Some Fantastic Place is the tenth studio album by the British new wave group Squeeze, released in 1993 by A&M Records. Their first album since the departure of original Squeeze drummer Gilson Lavis, it features Pete Thomas and the brief return of keyboardist/vocalist Paul Carrack, who had previously appeared on East Side Story (1981). "Loving You Tonight" became only the second Squeeze song cut in thirteen years to feature Carrack singing a lead part. Additionally, bassist Keith Wilkinson wrote and sang "True Colours (The Storm)", the first song on a Squeeze album not written by Glenn Tilbrook, Chris Difford, Jools Holland, or any combination of those three.
The album features a pop rock style and was produced by Squeeze and Peter Smith. Recorded in Tilbrook's recently built personal studios, the recording sessions involved a larger deal of debate concerning song structures, which the band said helped contribute towards the album's passionate sound. Unusually, Glenn Tilbrook and Chris Difford wrote songs together rather than apart, which they suggested helped revitalise their working relationship. The album was released to critical acclaim, and the title track remains Difford and Tilbrook's favourite Squeeze song. The album reached number 26 in the UK Albums Chart.[1]
Background
A&M Records had dropped Squeeze following the commercial disappointment of Frank (1989), and they subsequently signed to Reprise Records for the release of Play (1991). However, the album was another sales failure and the band, who were then dropped again and subsequently resigned to A&M for Some Fantastic Place.[2] Around this period, drummer Gilson Lavis, who had played on all of Squeeze's albums up until this point, left the band. Glenn Tilbrook reflected: "He just got tired of being in the band, and it was time for him to move on. It's bound to be emotional when you've worked with somebody for that long, but I think it was the right decision for Gil to make, and it's not tempered with any bitterness."[2] Lavis later disputed this, claiming he was fired from the band: "I was kicked out after an American tour. I’d just separated from my wife and I was in a bit of a state. I’d been sober for seven years and I decided that having a drink would be a good idea. So on this tour I was a bit of a mess, and very depressed. When we got back there was a band meeting and I was told I wasn’t needed any more."[3]
Squeeze, at the time consisting of songwriters Chris Difford and Glenn Tilbrook and bassist Keith Wilkinson, originally intended to record Some Fantastic Place as a trio with the addition of programmed drum and keyboard instruments, but ultimately opted to add several members.[2] When Difford and Tilbrook were performing an acoustic show, they noticed Paul Carrack, who had been with the band in 1981 (playing keyboards on East Side Story and also singing its hit single "Tempted"), was nearby. They asked him to open live for them, thinking it would be unlikely, but nonetheless he agreed.[4] When the band were rehearsing for Some Fantastic Place, Difford suggested the band readmit Carrack into the band, which they put "to the test". Difford later said "it's worked out marvellously."[5]
Meanwhile, the band line-up was completed by drummer Pete Thomas, previously of Elvis Costello's backing band The Attractions.[5] Tilbrook said that Thomas gave the album a "very different rhythmical approach" to other Squeeze albums, explaining: "Pete is a song-orientated drummer. He listens to the song and decides what's needed from him -- which is great for us, as we're also song-orientated."[6]
Some Fantastic Place marked another change for the band, in that Difford and Tilbrook, who typically write lyrics and music separately (with Difford usually giving Tilbook completed lyrics to write the music for), went for a relatively simplistic approach, sitting down together and writing the majority of the album as a team. The duo credited this approach with revitalising their working relationship, bringing about a "big jump" in their creativity level. Tilbrook commented: "It was like discovering a new partnership, because suddenly we were able to bounce ideas back and forth off each other."[2]
Tilbrook had recently built a recording studio near his London home, so the band visited the studio everyday, both rehearsing and recording the record there.[5] The studio was allegedly located in Blackheath above a welder's shop.[7] The writing took approximately two months, and "for two or three of the songs, [the band] sat in the same room with each other." Difford explained: "Glenn created an environment, and to leave our homes and go and work together was something new. It was good to sit in the same room and be inventive. It makes things simpler; you don't have to wait for the results. It's quite inspirational."[5] The studio was relatively small, which Tilbrook felt worked for the band just as he hoped it would, noting the "really good vibe."[6]
