Cool For Cats
	Produced and Arranged by John Wood and Squeeze
	Released on April 1979
	UK CHART POSITION #45
	Find it at GEMM
SP 4759 cover

S queeze comes into their own on Cool For Cats, abandoning the punk posturing of their debut for a warmer sound. It’s still not quite there yet; Chris Difford’s vocal leads are stiff and Jools Holland favors the synthesizer over the piano, but the band’s true personality shines through more often than not. The best songs are ones you may already be familiar with: “Slap & Tickle,” “Up The Junction,” “Goodbye Girl,” “Cool For Cats.” As with Argybargy, the surrounding tracks are inferior in execution but feature redeeming moments like the occasionally catchy chorus or light-hearted guitar lead (“Slightly Drunk” is the best of the also-rans). If you’re looking for a reference point, Ian Dury or Elvis Costello circa This Year’s Model will work. Glenn Tilbrook’s voice is more charming than either, however (Difford is closer to Dury in effect), and Squeeze gets that giddy vibe going more than either artist. Sex again figures prominently into the lyrics (“Touching Me, Touching You,” “It’s Not Cricket”), which reflects Difford’s dark side. When the band lets their sentimental side shine through, their real-life love songs strike a resounding chord: “Goodbye Girl,” “Up The Junction.” And “Cool For Cats” is handily the funniest song they’ve ever written. Also included is a Jools Holland track, “Hop Skip & Jump,” which introduces his Jerry Lee Lewis fixation. Although as a pop band Squeeze wasn’t out to impress anyone with their chops, drummer Gilson Lavis is a veritable spark plug, and deserves more mention when pop’s better drummers are called and accounted for. Singles, 45’s & Under captures the album’s most essential moments, so you can opt out of this if you want, but fans will warm up to Cool For Cats sooner than their prickly debut.

SP 4759 back cover

TRACK LISTING

1. SLAP & TICKLE    3:59
2. REVUE    2:30
3. TOUCHING ME, TOUCHING YOU    2:23
4. IT'S NOT CRICKET    2:33
5. IT'S SO DIRTY    3:10
6. THE KNACK    4:32
7. HOP SKIP & JUMP    (Jools Holland/Chris Difford)    2:46
8. UP THE JUNCTION    3:10
9. HARD TO FIND    3:37
10. SLIGHTLY DRUNK    2:40
11. GOODBYE GIRL    2:58
12. COOL FOR CATS    3:39
    
    CD reissue bonus tracks
    
13. I MUST GO
14. AIN'T IT SAD
    
    All selections written by Chris Difford and Glenn Tilbrook unless noted

CREDITS

CHRIS DIFFORD -- rhythm guitar, vocals
JOOLS HOLLAND -- keyboards
HARRY KAKOULLI -- bass
GILSON LAVIS -- drums
GLENN TILBROOK -- lead guitar, keybaords, vocals
Brian Humphries -- engineer
Andrew Lumm -- engineer
Michael Ross -- art direction
Geoff Halpin -- design
Janette Beckman -- photography

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