Some
      Fantastic
      Place
     
     
      Squeeze
     
     
      (A
      &
      M)
     
     
      You
      can
      always
      count
      on
      Squeeze
      for
      a
      pleas-
     
     
      ant,
      if
      disposable,
      listen.
      They
      were
      a
      lot
      more
     
     
      interesting
      in
      the
      early
      eighties,
      when
      they
      were
     
     
      -
      quirkier
      and
      punchier.
      Since
      they
      broke
      up
      and
     
     
      got
      back
      together
      Squeeze
      haven’t
      been
      quite
     
     
      the
      same,
      consistently
      grinding
      out
      tuneful
      tri-
     
     
      fles
      like
      Babylon
      and
      On
      and
      Frank.
      Their
      last
     
     
      album,
      Play,
      was
      at
      least
      ambitious
      and
      it
     
     
      sounds
      like
      Abbey
      Road
      compared
      to
      the
      new
     
     
      one,
      Some
      Fantastic
      Place.
      Things
      looked
      prom-
     
     
      ising:
      Paul
      Carrack
      --
      who
      was
      a
      member
      of
      the
     
     
      band
      for
      their
      best
      album,
      East
      Side
      Story,
      then
     
     
      left
      to
      record
      a
      series
      of
      wonderful
      and
      defi-
     
     
      nitely
      not
      contrived
      solo
      albums,
      as
      well
      as
      sing
     
     
      for
      Mike
      and
      the
      Mechanics
      (there’s
      no
      doubt
     
     
      about
      it,
      the
      man’s
      goin’
      to
      hell)
      --
      along
      with
     
     
      ex-Attraction
      Pete
      Thomas
      have
      entered
      the
     
     
      fold,
      but
      Squeeze
      still
      lacks
      spark.
      Perhaps
     
     
      stylistic
      variety
      is
      supposed
      to
      liven
      things
      up:
     
     
      the
      band
      tries
      its
      hand
      at
      r&b,
      gospel
      and
     
     
      country,
      but
      it
      all
      sounds
      phoney.
      Still,
      melody
     
     
      for
      its
      own
      sake
      is
      a
      rare
      thing
      nowadays,
      so
     
     
      perhaps
      Squeeze
      fills
      a
      niche.
      You’d
      be
      better
     
     
      off
      starting
      with
      East
      Side
      Story
      or
      the
      singles
     
     
      compilation;
      only
      miniaturists
      need
      venture
     
     
      this
      far
      into
      this
      decidedly
      minor
      band’s
      canon.
     
     
      898
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      I’m
      Alive
     
     
      Jackson
      Browne
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      (Warner)
     
     
      Jackson
      Browne,
      one
      of
      the
      seventies’
      finest
     
     
      songwriters,
      has
      returned
      to
      the
      personal
      sphere
     
     
      after
      a
      trilogy
      of
      bland
      protest
      albums;
      but
     
     
      despite
      the
      change
      of
      perspective,
      the
      song
     
     
      remains
      pretty
      much
      the
      same
      --
      and
      it
      sounds
     
     
      a
      lot
      like
      James
      Taylor.
      Browne
      attempts
      to
     
     
      experiment,
      tackling
      r&b’and
      even
      reggae
      on
     
     
      “*Everywhere
      I
      Go,’’
      which,
      quite
      astound-
     
     
      ingly,
      isn’t
      a
      total
      white-guy
      fiasco,
      but
      it’s
      all
     
     
      stiff
      and
      white-bread.
      I’m
      Alive
      is
      the
      kind
      of
     
     
      adult
      contemporary
      poo
      that
      might
      appeal
      to
     
     
      those
      who
      fell
      for,
      say,
      Billy
      Joel’s
      last
      one.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Weak
      stuff.
     
     
      ool,
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      eo000
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Holy
      tweedle-
     
    
   
   
    
     
      “Not
      bad
     
     
      Not
      good
     
     
      Real
      bad