Compared to previous albums, more open debate concerning the song arrangements occurred between members than on any previous Squeeze album, which Difford called "a lot of to-ing and fro-ing" and believed helped make Some Fantastic Place one of the band's better albums. Each band member had strong ideas on how they wanted the songs to be, and they stood on firm ground when they believed they were right. Difford enjoyed this experience "because it showed that people really cared."[2]
Music and lyrics
Some Fantastic Place maintains a mix of "emotionally complex storytelling and uplifting songcraft," in the words of Harold Dumuir of Pulse.[2] Difford felt Some Fantastic Place would be ideal for reintroducing the band into the public consciousness: "In some respects, we really need to reeducate people about Squeeze, and remind them that we're here, and I think that this is a good album to do that with, because it contains all the best elements of what Squeeze has always been. It's got a good balance of optimism and pessimism, light and dark, up and down, yin and yang."[2] Most songs are sung by Tilbrook, with Difford sticking to background harmonies.[2] Musically, the album is warm, simplistic and lively,[8] featuring the band's signature pop rock sound, as exemplified throughout the record with songs as varied as the melodic power pop of "Third Rail" and blue-eyed soul of "Loving You Tonight".[9][10]
Failed and failing relationships are a recurring theme on the album.[8][9] Mat Snow of Q noted the bittersweet kitchen sink style of the lyrics,[11] while Gary Leboff of Vox felt the album was less offbeat than previous Squeeze albums, with fewer East End characters in the band's lyrics than usual, though nonetheless maintaining a quirkiness, citing "Cold Shoulder" and "Jolly Comes Home", which he described as "a 'Labelled with Love'-esque reflection on suburban mundanity."[7]Trouser Press noted "sharply noted details" in the lyrics: "[T]he initialed 45s left behind in 'Images of Loving,' an attempted rapprochement in 'It's Over,' a cat flap in the kitchen door that provides a dog's-eye view in 'Cold Shoulder'."[8]
The album's title track, with its balanced themes of loss and acceptance, is a tribute to Maxine Barker, a longtime friend of the band who had been responsible for first introducing Tilbrook and Difford in the early 1970s and who succumbed to leukemia in 1992. The song was described by Tilbrook as "one of those songs that wrote itself; it was done straight off in about 10 minutes."[2] The singer incorporated a guitar solo in the song which he wrote when he and Difford met in 1973.[12] "Jolly Come Home" – a quietly intense song – and "Cold Shoulder", which was penned by Difford during a 65-mile car drive, inject mordant humour into themes of domestic dysfunction.[8][2] Music critic Gary Leboff said of the latter song: "'Cold Shoulder' does everything right: an opening image of our love-battered and locked-out hero peering through the cat-flap at the missus's feet, a wistful tune counterpointed by a sardonic guitar line, every detail poignant in its starkness. In this mode, Squeeze kill you softly every time."[7]
Among other melodic songs that document stalled romances,[2] "Third Rail" uses an electric railway for an emotional metaphor,[13] while "Everything in the World" was influenced by Motown music and uses a conspicuous beat which drowns out the vocals and melody,[7] drawing comparison to the Vandellas.[8] Carrack's "Loving You Tonight" is in a mellow soul style,[8] while Wilkinson makes his vocal and songwriting debut with "True Colours (The Storm)", a tropical and calypso flavoured song. He had brought several songs to Squeeze throughout his tenure with the band and "we'd figured he'd waited in line long enough," according to Tilbrook.[2][7] "Pinocchio" is an ambitious song with forthright lyrics,[2] described by one critic as "a tale of Jack the Laddish deceit."[7]
"Third Rail" was released as a single ahead of the album on 12 July 1993, reaching number 39 in the UK Singles Chart,[1] while "Everything in the World" was released in the United States only, reaching number 9 on the American US Modern Rock charts.[14]A&M Records released Some Fantastic Place on 14 September 1993, where it was a modest hit, reaching number 26 on the UK Albums Chart.[1] The subsequent singles from the album were less successful; "Some Fantastic Place", issued in August 1993, reached number 73,[1] while October's "Loving You Tonight" single did not chart. The final single, February 1994's "It's Over", reached number 89.[1] Squeeze went on a nationwide tour of Britain in promotion of the album, where both older and new songs were well received by audiences.[15] As of 1996, Some Fantastic Place had sold 67,800 copies.[16]
