Review of Squeeze: Greatest Hits

Introduction

Squeeze have been knocking around for 25 years, and have knocked out about 20 albums in that time (although that includes various compilations along the way). The line up has varied over the years (Jools Holland is probably their most famous alumnus), but it has always revolved around the pairing of Glenn Tilbrook and Chris Difford.

Here then is their first DVD release, a greatest hits type compilation. A collection of tracks which don`t quite cover the full history of Squeeze (where are the more recent This Summer, Electric Trains from 1995`s Ridiculous for example):-

Take Me I`m Yours, Cool For Cats, Up The Junction, Another Nail In My Heart, Pulling Mussels (From The Shell), Is That Love, Messed Around, Tempted, Black Coffee In Bed, Love`s Crashing Waves, 853 5937, Hits of The Year, Last Time Forever, Hourglass, Trust Me To Open My Mouth, Footprints, If It`s Love

Video

A mixed bag here as with many video compilations. Each track is presented as full-frame, and the quality is largely average, with some looking more average than others.

Visually these aren`t perhaps the most stunning videos in the world, but there are a range of styles on offer, and some visuals that plant most of them firmly in the 1980s. There`s also some rather poor concert footage for some of the tracks.

Audio

The sound is a mixed bag too, as you get some quite good audio with some of the videos mixed in with some rather poor concert audio from the concert footage. A bit of a missed opportunity.

Features

Not a thing.

Conclusion

Not sure about this one. Squeeze fans will already have all of the tracks on CD, and maybe the greatest hits VHS too. This DVD is probably a bit of an improvement over the VHS, but it`s not a stunning example of a music DVD.

The songs are somewhat of a mixed bag for the more casual fan (like me). Cool For Cats, Pulling Mussels (From The Shell) and Hourglass are the only tracks on here that I`d listen to again. It seems a missed opportunity to release some of the rarer stuff (like the acoustic version of Blur`s End of a Century for example). Instead we get a tired re-hash of a VHS release.

The good news is that this has a low RRP, so you might like to buy it for a Squeeze fan for Xmas to replace their worn out VHS.