Squeeze—Argybargy

Squeeze—Argybargy

Argybargy—It's a tall task for a singles band to put together a respectable album. It has proven difficult since the inception of the album format, and some artists, no matter how talented, aren't best represented by it; they may be more focused on individual compositions, in which case not every one will be a gem, but they still need to fill an LP. This is definitely true in the case of Squeeze, whose first two albums, Squeeze (1978) and Cool for Cats (1979), were decidedly uneven. One would expect the approach might be different with their third album, Argybargy, but there really wasn't—the songs were just better, bullet for bullet.

Like Cool for Cats, Chris Difford's lyrics recount seemingly prosaic stories and events, even touching on observational humor. "Pulling Mussels (from the Shell)" is the successor to Cats' titular closing piece, picking up right where Squeeze left off. Where that album roiled with camp, plodding on every other cut with a sense of limited novelty, Glenn Tilbrook's Argybargy melodies are prettier, finding better uses for keyboardist Jools Holland's whimsical playing. "Another Nail in My Heart" is the greatest pop single of its time, immaculately crafted with its cleverly-misplaced bridge: the greatest snapshot of the band's talents. "Separate Beds" is a more innocent boy-girl song than is typical for Difford, and so it is knowingly understated, but still sweet. What really sets Argybargy apart from its predecessors—which despite their faults, had singles as good as anything Squeeze ever did—is songs like "Misadventure," which combines the colorful imagery of "Take Me I'm Yours" with the playfulness of the otherwise-valueless "Touching Me Touching You." Similarly, "I Think I'm Go Go" is an upgrade on "The Knack," utilizing more of the band's strengths where before they were flat and uncharacteristically minimal.

"Farfisa Beat" is the only real throwaway, a dismally catchy piece of nonsense that was somewhat insultingly released as a single in select European countries. Welcome for its dynamic interplay is "Here Comes That Feeling," Difford's esoteric, intrusive thinking that underpins many of his stories, much like contemporary Elvis Costello. "Vicky Verky" is a transparent follow-up to "Up the Junction," bordering on self-plagiarism but ultimately pleasing with its uptempo keyboard rush. "If I Didn't Love You" was Squeeze's minor breakthrough on U.S. radio, more straightforward and seductive than the playful pub poppers that made them popular in their home country of England. Third vocalist Jools Holland takes on the effervescent "Wrong Side of the Moon," which is a solid tune despite its ostensibly careless nature; "There at the Top" somehow comes off as more questionable by comparison, bordering on derisive.

It should be said that Argybargy feels slightly underweight, and this is no coincidence. Squeeze originally recorded 14 songs for the album that A&M trimmed to 11; "Someone Else's Heart" would be reused for East Side Story the following year, "Funny How It Goes" was effectively the title song under the album's original name (It's a Funny Old World), and "What the Butler Saw" was instead used as the b-side to the single of "Pulling Mussels (from the Shell)." This is unfortunate, as the three bolster the set—fortunately, modern releases of the album include them and they are otherwise easy to find. Even without them, however, Argybargy is an impressive pop record with superlative material, and for Squeeze it became their first LP that was truly worth owning.