Disco de Squeeze: “Some Fantastic Place”

Having at this point been in the business over 15 years this is a surprsingly good effort. The title cut is a classic about losing a good friend far too soon. The other good cuts are the rollicking "Everything In The World" and "Third Rail" and heartfelt ballads "Images Of Loving" and Pinnochio". Even "Loving You Tonight" although basically a Tempted rewrite is excellent. The other cuts are pretty decent also.

My dad bought this CD when it came out in 1993 (when I was 8) and this soon became our go to CD for family listening. Every time we got in the car we begged for him to turn it on. I had not listened to it in about 5 years and just downloaded it. Admittedly some songs lost thier luster, but all in all it is still a very fun album and it is back on heavy rotation for me!

This was something like, the 12th album from Squeeze. It was a highly listenable effort after the lackluster "Frank" and "Play," but nowhere near the superb "Argy Bargy" and "East Side Story." So why own this?

Because so far in America, none of the songs have made it to compilations. And "Some Fantastic Place" has its share of superb Difford/Tilbrook compositions. The title song is, IMHO, one of the best tributes to a fallen friend ever written. Paul Carrack is back on board to play keyboards, and sings lead on the "Tempted" rewrite, "Loving You Tonight." (Which scored significant airplay on Adult Contemporary stations in 1993.) The album kicks off with the bubbly, instantly recognizable Squeeze harmonies of "Everything In The World."

Unfortunately, the second half of the CD is kind of draggy. It sure sounds like the Squeeze you've known and loved, but overall, "Some Fantastic Place" is just an average affair. Should there ever be a halfways-decent Squueze compilation released in the states (or if A&M ever gets the classic albums reissued), this Cd will become redundant.