"Squeeze" by SQUEEZE - March 1978 UK Debut Album on A&M Records featuring Glenn Tilbrook, Chris Difford, Jools Holland, Harry Kakouli and Gilson Lavis with Production by John Cale of Velvet Underground fame (January 1998 UK A&M CD Reissue and Remaster with Two Previously Unreleased Bonus Tracks - Part of the A&M Re Master Pieces Series and November 1997 "Six In One..." 6CD Box Set) - A Review by Mark Barry...

 

"...Take Me, I'm Yours..."

 

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"...Take Me, I'm Yours..."

 

Released in March 1978 on A&M Records, the self-titled and self-assured debut album for Deptford's finest "Squeeze" was the first of their large catalogue to contain the mighty trio of Glenn Tilbrook, Chris Difford and Jools Holland. 

 

Their other famously talented musical passenger - the brilliantly soulful singer-songwriter Paul Carrack of Ace and Mike & The Mechanics' fame - would join the band for 1981's fourth platter "East Side Story". But "Squeeze" (or "U.K. Squeeze" as it was known in America) is where the long and winding road began for the Cool Cats - a journey that is 44-years ongoing in 2022. 

Produced by the legendary John Cale of The Velvet Underground and chock full of British New Wave attitude, tunes and even a smidgen of radio-friendly 45-singles - "Squeeze" is a wee cracker of a debut album even now and this CD variant of it throws in two convincing unreleased bonuses tagged on at the end too. As of spring 2022, March 1978's "Squeeze" is almost forty-five years burning down the genre road and has indeed stood the test of time.

 

Speaking of digital, in May 2022, "Squeeze" on a CD Remaster is a bit of difficulty to find. Initially launched in and part of the November 1997 "Six Of One..." 6CD Box Set on A&M Records 540 801-2 (Barcode 731454080125) - it was then put out as an A&M Re Master Pieces single CD re-release in January 1998 (February 1998 USA) with its Two Bonus Tracks intact (both are pictured above). But it has been deleted years now and often carries with it a hefty price tag when it comes up for air on sale sites. The same goes for the A&M Re Master Pieces single CD editions of their popular second and third albums "Cool For Cats" (1979) and "Argybargy" (1980) - both also issued with the Box set's Two Bonuses as single CD variants - see full reissue list details below. 

 

Let's go back to the 'Bang Bang' and 'Wild Sewage Tickles Brazil' details of that fun debut though, time to muscle-bound creep this flexing-starter...

 

UK released 19 January 1998 (4 February 1998 in the USA) - "Squeeze" by SQUEEZE on A&M 540 806-2 (Barcode 731454080620) is an A&M Re Master Pieces CD Reissue and Remaster with Two Previously Unreleased Bonus Tracks that plays out as follows (50:50 minutes):

1. Sex Master [Side 1]

2. Bang Bang 

3. Strong In Reason 

4. Wild Sewerage Tickles Brazil 

5. Out Of Control 

6. Take Me, I'm Yours 

7. The Call [Side 2]

8. Model 

9. Remember What 

10. First Thing Wrong 

11. Hesitation (Rool Britannia) 

12. Get Smart 

Tracks 1 to 12 are their debut album "Squeeze" - released March 1978 in the UK on A&M Records AMLH 68465 and in the USA as "U.K. Squeeze" on A&M Records SP 4687 with the same tracks. Produced by JOHN CALE (except "Bang Bang" and "Take Me, I'm Yours" - Produced by SQUEEZE) - it didn't chart in either country. 

BONUS TRACKS (Both Previously Unreleased):

13. Deep Cuts 

14. Heartbreak 

Part of the "Six Of One..." 6CD Box Set - it won't take Squeeze fans long to work out that there's two things wrong with this CD Reissue. 

 

Annotation - without the accompanying 52-page long book that came with that Box Set (a fabulous looking thing with huge swathes of memorabilia pictured), the skimpy gate-fold slip of paper with barely any info that acts as an inlay for this CD is wildly inadequate. Pages 9 and 10 of the Box Set's 52-page booklet carried track-by-track comments for the debut album from the band, and that could easily have been re-printed for here. A&M took the lazy way out and simply reissued the CDs as is from the box set. 

Bonuses/Missing - with a total playing time of 50:50 minutes, yes it's nice to have two new outtakes, but where's all the singles and their non-LP B-sides - a format this band was not only famous for but one that fans revelled in? None of the trio of songs on the "Packet Of Three" EP from August 1977 are here, neither is the excellent "Night Nurse" non-album B-side to February 1978's "Take Me, I'm Yours". Although it didn't chart, the May 1978 45-single to "Bang Bang" had "All Fed Up" on its flipside - and again - a no show, when there was room. It's disappointing for sure and would have amped up this rather anaemic CD reissue to a properly desirable status. But let's now deal with what we do have...

Digitally Remastered by band founder GLENN TILBROOK and A&M's go-to Audio Engineer for the A&M Re Master Pieces Series ROGER WAKE - the original tapes certainly pack a lethal punch. 

