also contains many album tracks which were overlooked when the original albums came out, but tracks such as "Separate Beds" , "Piccadilly" , "His House, Her Home" and "I think I'm a Go-Go" are too good to be ignored. The CD is a real treat to those of us who have cherished the band over the years, and if you are just finding out about Squeeze now, go ahead and take the plunge, you'll be very glad that you did!!! Superlative stuff!