Rose I Said
Trust me, there's a reason I posted this on Ricochet.
Once upon a time Squeeze turned out tight brilliant pop tunes that often told a tale. Earnest young love in lower-class straits, boozy pub misadventures. The vernacular lyrics may have mystified American audiences - it took me a while to figure out, for example, that a character who pretended he was flush with cash “had done his mother’s meter” meant that he’d stolen the coins she used to pay for the gas in the flat. (I think.) (Delingpole or James of England, help me out.)
They had two fine singer-songwriters (one a crooner, the other a guy who sang like a frog with a cold) a propulsive drummer, and a manic jester keyboard player. Too smart to be just pop, too personal to be a post-punk Important Band like the Clash, too human for nerd-wave status like the Talking Heads. You could sense the weariness as soon as they hit it big, though. “Sweets from a Stranger” was over-produced; it spawned a hit single the old fans didn’t like; the songwriting wasn’t up to par. They were tired, and the band split up after the tour.
They reunited, but the spark was never there. The songs developed a bad case of Costelloitis, swapping melody and simple structure for baroque indulgence. But every so often they’d just bang out a classic, and “Frank” had “Rose I Said,” an urgent little number with a a rote hook but a classic chorus. This live version is too rushed, but what makes it Ricochet-worthy is the chap who introduces the band. He was a fan. Smart guy, but you knew that.
So, Pat: Did you get to hang with the band after the show?
- Comment (27)
- · Quote
- · UnfollowFollow (3)
- Pages:
- 1
- 2
Comments:
May '10
Re: Rose I Said
The Paul Carrack incarnation of Squeeze was the soundtrack of many of my summers in college. Thanks for the flashback, James -- and how in the world did you happen to find the connection to Pat? {shakes head}
Aug '10
Re: Rose I Said
So, what, ya think this makes up for launching Keith Olbermann?
;-)
Jan '11
Re: Rose I Said
That's sure a huge CD.
Re: Rose I Said
One of my all time favorites. Saw them many times, including on a double bill with Costello at Roseland in NYC. That was a long time ago.
Edited on May 1, 2012 at 11:01pmNov '10
Re: Rose I Said
I always liked Cool for Cats.
Edited on May 1, 2012 at 11:26pmRe: Rose I Said
And who among us didn't have to correct a friend at least once:
It's "Pulling Mussels From the Shell," not "Pulling Mussels for Michelle!"
James enlighten me on something if you will. I often hear or read of the "importance" of The Clash as a band exactly as you've described it above. I've never really heard the explanation for why that is.
I like them and all, and crowing in a song is awesome. But why the reverence?
Jun '10
Re: Rose I Said
James:
Negative epiphany time. Your post just disclosed to me that I must have missed about three decades of American pop culture. I recognize the younger Pat Sajak (very hunkish), but I didn't understand a single word of your post. Is it written in a foreign language?
Time to embrace my my incipient (or is the word "insipid"?) geezer-hood.
Edited on May 1, 2012 at 11:24pmRe: Rose I Said
Not JMR: "Cool for Cats" is a great album; I'll bet they honed that one cold in the clubs, and did the album in a few takes. It's all over the map - even has a little British Music Hall - but lots of fun.
Tommy: the Clash were Important because they had the proper politics, came from the Authentic Prole demographic, and named an album after Central American Communist rebels. Image-wise, the equivalent of a Che poster in a college dorm room.
Tabula: yes, you missed it. ;) Not sure you missed three decades, though; all those bands and trends blew in and out in four years. We were certain at the time they'd go on forever, of course.
Re: Rose I Said
James: Thanks. It appears the Importance of The Clash is really about context, but I still like the tunes.
Aug '10
Re: Rose I Said
Squeeze are one of my all-time favorite bands. I hung with them through the years, and do think they did some fine work after their break -- though they never reached the same heights. I really enjoy the Play album, for instance.
The "new Lennon/McCartney" critical overpraise had a negative impact on Difford & Tilbrook, just as the "new Dylan" tag had upon innumerable singer-songwriters.
And James is spot on with his analysis of the Clash (I owned all those albums, too). Squeeze holds up better 30 years on.
Edited on May 2, 2012 at 1:11amRe: Rose I Said
James...
Though my CBS talk show lasted just a year and change, I continue to do it every night in my basement. Ruth Buzzi was on last night and had some pretty funny Laugh-In stories to tell.
May '10
Re: Rose I Said
But does your wife continue that stellar CBS ad campaign?
Mar '12
Re: Rose I Said
Thanks for the memory, James & Pat. I loved Squeeze. Picadilly, Good Bye Girl, Black Coffee in Bed. What a unique sound. Opening iTunes now.
Dec '11
Re: Rose I Said
EJ... That's bloody priceless!!
May '10
Re: Rose I Said
Unretouched, too!
May '10
Re: Rose I Said
Pat's debut monologue!
Sep '11
Re: Rose I Said
I totally thought you were talking about Ray Davies, James.
We need an arts & culture (and things that we convince ourselves are art & culture) feed.
Sep '10
Re: Rose I Said
Troy Senik told me once -- when he was three sheets to the wind after downing several Vesper martinis -- that Mollie Hemingway is Ricochet's "kissing bandit". Can anyone at Ricochet confirm this?
More importantly, which LawTalk podcast member will be filing the defamation suit? I have no fixed address, unfortunately.
Nov '10
Re: Rose I Said
It's interesting to me that just yesterday there was a post regarding something about the oddest bands out of your memory. I immediately thought of Squeeze. My favorite song, Up the Junction, appeared on the soundtrack for a 1980s film called Brimstone & Treacle. Sting wrote most of the songs on that soundtrack, which is how I came upon it. That song was of course also on Cool for Cats.
I didn't post anything because nobody that I know has ever heard of Squeeze. The fact that James posted something is just proof of the exclusive nature of Ricochet. Or maybe he and I are just weird.
Edited on May 2, 2012 at 5:22amSep '11
Re: Rose I Said
Ken Owsley:... the oddest bands out of your memory... on the soundtrack for a 1980s film called...
... Sting
... weird.
And now I am reminded of Stan Ridgway & Stewart Copeland's "Don't Box me In".