Squeeze Album: “20th Century Masters - The Millennium Collection: The Best Of Squeeze: Singles - 45's And Under”

To me, Squeeze represented all that was right about the British New Wave/No Wave movement of the late 70s and early 80s. (Note, I say early 80s--this cd doesn't contain any of the songs from Sqeeze's reunion albums of the late 80s, most of which can be safely dismissed.) Singles "45's and Under" doesn't omit anything that any Squeeze fan would miss.

Each of these songs showcase the amazing songwriting talents of Difford and Tilbrook, and the tremendous talent of the musicians. Squeeze could always be relied upon for perfect polish, mature and above-average intelligence lyrics, FUN, and a lack self-importance and pompousness that others of the era smacked of. Each song is a hit. Nothing is a miss.

Critics often hyped Squeeze as "the 80s' answer to the Beatles" but please don't buy this CD hoping to hear Lennon and McCartney clones. Squeeze have far more in common with their New Wave/Britpop contemporaries like Elvis Costello, XTC, and even the Police. Their music is proof that plenty of good pop music was made in the early 1980s if you looked beyond the mostly one-hit wonders MTV promoted.

Probably the biggest hit here is "Tempted," which turns up in many 80s mix compilations. It's a great example of how better Britpop bands are able to transform their love of soulful R&B without aping American acts. Equally good songs like "Is That Love," "Another Nail For My Heart," "Pulling Mussels From a Shell" and "Black Coffee in Bed" are also included, and you'll be amazed that Squeeze never rivaled the Cars or INXS in record sales. Throughout, Squeeze tell tales of typically rocky British romances with a working-class twist. Their songs are packed with hooky guitar and synth parts and demand that you listen to them again and again. Only the early songs on this compliation seem dated in both lyrical content and production values.

You're going to like this CD and the price is right, so why don't you order it already?

For a short stretch, Difford/Tillbrook were being compared to Lennon/McCartney. While the comparison may hold up on the mid-tempo Pop, Squeeze never put over a ballad and really couldn't rock.

Still, when Squeeze was good they were really, really good. How on earth A&M allows the bands greatest record, ARGY-BARGY, (where most of the best moments on this compilation were first heard) to remain out of print is just beyond comprehension.

Squeeze was best at telling stories of love-story aftermath: "Up The Junction," "Another Nail For My Heart," "Pulling Mussels," "If I Didn't Love You," and "Tempted" are little Pop masterpieces.

The least know tune here (at least to American listeners) may be the best. "Annie Get Your Gun," swimming in quirky synthesizers and dreamy keyboards, cruises along in a way that Squeeze imitaters can only imagine.

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!

Catchy melodies, clever lyrics, great musicianship...I can't believe it took me so long to get a copy of this on CD. Difford & Tilbrook may not be quite Lennon & McCartney, but they do a pretty good job in their own right. The songs that resonate the best ("Tempted", "Black Coffee In Bed")are the ones that show Squeeze deviating from their good-natured goofy playfulness and starting to (dare I say it) explore deeper emotions. I always thought Squeeze was a great band who deserved to release better albums than they did, but when you can collect the best in one place, best to grab that one and wait for a second volume some day.