Some Fantastic Place was released to positive reviews from music critics.[12] Mat Snow of Q rated the album four stars out of five and called it "another fine Squeeze album [...] with the usual complement of perfectly realised songs and bittersweet kitchen sinkery."[11] Gary Leboff of Vox called the album "another collection stuffed with melodic treats and lyrical wit, for consumption by an audience significantly smaller than they deserve." He highlighted the last two songs as the best on the album.[7] Despite a score of two and a half stars out of five, Chris Woodstra of AllMusic was favourable, saying "the classic sound is still there" and concluding that it was "[a]nother in a series of commercial sleepers, but definitely worth a listen."[10]
Mark Caro of the Chicago Tribune hailed the album for "[providing] room and reason to dig" compared to the band's previous few albums, writing that Tilborok and Difford "have brightened up musically while maintaining the crown as pop-rock's most tuneful and trenchant observers of romantic breakdowns." He described Difford's protagonists as "still getting into awkward positions" while Tilbrook "provides snaky pop", whereas "Jolly Comes Home" is "as incisive and beautiful a ballad as the band has recorded."[9]Phoenix New Times reflected that the album was "an adult, yet considerably bouncier, work" than prior Squeeze albums.[17]Trouser Press criticised the writing, finding too many songs to talk of romantic break-ups, but nonetheless felt the album was "lively and unpretentious."[8]
In The Rough Guide to Rock, Nick Dale highlights it as one of Squeeze's four most essential albums and their "most successful release since Babylon and On, and for good reason." He wrote the band showed "no signs of flagging" and noted the growing sophistication and sensitivity on the title track and "Loving You Tonight," while also highlighting the title track, "Cold Shoulder" and "Third Rail" as the best songs on the album.[13]Elton John bought twenty copies of the album for his numerous homes and cars.[12] The album's title track remains one of the band's favourite Squeeze songs.[12] After the release of the album, Carrack and Thomas left the band on amicable terms.[12]
Squeeze are an English rock band that came to prominence in the United Kingdom during the new wave period of the late 1970s, and continued recording in the 1980s, 1990s and 2010s. In the UK, their singles "Cool for Cats", "Up the Junction", and "Labelled with Love" were top-ten chart hits; "Pulling Mussels" only made it to 44 in the UK charts. Though not as commercially successful in the United States, Squeeze had American hits with "Tempted", "Black Coffee in Bed", and "Hourglass", and were considered a part of the Second British Invasion.
Christopher Henry Difford is an English musician. He is a founding member and songwriter of the rock group Squeeze.
East Side Story is the fourth studio album by new wave group Squeeze. The album peaked at number 19 in the UK Albums Chart, spending 26 weeks in the listing.
Frank is a studio album by new wave group Squeeze, released in 1989. The album sold poorly, and Squeeze was dropped by A&M Records while on tour. Forced to take offers from different major labels for the first time in their career, the band soon signed with Reprise Records and began working on their next studio album, Play.
Sweets from a Stranger is the fifth studio album by the British new wave group Squeeze, released in September 1982 through A&M. The album peaked at number 20 in the UK Albums Chart. The band split up soon after a world tour for the record, and the two main songwriters went on to record 1984's Difford & Tilbrook. Squeeze reunited and released Cosi Fan Tutti Frutti in 1985. As with all Squeeze albums, Chris Difford wrote the words first and Glenn Tilbrook would write the music afterwards often editing Difford's material to create a streamlined narrative. Tilbrook would record a demo afterwards and play it for Difford.
Argybargy is the third studio album by the English new wave band Squeeze. Written and recorded after the band's successful sophomore release, Cool for Cats, the album's lyrics were written by Chris Difford while living with his wife in New York City. The band reunited with Cool for Cats producer John Wood and, after Glenn Tilbrook composed music for Difford's new lyrics, recorded the album in late 1979.
