Squeeze released Frank

Frank Squeeze

Released: August 24, 1989 Peak: 113 US, 58 UK Sales (in millions): -- Genre: new wave

Tracks: Song Title (Writers) [time] (date of single release, chart peaks) Click for codes to singles charts. Frank (no author – studio chatter) [0:15] If It’s Love [4:02] (9/89, 7 MR) Peyton Place [4:08] Rose, I Said [3:36] Slaughtered, Gutted and Heartbroken [4:37] This Could Be the Last Time [3:49] She Doesn’t Have to Shave [3:27] Love Circles [5:34] (1/15/90, --) Melody Motel [3:51] Can of Worms [4:47] Dr. Jazz (Holland) [4:04] Is It Too Late [3:12] Songs written by Chris Difford and Glenn Tilbrook unless noted otherwise. Total Running Time: 45:22 The Players: Chris Difford (vocals, rhythm guitar) Glenn Tilbrook (vocals, lead guitar) Jools Holland (keyboards) Keith Wilkinson (bass) Gilson Lavis (drums, percussion)

Rating: 3.089 out of 5.00 (average of 17 ratings) Quotable: “An unpretentious, classily produced album that’s packed with quality tunes” – John Alroy, Wilson & Alroy’s Record Reviews

About the Album: ”Though Babylon and On was hailed as a return to form, the unfairly overlooked follow-up, Frank, comes much closer to the sound of classic Squeeze.” AMG ”The band suddenly showed signs of life with an unpretentious, classily produced album that's packed with quality tunes and comes off as a true group effort.” JA “Wilkinson's ferociously melodic, Tilbrook's guitar parts are a tour de force, and, like everyone, Holland sounds like he's having the party of his life.” JA “Practically everything works, with crisp but complex arrangements, significant stylistic variety, and a genuine sense of humor…Several tunes are among their best ever.” JA “Mysteriously, the…singles completely bombed.” JA Then again, this should come as no surprise to anyone following their career. Squeeze can churn out pop masterpieces in their sleep and the charts will never give them a second glance. Both “If It's Love and the mesmerizingly harmonized Love Circles (hey, that's Difford in the lead) sound like Paul McCartney at his best.” JA "Peyton Place has great dynamics and a riveting chorus” JA while “the twisting rockers Rose I Said and (This Could Be) The Last Time are excellent examples of the group's debt to Elvis Costello and the early Beatles.” JA Dr. Jazz, Holland’s “boogie-woogie jazz tribute is endearingly odd.” JA He’s also “memorable on another of Difford's spotlights – the smooth, 40's small-combo jazz number Slaughtered, Gutted and Heartbroken,” JA the peak of the album. The most “Squeeze-like” song on the album is the “irresistible” AMG She Doesn’t Have to Shave. Complete with witty lyrics that make you chuckle and an understated pop hook, the song catches on after a few listens and never lets you go again after that. That song and Can of Worms fit the fairly standard “blue-eyed soul love songs,” JA but, as is often the case with Squeeze, they charm more than they detract. There are also the “good-natured musical sendups (country-western on Melody Motel; manic rockabilly on It's Too Late) [that] are so well-performed they're gems.” JA ”None of this pushes the band's limits, but such a minor shortcoming won't spoil your enjoyment in the slightest.” JA With Frank, Squeeze has churned out yet another inexplicably overlooked delight.

Resources and Related Links: DMDB encyclopedia entry for Squeeze AMG All Music Guide by Chris Woodstra JA John Alroy, Wilson & Alroy’s Record Reviews Other Related DMDB Pages: First posted 3/16/2006; last updated 2/7/2022.