Frank
	Produced by Eric "E.T." Thorngren and Glenn Tilbrook
	Released on September 1989
	US CHART POSITION #58 . . . US CHART POSITION #113
	Find it at GEMM
CD 5268 cover [high resolution scan]

I can count on more than one hand the time that people have told me Frank is the best of the band’s late-period releases. It’s not that I take umbrage with the accolade, but to me it’s all good: Babylon, Frank, Play, Some Fantastic Place. Yes, Babylon had a few more miscues (“853-5937,” “Some Americans”), but you’d have a hard time convincing me that “(This Could Be) The Last Time” or “Love Circles” is demonstrably better than an “Hourglass” or “Trust Me To Open My Mouth.” In fact, Babylon marked a sort of renaissance for the band as they returned to the organic, spontaneous sound that fans found so charming. Make no mistake, the arrangements on Frank are sophisticated, the verbal wordplay calculated, but it rolls effortless from the tongues of Difford and Tilbrook, the keyboards of Julian Holland weave naturally into the music, the rhythms of Lavis and Wilkinson are solid but never stiff. A few of these songs are personal favorites of mine in the great frieze of Squeeze: “Melody Motel,” “Slaughtered, Gutted And Heartbroken” and “She Doesn’t Have To Shave.” The latter might be the best song about PMS from a male band I’ve ever heard (okay, so it’s not a crowded field). Toss in a gem from Jools, “Dr. Jazz,” and a great narrative like “Can of Worms,” and you can see why some find this the terrapinnacle of their post-East elpees. The fact that Squeeze returned to the eclectic formula of East Side Story (pop, barrelhouse rock, country) probably endeared it to fans too. Incidentally, this was the fourth album for Keith Wilkinson, who now held the longest tenure of any Squeeze bassist.

CD 5268 inner sleeve	CD 5268 back sleeve

TRACK LISTING

1. FRANK    (public domain)    0:15
2. IF IT'S LOVE    4:02
3. PEYTON PLACE    4:08
4. ROSE I SAID    3:36
5. SLAUGHTERED, GUTTED AND HEARTBROKEN    4:37
6. (THIS COULD BE) THE LAST TIME    3:49
7. SHE DOESN'T HAVE TO SHAVE    3:27
8. LOVE CIRCLES    5:34
9. MELODY MOTEL    3:51
10. CAN OF WORMS    4:47
11. DR. JAZZ    (Julian Holland)    4:04
12. IS IT TOO LATE    3:12
    
    All songs written by Chris Difford & Glenn Tilbrook unless noted. All songs arranged by Squeeze.

CREDITS

CHRIS DIFFORD -- guitar and vocals
JULIAN HOLLAND -- piano, organ and vocals
GILSON LAVIS -- drums
GLENN TILBROOK -- vocals, guitar and keyboards
KEITH WILKINSON -- basses and vocals
Karen Beany -- abcking vocals (2)
Monique Dyan -- backing vocals (2)
Matt Irving -- accordion (3,9)
Barrie St. John -- backing vocals (2)
Eric "E.T." Thorngren -- engineer, mixing
Stylorouge -- design
Trevor Rogers -- photography

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