Album Focus: Squeeze - Argybargy

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Jackson Monk
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Album Focus: Squeeze - Argybargy

Post by Jackson Monk »

I'd always liked the Squeeze singles, but the first album I could afford to buy was East Side Story (another true classic). I went back to get Argybargy several years after it was released (1980) and I had the same feeling I had when I bought TYM in 1983......what have I been missing all these years?

1979's 'Cool for Cats' was vastly superior to their epoymously titled debut album. However, ArgyBargy improved even more on it's predecessor. Although they retained their distinctly British sound, Squeeze put together an astonishly catchy set of tunes that, despite the bleak landscapes, embodied lively, effervescent pop music, that was truly endearing to most fans of 'honest' music and melody.

Difford's sharp and penetrating reflections of day-to-day living in Thatcherite Britain was as rich and intense as Tilbrook's melodies were gorgeous. The double entendre of the plaintive classic single "Pulling Mussels (From the Shell)," which describes details of the characters on a typical English seaside holiday. The highlight (of which there are many) is the often forgotten "Vicky Verky," which is in the same league as "Up the Junction" for it's simple magnificent tale of breaking up and young heartbreak.

ArgyBargy is full to the brim with perfect, ageless pop music and is probably the band's finest moment and most astounding achievement. Although a landmark recording of the early 80s, it is by no mean dated and is as refreshing today as it ever was. What makes it so special is the economy of the lyrics and the 'pocket rocket' length of the songs. In each song, the 'story' is told very quickly but with precise descriptions-and a full-speed- ahead performance that is bona fide rock-and-roll. It is bulging with humour and very,very clever lyrical gems.

Squeeze released three more classic albums;the aforementioned East Side Story in 1981 (produced by another very cool lyricist!) and two of the best albums of the 90s - 'Play' and 'Some Fantastic Place'. They were great records, but Argybargy was and is their greatest hour.


Running Order:

1. Pulling Mussels (From the Shell) :D
2. Another Nail in My Heart :D
3. Separate Beds :D
4. Misadventure 8) :D
5. I Think I'm Gonna Go 8) 8)
6. If I Didn't Love You :lol: :D 8)
7. Farfisa Beat :lol:
8. Here Comes That Feeling :?
9. Vicky Verky :D :D :D :D :D 8)
10. Wrong Side of the Moon 8) 8) :D
11. There at the Top :lol: :D 8)
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BlueChair
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Post by BlueChair »

When I first heard Glen Tilbrook's voice on Trust, I knew I had to investigate Squeeze. I only own two of their albums: East Side Story and Argybargy, both on vinyl. And honestly, I feel like these two albums provide me with enough Squeeze, though I'm sure at some point I'll expand a bit.

Argybargy is simply a great album with great singing and great songwriting. "Seperate Beds" is a song which describes young relationships brilliantly. "Wrong Side Of The Moon" is a great vehicle for Jools Holland to take the microphone. The highpoint for me though, is "Pulling Mussels (From A Shell)." The lyrics are fantastically unique:

"Squinting faces at the sky
A Harold Robbins paperback
Surfers drop their boards and dry
And everybody wants a hat"
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Jackson Monk
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Post by Jackson Monk »

You should buy or borrow 'Play' BC.

If only for the fact that it contains the best breaking up tune ever - 'Letting Go' -

She plaits her hair, I bite my nails
We balance love on the scales
I wind the clock and go to bed
Our love is hanging on a thread
She gets undressed, I undress too
The draft is cold in my bedroom
We cuddle up and say goodnight
It's all the love there is tonight.
I can't be brave enough
She cannot say what we're feeling
Day after day
We're going through the motions
We find it hard to let each other go

She boils the eggs, I make the tea
Outside the sun shines on the street
We're at that point here love has gone
The fuse is lit, it won't be long
I take a walk, she cleans the house
This is the end, I'm in no doubt
But neither one of us can show
The slightest sign of letting go
I can't be brave enough
She cannot say what we're feeling
Day after day
We're going through the motions
We find it hard to let each other go
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Post by norman brain »

ARGYBARGY is my favorite hour by Squeeze, too! Pure pop from start to finish. I have a fondness for COOL FOR CATS and EAST SIDE STORY as well. I own every LP through SWEETS FROM A STRANGER, and there's good songs to be found on all of 'em.

After that, I've only heard FRANK, which wasn't bad. I need to go back and fill in the holes in that collection. They're definitely worth it.
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Post by wehitandrun »

I've been craving Squeeze that doesn't sound dated.

Didn't Elvis produce this? I'll have to check it out.
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Post by Jackson Monk »

WHAR

Elvis produced 'East Side Story', which is also great. Very poppy and more slickly produced than Argybargy. East Side Story has a superb collection of songs.

The 'dated' stuff you refer to is probably the stuff from 'Cosi Fan Tutti Frutti' and 'Babylon and On' - some good stuff on those records, but with a distinctly 80s in sound, that I only occasionally revisit.
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Post by verbal gymnastics »

Personally my favourite album is Play. Wicked and Cruel, Walk A Straight Line and Glenn's singing on Third Rail. Marvellous.