Cosi Fan Tutti Frutti is a 1985 album by the British new wave group Squeeze. It is the band's sixth album, and the first recorded since their breakup in 1982. It reunited songwriters Glenn Tilbrook and Chris Difford with drummer Gilson Lavis and keyboardist Jools Holland. Keith Wilkinson, who played bass on the 1984 Difford & Tilbrook album, joined Squeeze for the first time. He would stay with the band for over a decade, making him the longest-lasting bassist in Squeeze's history. Laurie Latham produced the album. The album peaked at number 31 on the UK Albums Chart.
Babylon and On is the seventh album released in September 1987 by the British new wave group Squeeze.
Play is a 1991 album by the British new wave group Squeeze. It is the band's ninth album, and their only released by Reprise Records. It is the first LP in the Squeeze discography to feature only four official members instead of five. Tony Berg produced the album. In the liner notes to the 1996 Squeeze compilation Excess Moderation, Glenn Tilbrook stated that he considers Play the beginning of Squeeze's "renaissance period." The album spent one week at number 41 in the UK Albums Chart in September 1991.
Ridiculous is an album by the British new wave group Squeeze. It was the band's eleventh studio album, and it introduced their latest drummer Kevin Wilkinson. As on the previous album, Some Fantastic Place, the band recorded one song penned by Keith Wilkinson. This time, however, Wilkinson did not perform the lead vocals. That song, "Got to Me", is the last Wilkinson would write with Squeeze. Chris Difford sang lead on two songs, "Long Face" and "Fingertips". He had not performed lead on an album cut since "Slaughtered, Gutted and Heartbroken" and "Love Circles" on the 1989 album Frank. This record was produced by Glenn Tilbrook and Peter Smith.
"Cool for Cats" is a song by English rock band Squeeze, released as the second single from their album of the same name. The song features a rare lead vocal performance from cockney-accented Squeeze lyricist Chris Difford, one of the only two occasions he sang lead on a Squeeze single A-side. The song, slightly edited from the album track, peaked at No. 2 on the UK Singles Chart in 1979, making "Cool for Cats" one of the band's biggest hits.
"Another Nail in My Heart" is a 1980 song by new wave band Squeeze. Written by Chris Difford and Glenn Tilbrook, it was released on the album Argybargy. Notable for Tilbrook's guitar solo right after the first verse, the song features marimba in its opening at the suggestion of newly acquired bassist John Bentley. Difford has expressed disappointment with his lyrics on the song, though he praised Tilbrook's solo.
"Tempted" is a song by the British rock band Squeeze. Written by the Squeeze songwriting team of Glenn Tilbrook and Chris Difford, the song features lyrics inspired by Difford's experiences on an American tour and an arrangement inspired by the Temptations. "Tempted" is one of a few Squeeze songs with Paul Carrack as lead vocalist, at the suggestion of producer Elvis Costello.
Difford & Tilbrook is the only studio album released by Difford & Tilbrook. Chris Difford and Glenn Tilbrook were the main songwriters in the new wave band Squeeze until their 1982 breakup. The duo continued to write songs together, and in 1984 released this self-titled effort.
"Last Time Forever" is the first single released from Squeeze's sixth album, Cosi Fan Tutti Frutti, and the band's first since 1982. The 12" version of the song, like the album version, contains brief samples from the film The Shining; the 7" version edits them out. The single reached number 45 on the UK Singles Chart.
A Round and a Bout is a live album by the British new wave group Squeeze, released in 1990 by I.R.S. Records and Deptford Fun City Records. A concert video was released with the same title, and contained mostly the same performances from the LP. The album spent one week at number 50 in the UK Albums Chart in April 1990.
"Some Fantastic Place" is the third single released from Squeeze's tenth album of the same name, Some Fantastic Place. It peaked at number 73 on the UK Singles Chart.
"Loving You Tonight" is the fourth single released from English rock band Squeeze's tenth album, Some Fantastic Place. Lead vocals on the song are by Paul Carrack. The only other time Carrack sang lead on a Squeeze track was in 1981, on the better-known "Tempted."
Spot the Difference is a 2010 album by the British new wave group Squeeze. It is the band's thirteenth studio album and consists entirely of new recordings of older Squeeze songs. The songs are arranged as similarly as possible to the original recordings, being done in such a way to invite the listener to 'spot the difference'.
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