Customer Reviews

I Didn't Get Where I Am

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i've loved squeeze from the moment i heard them---their skillfully crafted material, their endearing image, glenn tilbrook's angelic voice.... so when i heard that chris difford (glenn's songwriting partner and squeeze co-founder) was putting out a solo album, i wondered, "can he pull it off?"

to put it simply, he most definitely can. chris is a world unto himself, with his own stylistics, his own moods, and his own wonderfully plaintive, on-target vocals. the melodies are brilliant, the harmonic structures rich and beautiful. (after listening to the disc you will fully understand why squeeze was so good---you had not one but two amazing talents merging their abilities to create, as the saying goes, a sum that was much greater than its parts.) songs like 'tight rope' and 'parents' are bonafide masterpieces, light years above most of the junk that currently pollutes the airwaves. 'cowboys are my weakness' will, like the best lennon-mccartney tunes, echo in your mind for days. and 'no show jones' is a spine-tingler; almost an instant classic. best of all, there are no 'fillers'---every song has its own, unique personality; its own beginning and its own end. how many artists are making albums like >> that << any more?

are you dying for some decent new music? have you become jaded, cynical, and bitter? afraid that all the best songs have been written, all the best artists have either retired or died?

think again.

Chris Difford's solo album sound absolutely nothing like Squeeze. For that I'm eternally grateful. Don't get me wrong, I love Squeeze but Difford's approach here sparks with vitality and has a hint of freshness I wouldn't have expected. Working with Francis Dunnery as his co-writer has freed up Difford to develop both as a vocalist and songwriter. He's never sounded so uninhibited as a singer.

From the unusual gay anthem "Cowboys Are My Weakness" to the remake of "Electric Trains" with a more C&W feel to it, Difford inhabits all of his characters and brings them to life. One of his gifts as a songwriter is to put you in the shoes of the character he's created. Sure, he and Tilbrook were nearly perfect together as a songwriting team still it's nice to see both of them stretch out a bit and try their hand at something a bit different.

I've been fan of Squeeze's music ever since I saw them perform on Saturday Night Live in the early 1980's. Critics love them but the record companies and radio stations have largely ignored their work since reforming in the mid-80's (which I feel is really their most consistently best material). I didn't even know Chris had a solo CD out, and then found some mixed reviews on the net. The CD was hard to find locally, but I found one in Toronto. I've listened to the CD several times and fragments from each song stick with me throughout the day. Some songs had to grow on me but by 3 listenings the CD sounds very coherent and I like the tracking order of songs. The music is slower and more moody or atmospheric than on any Squeeze album, but his vocals are the best I've ever heard. Every song is good - my favourites are "Tight Rope", "For a Change", "No Show Jones" and "Playing With Electric Trains" - and could easily have appeared on a Squeeze CD but the lack of Squeeze is actually refreshing because I think this setting actually lets the songs breathe more. Most of the things we like from Squeeze are still here - the songs are very melodic, plenty of chord changes, great backing harmonies and lead guitar parts, clever lyrics and the production is of very good quality with a clean, clear, full sound spectrum. It's very folky, with hints of pop, country, reflections on life since Squeeze, home recordings, etc. so I think there's much here for Squeeze fans to enjoy. I don't think he could do a solo tour with this material alone, since so much of it is mellow and mature. This CD is not for everyone, but it does not sound like Chris was concerned with commercial issues at all - he simply made a CD he could be proud of, and it sounds like there was fun and love put in every track. I love Glenn's solo work as well but I don't think comparisons can be made between them - one isn't better than the other, they're very different approaches. Personally, it's great to see Chris shine so well for an entire CD.

If you are expecting "Son of Cool For Cats" get ready for something different. This is Chris Difford's first solo release and it's a great example of why we love this man's writing style. Co-written with Francis Dunnery (he did the music), Chris does not disappoint. I admit that prior to getting this CD, I wondered if Chris could carry an album with his vocal style. It turns out he can...in spades. Stand out tracks include "Parents" "Lamas Fayre" and "Cowboys are My Weakness." Also included is the original version of the Squeeze song, "Electric Trains." Great CD. Highly recommended!!!

To begin I should say I was not an expert on Squezee's ouput by any stretch of the imagination, which is not to say that I was not delighted with practically everything I heard by them. Somewhat the coming together of Difford and Tilbrook brought memories of other composing duos -although I would not put them on the same level than Lennon and McCartney, they were one of the memories.
This album, Difford first on his own, and only the third solo album from either one of them combined, not only confirm some of his reputed songwriting talent but offers you the work of a musician who has matured, continued to explore his style, and managed to create a wonderful bunch of songs for our delight.
The biggest difference between Difford and Tilbrook, as far as their solo efforts, is -and I know this will sound quite subjective- that Difford's work seems just as heartfelt and true to his soul as his contributions during the eighties, while Tilbrook's does not. Specially Tilbrook's recent second album strikes me as the work of a very talented musician, no doubt, who relied more on his admirable skill as a songwriter than letting himself be inspired to say new things and delve deeper into whatever he might have experienced since Squeeze's demise.
The songs included here are truly beautiful, the passions of a soft-spoken man who still has music to give us and seems as excited as we may be to find out where it'll take him.

An avid Squeeze fan for 20+ years, I found the Difford/Tilbrook split a disappointment, albeit an understandable one. But I would have never guessed that Chris working *without* Glenn would result in such a monumentally fine, substantial and moving work. Personally, I dig the heavy use of piano and keyboards alongside the exceptional guitar work and airy acoustic mixdowns. More than that, the exacting vocal arrangements here actually outdo anything from the Squeeze playbook. But above all, Chris knows how to pen lyrics to music. A stirring surprise overall, and I hope to see more from Chris Difford.

A brilliant effort from this poetic man who is an expert at creating mood and atmosphere through the medium of sound.

Don't expect the straight-forward ear-candy and pop of Squeeze. This is much more subtle. And more beautiful. If you're like me and found the later Squeeze albums and also Glenn's solo stuff merely like "below-average bland versions of the Squeeze I loved" then perhaps you'll prefer this solo CD by Chris Difford. It's pretty different from classic Squeeze (take for example Difford's stunning bluegrass take on Squeeze's 1990s hit "Electric Trains"). But it's an artistic development, and a real statement, not an attempt to recreate 1979. This is truly one of my favorite CDs of the past decade.

The man who used to put words into Glenn Tilbrook's mouth decides to sing them himself. To be fair, Chris Difford sang a number of Squeeze's songs but his dry, baritone appears in the minority on all the band's albums. It's nice to finally see Chris Difford blossom into a singer. Yes, his voice lacks the warm tone of Tilbrook's and, yes it's a limited instrument. Like Elvis Costello it's what Difford does with his limitations that makes his performance so wonderful.

While I Didn't Get Where I Am isn't up to the caliber of the best Squeeze albums, it has a number of terrific numbers that do belong in the same company. The relaxed groove of the album (none of these are rockers)is pleasant listening. Difford collaborates chiefly with Francis Dunnery on the bulk of the songs. The oddity is Cowboys Are My Weakness. It has a profitable future in gay movies and television programs. It's bouncy, catchy melody lulls you into singing along. At least unless you're male and out in a group of other males.

The arrangements are fairly rich recalling such classics as Black Coffee in Bed and When The Hangover Strikes. In the competition between Difford and Tilbrook solo albums, I'd give Difford a slight edge for his intelligent lyrics.

Many people dont know Chris was and important part of the duo "squeeze". After listening to his CD that is superior to that of his collaborator, I am surprized that he didnt sing lead more often. It is am import, but I got it used, which helps on the price. A very mild mannered, smooth collection of tunes.