The decade in which I was born has given me a strange perspective on its music. I discovered pretty much all of the 70’s sounds – from prog rock to punk to disco – well after they came into the world. It wasn’t until the late 80’s that I discovered what I was missing. I would characterize the decade as one where budding genres leaped off their inspiration pads and came to fruition. For the month of February, Mental Jukebox will feature some of these gems with a different 70’s song each day. #28DaysOf70sSongs
Squeeze is generally hailed as an underrated rock band. An outfit that deserves more attention that it has received from critics and fans. The songwriting partnership of Chris Difford and Glen Tilbrook has netted a catalog that’s big on melody, often on the cheery side of things. While “Pulling Mussels (From The Shell)” and “Tempted” are classics in my book, the band is generally not my cup of tea. But there’s one lesser-known track off of Cool For Cats that is very un-Squeeze-like, and maybe my favorite track of theirs: “The Knack”.
The melody on “The Knack” is less neat and defined unlike most Squeeze songs. It’s hard to even decipher which notes are being sung. I think it’s why I like it so much. “The Knack” is less on the nose. It’s also less cheery, almost sinister, lying comfortably on the darker side of new wave. The most iconic elements of the song are the skittish keyboard hook and the rhythm section that features a punchy bass line that gets out in space. Cool For Cats is often remembered for the title track and “Up the Junction”, but halfway through the album one can find a song that defies expectations.
“Waffle in a Guinness. Tied between the bars. Fifty fifty chances. Bulletproof all cars.”