Customer Reviews

Big Squeeze: The Very Best of Squeeze

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This is a wonderful set of Squeeze songs. The first disc is basically "Singles 45s and Under" with additional singles from their post-1985 catalog; the second disc is a collection of B-sides, "some classically brilliant, others utter crap" (to quote Jools Holland in "Squabs on Forty Fab"). Just kidding, really - most of the B-sides are not only not crap, but absolutely wonderful. "Who's That?" has Glenn Tilbrook singing soulfully over a solo piano, and "Elephant Girl" is a damnably catchy song. Most casual Squeeze fans will have heard at least 12-13 songs on the first disc, but for many the second disc is like a whole new fun Squeeze album to listen to!

I loved Squeeze in high school back in the early 1980s; I used to spend hours in my bedroom pretending to play guitar to the songs on "Argybargy," "East Side Story" and "Sweets from a Stranger." In college, I have to admit I lost track of Squeeze. As a college dj, I was carried off by "alternative" groups and "urban dance beats," none of which lasted longer than about 10 minutes. Then in the 1990s, I lost touch with pop music altogether, since every time I bought an album after hearing a song on the local alternative station, the album would have one decent song and 12 or 13 absolutely awful tracks. (For instance, Supergrass' or Cornershop's first albums. Pfft.)

I bought this on a whim when I was perusing Amazon one night, and it's been in my CD player (along with an old CD copy of "East Side Story") ever since. What makes this set, and all of Squeeze's albums, really, is the craft that went into all their work. Every song has a catchy hook, something that's going to pull you in - and every song tells a story, rather than fluffy sentiment. "What the Butler Saw" is a tale of murder and intrigue told in three minutes or so; "Introvert" tells of the narrator's attraction to the girl who sits at the edge of the party "chewing her finger," "Electric Trains" mentions Julie Andrews, Jerry Garcia and standing in your bedroom playing air-guitar(hmm). Real characters, real catchy, real wonderful - if you're as disillusioned with today's popular music as I am, buy this album! Somehow I can't help but think that popular music was a little more fun when Squeeze walked the earth.

(I suppose I should list my negatives concerning the album. Much of "Suite from Five Strangers" is dull; "Christmas Day" is the least Christmassy Christmas song ever, in my opinion; and "Last Time Forever" is a dud that goes on too long. And of course there's not enough - why not a set with ALL their A-sides and B-sides? But then, that's why I just ordered "Excess Moderation," another Squeeze compilation but with mostly different selections...)

Another reissue with perks to make the fan pay for something they already have. Granted the second disc of tunes has some nice rarities on it but, well, why not just go all out and put out that second box set promised eons ago prior to the eviseration of A&M records?

There's no arguing with the quality of the singles included here. Every single one of them is solid. The notes are also quite good. The issue seems to be ripping off fans. Listen,
just issue a rarities CD and be done with it. Fans will still buy it and we can dispense with the other CD of previously released material. Actually, that's much too sensible.

The sound quality is so-so with a very loud, compressed remaster.

I must admit that I absolutely love the 2nd B-sides CD much better than the 1st CD in this set. I can't understand why anyone would think that "What the Butler Saw", "Maidstone", "Introvert", or "Periscope" would classify as B-songs. These songs are EXCELLENT. When I first listened to this Cd, I thought I died and went to Squeeze Heaven. I have been a huge Squeeze fan since I was 14. I cherish all my Squeeze CD's, and I was more than happy when I bought this CD to add to my collection. I recently bought "Six of One" and I consider it my most prized possession. I guess I don't care that Squeeze broke up because Glenn Tilbrook is writing and performing some really terrific music, But true greatness does not last forever and I am just so thrilled that all this wonderful music is still being released in these remastered compilations. To the faithful fans I say grab them now because they wont last!!!!

This is must for any Squeeze fan. -I'm talking B-Sides.- Most Americans were never capable to hear these gems and here they are. I love this album and people who have heard it with me usually start dancing and conjuring up memories of times spent growing up in the 80's. Very few records (CD'S) are capable of doing this. A MUST !

I thought this compilation of Squeeze singles, etc... was great, especially the sound of it... except the only reason I gave it a 4 stars is that its missing some songs I thought should've been on there (and I know, probably every fan out there would suggest a song or two that wasn't on the cd's to have either been on there or tooken off)example: where's the singles from their later works ,the "Play" album? Satisfied,etc. would've been nice , too. anyhow, its still a pretty decent compilation :)

If you're not familiar with the term "loudness compression", go to Wikipedia and search "loudness wars". In that article, there is also a link to an excellent You Tube audio/video demonstration of this reprehensible practice, which is being propagated by bean-counter record company executives.

The technical explanation of loudness compression is the application of an increasingly high ratio of compression to the dynamic range of a particular recording, and then increasing the gain of the recording, until the peaks have reached maximum. In layman's terms, what this means is there are no longer any quiet or loud passages in the recording, EVERYTHING is at the same volume.

Basically, the iPod is responsible for the proliferation of this practice. When music is played back thru iPod earbuds in any environment where there is ambient noise present, by having the volume artificially jacked across the entire music spectrum, you can hear the content more clearly. However, when you listen to the same recording thru a home audio system, it sounds like the music is coming thru a megaphone.

This "remaster" is a classic example of this insidious process. The original dynamic range of this record has been totally obliterated.

If you plan on ripping for exclusive portable playback, this mastering approach will probably make earbud playback more enjoyable. On a decent home system, however, it's just too much; by the time you've made it thru both discs, you'll probably have a headache.

If you do decide to run this thru a sound system, you actually need to exercise caution, as the now-over-amp'd bass at the beginning of "Another Nail In My Heart" might tear the woofer out of your speakers, and/or cause your amp to clip... either way, it has the possibility of being NOT pretty.

For critical listening, any of the (individual album) late-90's UK remasters, or '07 Japan mini-sleeve remasters, are preferable to this abomination.

I would highly recommend this compilation to any Squeeze fan or for anyone who'd like to get an excellent overview of their body of work. The B-sides disk is especially interesting and contains some real gems. Great stuf!!!

Various compilations already exist of Squeeze material. This one is, however, in my opinion by far the most complete set. The first disk includes typical A side material, i.e., all the greatest hits plus some of their lesser known single releases that are admittedly below their earlier standards.

The second disk was to me a pleasant surprise. Although I knew many of the tracks and a vivid fan during Squeeze's height, I had no idea how many treasures were to be found among their B sides. Maidstone, Who's That and Spanish Guitar are only a few of many worth mentioning. The production of these songs is also often sparser then their A side material, which brings better out the warmth and splendor of the Difford/Tilbrook melodies and text.

The liner notes include fun comments written by Difford and Tilbrook regarding their recollections of each song on the CD. The sound quality is also superb, rectifying a flaw of some of their previous CD releases. I highly recommend this set for casual and die-hard Squeeze fans.

once again a squeeze compilation,but why is the excellent single bang bang never on any greatest hits?,also cat on a wall would have been nice.These tracks should have replaced some of the later forgettable tracks.