Squeeze

Squeeze: Song By Song
$13.95
If you are a fan of Squeeze or any other "new wave" 80's pop this is a must read. It shapes the formation of the band and its turoil but also reveals an interesting interdependence between two incredible artists with some serious personal issues. Additionally, if you ever wondered what some of those "Brit" terms meant in Squeeze songs or what Chris and Glenn were saying in a song, this is a Bible to you.

Pulling Mussels (From The Shell)
$0.89

Argybargy
$23.98
As a 14-year-old in the summer of 1980, I was surrounded by pubescent stoners in Grateful Dead t-shirts. This album, along with Blondie's Parallel Lines, The Cars Candy-O, Graham Parker's Squeezing Out Sparks, and others stood out as beacons in the wilderness -- literate, tuneful, well-crafted power-pop gems. While most radio stations were playing Sweet Home Alabama fourteen times a day, the local new wave station pumped out Squeeze, Polecats, Rockats, Stray Cats, Josie Cotton, The Knack, Devo, The Kings...

Somewhere around 1986, a lot of these bands disbanded or evolved and hair-metal became all the rage. While you would be hard-pressed to find a lot of Kerrang magazine stuff at this point, classic albums like Argybargy endure. Sometimes, record companies can actually get it right and come out with a great product like this one. Not only has the classic album never sounded better, especially compared to my 1987-vintage grey-spine CD, but the additional material is well worth the extra cost. In fact, disc 2 can very well stand alone as a live album which ought to be released individually. I was lucky enough to see Squeeze live in the mid-80's on their Cosi Fan Tutti-Frutti tour. This disc captures every ounce of the energy and musicianship of their live performance.

Another nice touch is including the lyrics, which I haven't seen since my original vinyl LP copy of the album. Difford and Tilbrook are rightly considered tunesmiths on par with Cole Porter. "Cocoa mugs sit side by side" (from If I Didn't Love You). How many bands can come up with lyrics like this?

A true classic, presented in fine form. Highly recommended.

Squeeze - Greatest Hits
$13.98
80's flashback of Squeeze, featuring some of their best material, on one cd. The sound quality wasn't all that bad, either.