Squeeze Concert including one odd tidbit


I saw Squeeze (or, more precisely, Chris Difford and Glenn Tillbrook of Squeeze) in concert at a local club last night. They performed mostly acoustic versions (tho Tillbrook played some electric guitar) of Squeeze's greatest hits and they did so with great style. The simpler arrangements still managed to capture a lot of the kinetic energy that is central to so many Squeeze songs. Overall, a very fun show and one worth catching for any Squeeze fan.

Squeeze is a band that I admire greatly: IMO, they combine outstanding songs (irresistible hooks) with excellent musicianship (Tillbrook is a fine, under-appreciated guitarist) and they often provide witty lyrics rife with clever wordplay. When the band performs, they rock with much more power than you might expect from such shiny songs. When they perform as a duo, however, the concert is less manic and involves more interaction with the audience. I've seen them do request-heavy shows in the past, but last night they had a guy with a mic walking thru the audience to take questions.

While most of Squeeze's best lyrics are probably best characterized as "clever good fun", one of their songs, "Some Fantastic Place", is a kind of pop elegy. The song is sung as a paean to a lover who died young. I've always wondered whether it was a true story or an imagined one. I've also always found it to be a tremendously moving and inspirational statement at a time of great sadness. I like a lot of Squeeze's lyrics, but I've always felt that "Fantastic Place" is a cut above anything else that Squeeze has done lyrically. (Actually, I find it a cut above all but a very few lyrics from anyone - there's just a very intense personal connection with that song on my part.)

When the mic came my way, I asked if a two part question was okay. They approved and I first asked:

"What lyric are you most proud of?"

Tillbrook hemmed and hawed for a minute ("That answer might change every day"), before he eventually settled on...... "Some Fantastic Place". Tillbrook said he was very proud of that one and then he thanked Difford for penning the lyric that told the story so movingly. He then asked me for part two of my question.

I told him that my second question was about..... "Some Fantastic Place". I asked whether the song was about an actual person in his life and, if it was, whether he might share that story.

He explained that his first great love died young of Leukemia. When Difford first provided his lyric shortly after her death, Tillbrook said the chords just spilled out of him in a spontaneous torrent. It was evident that it was a moving moment for him. It was satisfying to see that I had shared that sentiment with him regarding the power of the song.

It was a nice cap to a really fun evening with two terrific pop musicians. It also made it clear that a chance to interact with the people who write our favorite songs is an opportunity that happens way too rarely. If you like Squeeze, and Difford/Tillbrook comes to your neighborhood, I'd urge you to check this one out. Come armed with a question, too - it might make the night special.

martykl
I love Squeeze, “In Quintessence“is one of my favorites.

I have four or five of their LPs, thanks for bringing up the topic.
Great, great story Marty. I loved Squeeze in their heyday (still have all their LP's, but just sold the CD's), and even saw them live in England in December of '82. Difford & Tillbrook were probably the best songwriters of their generation, I myself liking them more than Costello, though not as much as Nick Lowe (he's actually a generation before them, of course, but became successful concurrently with them, and ran in the same circles).
Great story Marty. I saw Glen Tillbrook twice in Phoenix in the last 2 years, and I've seen Squeeze live about 6 times. If asked to name a favorite band, it would likely be Squeeze overall.
Over the years when I've heard people speak in awe of the Lennon-McCartney songwriting team, I always think to myself that they still can't approach Difford and Tillbrook. They are just amazing. So many great songs over the years, and they always sound so unforced and genuine.
Some bands/artists labor over their works, and it sounds like it. These guys produce great music, and it always sounds like they were just born to do it.
FWIW, after the very early years McCartney and Lennon hardly wrote together--they just kept the legal credit arrangement intact.
good story, marty. to me, tho, their great lyric is "up the junction," which is like a great tragicomic novel in three minutes.