I think Squeeze and Elvis are very similar in that they never really got the recognitions they deserved. They were also more in tune with success on their own terms rather than commercially. Squeeze could bang out pop stuff like Cool for Cats in the same way Elvis could have banged out Oliver's Army. It's no surprise they were the same bedfellows.

Blue - invest in Play and Some Fantastic Place. You won't be disappointed.
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Post by DrJ »

Play is fantastic, but it's currently deleted, I found my copy in a cut out bin in Ocean City, Maryland in 1995.

SFP is a good album, and has Pete Thomas, which is nice.

As for Argybargy, I just want to highlight Vicky Verky. An amazing song.

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Post by Smallfaces1 »

buy excess moderation, thats all you'll ever need! oh and sweets from a stranger, babylon and on and ridiculus and get the DVD too it rocks!
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Post by Jackson Monk »

Yeah....Smallfaces...excellent point....'Excess Moderation' covers so many of Squeeze's forgotten gems...Maidstone...Revue....Piccadilly....I could so on all night...
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Post by PlaythingOrPet »

I've been humming the song Glenn played on last week's Later... all week. V. good. Ok, so out of all of them, which is the one to get first? I'm afraid I've only ever got as far as the recent Best Of.

Useless info alert! I was watching my brother's 'Girls on Top' DVD recently and noticed Glenn and Chris wrote the theme tune. Very 80s-sounding, which = crap.
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Post by DrJ »

"Girls on Top" the c.1984 sitcom with French & Saunders, Tracey Ullman and Ruby Wax? That's cool. That should have been used in the trivia thread.

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Post by wehitandrun »

I love the first half of this album. The second half hasn't grown on me yet.
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Post by wehitandrun »

The first 8 tracks are the greatest.

ARGYBARGY!
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Post by Jackson Monk »

Fucking hell WHAR.........we agree on something!!! :shock:

There is hope yet you old dog :lol:

Now go and buy East Side Story... 8)
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Post by verbal gymnastics »

Jackson Monk wrote:Fucking hell WHAR.........we agree on something!!! :shock:
Is it 1st April already? :lol:
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Post by wehitandrun »

Hah, Jackson, I downloaded "argybargy", "east side story", "sweets from a stranger", "difford and tilbrook", and a lot of acoustic/radio shows.

No worries, I'll definitly buy "argybargy", and I believe they have a live cd out as well.

"Argybargy" is pure genius. I haven't given "Eastside Story" a real chance yet, but "In Quintessence" is damn good.
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Post by Jackson Monk »

Great to see a convert. I'm impressed at your willingness to move on from your apparent entrenched view. Shows a degree of character and reminds me of when I finally realised the genius of Springsteen and Van the Man after years of denial.

Give the 90s stuff a listen too. 'Some Fantastic Place' and 'Play' are right up there....as is the Tilbrook solo album released a couple of years back.
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Post by wehitandrun »

I can't believe how good this album is. I'm trying to not listen to it until I buy the album.

I hear "Argybargy" is out of print in the USA. Is this true? I'm screwed if so.

I hear good things about "Babylon and On" and "Frank", those two are coming in now.
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Post by Jackson Monk »

Both Babylon and On and Frank are good, but they are not in the same league as Some Fantastic Place, Play and Excess Moderation.
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Post by BlueChair »

wehitandrun wrote:I can't believe how good this album is. I'm trying to not listen to it until I buy the album.

I hear "Argybargy" is out of print in the USA. Is this true? I'm screwed if so.

I hear good things about "Babylon and On" and "Frank", those two are coming in now.
I own Argybargy on vinyl.... go get a record player!
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Post by wehitandrun »

I might have to. :!:
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Post by bobster »

My copy of "Argy-Bargy" was one of the many records lost in the great Peace March Bobster vinyl rip-off of 1985, nevertheless, my second favorite Squeeze album (well, I only owned three and the third one I didn't care for much, making my favorite, you guessed it, "East Side Story" -- but I really, really love that album). I have very fond memories of it as I actually won a promo copy as a door prize during my student orientation at UCLA. I was already a big EC fan, but hadn't heard them. Liked it right away and it made total sense when they all got together a couple of years later. My favorite cuts: "Pulling Mussels" and the piano-centric "Dark Side of the Moon".

An interesting, more recent moment -- hearing "Mussel" while playing craps at the El Cortez Casino in Reno, Nevada. I was convinced this would be a good sign, butm sadly, Glen, Chris and the gang had no apparent positive influence on the dice. Good music, sadly, does not automatically bring good luck.
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Post by wehitandrun »

I've had three people tell me that "East Side Story" is "BY FAR" their best Squeeze album. I love "In Quintessence" and "Tempted"... but "argybargy" is just so good.

I guess it's like "Armed Forces" and "Get Happy!!"...
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Post by goodbyegirl »

Squeeze actually sparked my interest in Elvis Costello. It was East Side Story. I had heard of Elvis but wasn't familiar with his music. It has been nothin but love since!
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