 

The frantic guitar and drums of "Sex Master" roars into your living room like its been listening to "The Clash" debut of 1977 a few too many times. I'd forgotten (if I'm honest) just how Punky both the opener "Sex Master" and the letters inside his coat "Bang Bang" both are. By the time we reach the 'get your trunks out of the drawer' Police chug of "Strong In Reason" - you can so hear the Remaster giving this a powerful bottom end (why didn't they print the lyrics either?). "Strong In Reason" gives a real indication of their song strengths - catchy riffage - catchy tune - great lyrics - and all of it in a usable commercial package. 

 

There then starts a cool trio to the end of Side 1 - some might say that the largely instrumental "Wild Sewage Tickles Brazil" is just an echoed-guitar workout that is strictly B-side material - but I've always loved its loopy Funk-Rock vibe. There's a bit of schoolgirl how's your father longing in "Out Of Control" - another sexy Funk-Rock British New Wave tune name-checking things that turn our boys on. The obvious Drums and Synth marching rhythms of "Take Me, I'm Yours" reminds me now of Eurythmics and Human League and OMD - dreams are made of this. Fantastic muscle to the guitar solo too...

Side 2 opens with 5:17 minutes of "The Call" - a Motels type of guitar-jerk that combines crazy fret runs with doubled-vocals - and again - that British Punk and New Wave vibe they're not given enough credit for having. Bending guitar notes and Joe Jackson "Look Sharp!" tight rhythms makes "Model" boogie - and for me - is one of the album's hidden gems. Big Bass notes abound in "Remember What" - another bopper that could have been a kick-ass New Wave hit single - XTC and Squeeze have a love child emptying ashtrays all over your shoes. You can almost hear late-70ts T.Rex "I Love To Boogie" Hitsville in the excellent "First Thing Wrong" - a great swaggering snotty rocker that feels like New Wave Rock 'n' Roll with Mick Ronson on Guitar. And we romp home with the skid-in-your-pants "Hesitation (Rool Britannia)" - a wordy cynical songs about posers and again with wicked guitar work - and the 2:06 minutes of "Get Smart" - a Ramones-paced bruiser that wants to kick your head in. 

The two Bonus Tracks are very 1978-period - "Deep Cuts" (4:04 minutes) is a booth-across-the-street smut tune which the Box Set Booklet describes it as a New Wave observation of a frustrated man (apparently it's based on Dan August on TV). It plays out with spoken words about getting into the bath together - would have made a fabulous Punky B-side. "Heartbreak" (4:54 minutes) is even better and even more sophisticated - a slow burner that opens with Piano Man barroom runs only to settle into a moody guitar-riffing lurch with lyrics that reflect its title's subject matter. Roars - moans - pain - huge guitar soloing to the end. In fact, you can't help think that both Bonuses would have lifted up the debut - but it's cool to hear them now and they are actually worthy of the moniker Bonuses. 

Squeeze would knock it out of the park with 1979's "Cool For Cats" (the title track, "Up The Junction" and "Goodbye Girl") and follow that with the equally superb "Argybargy" in 1980 ("Pulling Mussels (From The Shell)" and "Another Nail In Your Heart") being the big guns there. 

 

But spare a thought for their naughty-but-nice 1978 starter-for-ten "Squeeze" - way better than I remember it and asking for your rediscovery at a digital dancehall near you. "Remember What" - I'm glad I did... 

SQUEEZE on A&M Re Master Pieces CD Reissues 

 Released January 1998 UK, February 1998 USA 

Each Single CD Remaster Contains Two Previously Unreleased Bonuses

1. "Squeeze" 

Original UK LP March 1978 on A&M Records AMLH 68465

UK CD Reissue January 1998 on A&M 540 806-2 (Barcode 731454080620) 

Bonus Tracks "Deep Cuts" and "Heartbreak"

2. "Cool For Cats" 

UK LP April 1979 on A&M Records AMLH 68503 

UK CD January 1998 on A&M Records 540 804-2 (Barcode

Bonus Tracks "I Must Go" and "Ain't it Sad" 

3. "Argybargy" 

UK LP February 1980 on A&M Records AMLH 64802

UK CD January 1998 on A&M 540 803-2 (Barcode 731454080323) 

Bonus Tracks "Funny How It Goes" and "Go" 

4. "East Side Story..." 

UK LP May 1981 on A&M Records AMLH 64854

UK CD January 1998 on A&M 540 805-2 (Barcode 731454080521) 

Bonus Tracks "The Axe Now Fallen" and "Looking For A Love"

5. "Sweets From A Stranger"

UK LP May 1982 on A&M Records AMLH 64899

UK CD January 1998 on A&M 540 807-2 (Barcode 731454080729) 

Bonus Tracks "I Can't Get Up Anymore" and "When Love Goes To Sleep"

6. "Cosi Fan Tutti Frutti" 

UK LP August 1985 on A&M Records AMA 5805 

UK CD January 1998 on A&M 540 802-2 (Barcode 731454080224) 

Bonus Tracks "Love's A Four Letter Word" and "The Fortnight Saga"