Ridiculous

by

Squeeze

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My rating is really 2 1/2 stars. There are some good songs here, but not really enough for 3, especially considering this album clocks in at 55+ minutes.

Coming on the heels of the excellent Some Fantastic Place, Ridiculous is a major disappointment. Lots of bland mid-tempo numbers that sound like Difford & