DIFFORD & TILBROOK
''DIFFORD & TILBROOK''
1984
38:12
1. Action Speaks Faster /4:49
2. Love's Crashing Waves /3:10
3. Picking Up The Pieces /3:19
4. On My Mind Tonight /4:03
5. Man For All Seasons /2:50
6. Hope Fell Down /4:21
7. Wagon Train /3:37
8. You Can't Hurt The Girl /3:00
9. Tears For Attention /4:46
10. The Apple Tree /4:25
All Tracks By Difford, Tilbrook
Debbie Bishop /Vocals (Background)
Chris Difford /Guitar, Vocals
Andy Duncan /Drums, Percussion
Guy Fletcher /Keyboards, Vocals (Background)
Glenn Tilbrook /Guitar, Keyboards, Vocals
Larry Tolfree /Percussion
Keith Wilkinson /Bass
REVIEW
by Jason Damas
While Squeeze collapsed from physical and artistic exhaustion after Sweets from a Stranger, the band's songwriting duo soldiered on under the name Difford & Tilbrook for another release. Frustrated with the band's lack of commercial success -- and encouraged by the success of a similar stateside duo, Hall & Oates -- Difford & Tilbrook set out to craft an '80s contemporary blue-eyed soul record, emulating all the requisite synth washes and drum machines from early-'80s Hall & Oates albums like H2O and Private Eyes. The uncharacteristic cover shot, which features the duo in long, flowing robes and distinctly '80s big hair, played up this comparison -- this was clearly meant as a shot at the big time. All this may seem disconcerting, since Difford & Tilbrook had a distinctive style all their own and were seen as far less conventional than their American counterpart, but the album tanked on the charts precisely because it still sounded like Squeeze smothered by Tony Visconti's flat, lifeless production. This means it hasn't aged well, but is salvaged by two of the duo's best singles -- "Love's Crashing Waves" and "Hope Fell Down" -- and song-wise is a more consistent album than the schizophrenic Sweets from a Stranger. Over time, Chris Difford and Glenn Tilbrook would prove to be the only constant members of Squeeze anyway, making Difford & Tilbrook the lost Squeeze album and the missing puzzle piece between Sweets from a Stranger and Cosi Fan Tutti Frutti. Despite being far from the duo's best work (and it's certainly the rarest), serious fans will want to seek this out.
BIOGRAPHY
by Craig Harris
During the time between the breakup of British pop-wave band, Squeeze in late-1982 and its reformation in 1985, the group's founding songwriters, guitarists and vocalists Glenn Tilbrook and Chris Difford continued to work together. In addition to writing songs for Helen Shapiro, Paul Young, Billy Bremner and Jools Holland, and preparing the score for a musical revue, Labelled With Love, they continued to perform as a duo, Difford and Tilbrook. Working with David Bowie, Moody Blues, Thin Lizzy and T-Rex producer Tony Visconti, they collaborated on a duo album, Difford and Tilbrook, in July 1984.
Although it barely broke the top fifty on the British pop charts, the album had a profound effect on the two musicians. "The songs (on Difford And Tilbrook) are ones of emotional nature mostly," Tilbrook explained during a July 1984 interview, "and the corresponding change in my vocal approach was very emotional."
Difford and Tilbrook differed in the direction that they envisioned the album taking. While Difford conceived of a Sugar Hill-like rhythm section, Tilbrook wanted to pursue state-of-the-art, double-synthesizer, Euro-pop.
DoWnLoAd
''DIFFORD & TILBROOK''
1984
38:12
1. Action Speaks Faster /4:49
2. Love's Crashing Waves /3:10
3. Picking Up The Pieces /3:19
4. On My Mind Tonight /4:03
5. Man For All Seasons /2:50
6. Hope Fell Down /4:21
7. Wagon Train /3:37
8. You Can't Hurt The Girl /3:00
9. Tears For Attention /4:46
10. The Apple Tree /4:25
All Tracks By Difford, Tilbrook
Debbie Bishop /Vocals (Background)
Chris Difford /Guitar, Vocals
Andy Duncan /Drums, Percussion
Guy Fletcher /Keyboards, Vocals (Background)
Glenn Tilbrook /Guitar, Keyboards, Vocals
Larry Tolfree /Percussion
Keith Wilkinson /Bass
REVIEW
by Jason Damas
While Squeeze collapsed from physical and artistic exhaustion after Sweets from a Stranger, the band's songwriting duo soldiered on under the name Difford & Tilbrook for another release. Frustrated with the band's lack of commercial success -- and encouraged by the success of a similar stateside duo, Hall & Oates -- Difford & Tilbrook set out to craft an '80s contemporary blue-eyed soul record, emulating all the requisite synth washes and drum machines from early-'80s Hall & Oates albums like H2O and Private Eyes. The uncharacteristic cover shot, which features the duo in long, flowing robes and distinctly '80s big hair, played up this comparison -- this was clearly meant as a shot at the big time. All this may seem disconcerting, since Difford & Tilbrook had a distinctive style all their own and were seen as far less conventional than their American counterpart, but the album tanked on the charts precisely because it still sounded like Squeeze smothered by Tony Visconti's flat, lifeless production. This means it hasn't aged well, but is salvaged by two of the duo's best singles -- "Love's Crashing Waves" and "Hope Fell Down" -- and song-wise is a more consistent album than the schizophrenic Sweets from a Stranger. Over time, Chris Difford and Glenn Tilbrook would prove to be the only constant members of Squeeze anyway, making Difford & Tilbrook the lost Squeeze album and the missing puzzle piece between Sweets from a Stranger and Cosi Fan Tutti Frutti. Despite being far from the duo's best work (and it's certainly the rarest), serious fans will want to seek this out.
BIOGRAPHY
by Craig Harris
During the time between the breakup of British pop-wave band, Squeeze in late-1982 and its reformation in 1985, the group's founding songwriters, guitarists and vocalists Glenn Tilbrook and Chris Difford continued to work together. In addition to writing songs for Helen Shapiro, Paul Young, Billy Bremner and Jools Holland, and preparing the score for a musical revue, Labelled With Love, they continued to perform as a duo, Difford and Tilbrook. Working with David Bowie, Moody Blues, Thin Lizzy and T-Rex producer Tony Visconti, they collaborated on a duo album, Difford and Tilbrook, in July 1984.
Although it barely broke the top fifty on the British pop charts, the album had a profound effect on the two musicians. "The songs (on Difford And Tilbrook) are ones of emotional nature mostly," Tilbrook explained during a July 1984 interview, "and the corresponding change in my vocal approach was very emotional."
Difford and Tilbrook differed in the direction that they envisioned the album taking. While Difford conceived of a Sugar Hill-like rhythm section, Tilbrook wanted to pursue state-of-the-art, double-synthesizer, Euro-pop.
DoWnLoAd
