★★★★★
A good 45 years into the singer-songwriter era of rock, when it's not unusual for performers to have multi-decade careers, you rarely see an act go back into the studio to faithfully re-record old material as if nothing has changed since the first release. Sure, they offer up new versions - acoustic, live, orchestral, whatever - from time to time, but slavish recreation is seen as a crass gimmick, a throwback to rock's early days when itinerant singles artists tried to pawn off "greatest hits"...
- www.americansongwriter.com
2013-04-25
★★★★★
Ongoing differences of opinion between band and the major label custodians of their back catalogue meant Squeeze were given no guarantee that a new money-spinning compilation would greet their forthcoming winter UK tour. The solution? Head back to the studio for a self-financed album of ultra-faithful copies...
- www.recordcollectormag.com
2010-12-21
★★★★★
Nearly 35 years ago, Squeeze released its first record. Chris Difford and Glenn Tilbrook were promptly compared to another spectacularly talented songwriting team. Musicians dream about being called the next John Lennon or Paul McCartney, but it might not be the best thing for a group's career. Though the band had a string of hits that are clearly the pinnacle of pop classics, Squeeze didn't really achieve the kind of prosperity and recognition it deserved...
- www.popmatters.com
2010-10-04
★★★★★
The idea behind Squeeze's new album—14 re-recordings of classic Squeeze tracks—is that listeners should try to "spot the difference" between the original recordings (many of which are now over 30 years old) and these recreations. Rootsy-rockers Cracker did something similar a few years back as a screw you to their former record label, but instead of loose variations, Squeeze has reprised their hits here in faithful fashion...
- www.undertheradarmag.com
2010-08-16
★★★★★
Squeeze are a great pop band who've made some lousy career moves, and this may be the lousiest. They're two years into their reunion (and three weeks after a killer show at Bank of America Pavilion), and just when fans would be expecting a full-strength album, they instead release this set of greatest-hits remakes. It was done mainly to attract some quick money from catalogue licensing, so the object is to sound as much like the original recordings as possible. This they do...
- thephoenix.com
2010-08-16
★★★★★
A greatest hits package posing as a mind game, Spot the Difference does fulfill its basic description, giving Squeeze fans a chance to catch the variations between some old songs and their newly recorded versions. But the real concept here, which seems to suggest at least some semblance of transformation, is only sketchily fulfilled. The renditions are spindly, stripped-down adaptations of the originals, the only main difference being the more-ragged tinge of Chris Difford's voice...
- www.slantmagazine.com
2010-08-06
★★★★★
Squeeze has rerecorded 14 of its hits and is asking fans to Spot the Difference between these note-for-note renderings and the originals. It's an amusing gimmick ? the biggest difference being the voices of Chris Difford and Glenn Tilbrook, which are craggier and raspier than they were 30 years ago. Though this material has been rereleased ad nauseam, Squeeze obsessives will eat it up. For everyone else, it's a reminder that songs like "Take Me I'm Yours" have aged surprisingly well.
- ew.com
2010-07-30
★★★★★
Sound: Squeeze is one of the best bands from the New Wave era that combined many different music styles such as rock, country, and soul but they combined it into great rock/pop songs. East Side Story was released in 1981 and was the first album without their keyboardist Jools Holland. Squeeze replaced Jools Holland with keyboardist/singer Paul Carrack...
- www.ultimate-guitar.com
2009-11-15
★★★★★
Popophiles Chris Difford and Glenn Tilbrook don't settle for have-fun fall-in-love fear-girls. They pen short stories worthy of early Rupert Holmes, and with a beat (alternate title: Herkyjerky). 'Tis said McCartneyesque tunefulness is the ticket here, but to me Tilbrook sounds more like Ray Davies after est--at peace with himself and out for big bucks, pounds being a foregone conclusion.
- www.robertchristgau.com
2009-07-10
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