Retro Spins: Squeeze - Frank

  

When I was deciding if I was going to focus in on Squeeze and grab their remaining albums for my collection, I came across the song, If It's Love. This instantly cemented that decision, with me stating to myself, "I really like the vocals of Glenn Tilbrook."

Frank serves as the last release from Squeeze for the decade, and unfortunately, it would fail to produce any successful singles for the band. This, for me, is particularly disappointing based on how much I dug the above noted tune. However, in retrospect, there's no doubt that the landscape of music was changing by 1989. Hair metal had come and gone, and in its wake was the evolving grunge scene. The world had seemingly moved on from pop rock, at the time, myself included.

Things started out great with If Its Love, and provided additional standouts such asPeyton Place, Rose I Said, and (This Could Be) The Last Time. However, it was around the latter, that I suddenly found myself uninterested. The remaining tracks to come simply weren't resonating, and I actually found myself saying by track eleven (of twelve), "Isn't this thing done yet?"

While Squeeze still had a solid layer of instrumentation across all the songs on Frank, it did feel like a more straightforward rock and roll album versus the new wave and pop sounds that filled the majority of their 80's discography. I suppose I don't fault the band for evolving with the times, but on the same hand, when you listen to albums back to back, these shifts can feel out of place. I suppose had I listened to it in 1989, it would have felt like a more natural transition.

Ironically, the album ends with the track, Is It Too Late, which picks things up a bit with its New Orleans vintage club sound. While I initially wasn't paying that much attention, it was the lyrics, "(Is it too late) To kick me in the teeth? (Is it too late) Knock them down my throat? (Is it too late?)" that my mind jolted back with a, "Wait, what'd he just say?"

Despite this sudden new investment, the album ended after the song faded, leaving me to sit here thinking, "Eh, it was just okay." Based on its reception at the time of it original release, I don't appear to be alone in this mindset.

The end result of Franks lackluster response would be A&E dropping Squeeze, the band which they had supported since their 1978 debut, and across eight studio albums. Undeterred, Squeeze made a deal with I.R.S. to release the live album, A Round And A Bout, while also adding new keyboardist, Matt Irving.

By this time, the television career of Jool Holland was booming, and he opted to leave the band to pursue not only that, but a solo career. It would be his second departure from the band, and he would not be immediately replaced.

Still undeterred, the band signed with Reprise, and released 1991's Play. Unfortunately, this would prove to be another failure, and ironically, A&E would sign them again, releasing 1993's Some Fantastic Place, and 1995's Ridiculous. Despite both albums making the top fifty in the UK, Squeeze would continue to experience difficulties with major labels, and depart in 1997 to release albums independently.

During this entire period, lineup changes would continue to occur. This included Gilson Lavis being fired in 1992 after relapsing into alcoholism, and Keith Wilkinson, who departed after 1995's Some Fantastic Place for undocumented reasons. With that said, it was surprising to see that Paul Carrack would make a brief return to the band, his first since singing the lead on Tempted back in 1982 for East Side Story. However, his return would be very brief.

Squeeze would break up again in 1999, with both Tilbrook and Difford going on to solo careers. An attempt at reuniting Difford, Tilbrook, Holland, Wilkinson and Lavis seemed to start positively in 2004 when spearheaded by the VH1 series, Bands Reunited. Unfortunately, it ultimately didn't happen, Holland would state he was too busy, Lavis would only express mild interest, and Tilbrook completely decided against it.

In 2007 it was announced by Difford and Tilbrook that they were going to reform Squeeze. While they'd release four albums between 2010 and 2026 the two would be the only reoccurring classic lineup members. With an ever rotating lineup, the band continues to actively tour, and who knows, maybe they have some more studio album in them that will come down the pike.

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