Squeeze: "Sweets From A Stranger" - where did it go wrong?

I sort of follow you here. At first glance, it sounds like yet another great album of theirs, like all the great stuff that went before it. But then, when you get into it, the songs just don't work for some reason.

This one and "Cosi Fan Tutti Frutti" represent their worst down period (other than the weird debut which was dragged down by John Cale's wacky leadership). From "Babylon And On" onwards they became good again, although nobody really cared in the 90s.

I think it's better than "Babylon and On", which suffers from that bad 80s sound, not as much as "Cosi Fan Tutti Frutti", but still does. "Sweets From A Stranger" at least has a certain live feeling, no electronic drums, no dated synths, and a kind of funky rhythm section. Perhaps they shouldn't have sacked John Bentley, he was the greatest Squeeze bassist.

But yes, I have a feeling too, that most of the songs on SWAS just don't work - but what is the reason? Difford's heavy drinking? Tilbrook's blue eyed soul-fixation? Or both?

As for their post-Babylon And On era, I only have 'Ridiculous', which is a solid album, but a bit too adult orientated for me, so maybe I'm too young for the later period Squeeze, don't know...

i don't know the albums but have the same feeling just from knowing the singles. that run of singles that takes up the first side and possibly into the second side of singles, 45s and under was just such a charged period. the question of why it ended can be asked about so many artists, though. in squeeze's case, i just don't know.

good MOJO squeeze feature this month (bob marley on cover).

Thanks pisces, I will check it out

Anyone own the Difford/Tilbrook solo album?

I had it on vinyl. I don't remember being overwhelmed by it.

As that Mojo feature makes clear, the band was ready to break up by the time they recorded Sweets. Drugs, fatigue, a dearth of ideas, and the millstone of Difford and Tilbrook being anointed "the new Lennon and McCartney" doomed the album. Even during its best moments, the band just sounds tired.

Difford and Tilbrook isn't bad -- miles better than Cosi Fan, anyway -- but it tries too hard to be a "classy" pop LP. I can't say I've listened to it all the way through since 1984.

I saw the video for "Love's Crashing Waves" on VH-1 a couple of years ago; it looked like they were trying VERY hard to be Hall and Oates.

I never had that sense about it!

hey who knew about the heroin? (cf MOJO mag piece)

I saw the video for "Love's Crashing Waves" on VH-1 a couple of years ago; it looked like they were trying VERY hard to be Hall and Oates.

19 years late on this but LOL. I wish Difford grew a mustache for it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lVMdWIG376k

The D&T album gets a bad rep, but I've come round to loving it
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WNkhJpWLdM4

I love "Sweets From A Stranger" and fail to identify anything wrong with it

Helps that we had the CD in the house growing up, I guess it got into my brain nice n good before I could develop all those annoying critical faculties

Problems with Sweets - band morale is low, when they should have been riding high..Paul Carrack quit, leaving them feeling deflated after losing another keyboard player within a year after Jools walked, and one who had just sung lead on a recent US hit. Phil MacDonald not a great choice of producer. 'Out Of Touch' was going to be a Paul lead vocal, but they reworked it to be the downer Glenn vocal that awkwardly opens the album. Chris and Glenn are not getting on well, having a considerable argument about the inclusion of an ocarina on on track. Gilson Lavis' alcoholism is getting out of hand, playing a large part in the band's upcoming split, rather than firing him. But most of all, including some outright crap, failed-experiment songs like Stannger On The Stranger On The Shore, Onto The Dance Floor, and The Very First Dance. The rest of it is pretty great, and business as usual, but they were a band who were feeling somewhat dented at the time, and it shows.

*Stranger

Side B looks really good, so much I’m surprised they didn’t make that side A (with maybe “I’ve Returned” bumped up as the opener - supposedly they opened shows on that tour with that song).

Replace “The Very First Dance” with “When the Hangover Strikes” and maybe drop “Tongue Like a Knife” and side B could have been a great 5-track EP.

Surprisingly they recently reworked The Very First Dance as an ny funk number and it was an improvement
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DDUNweZidaE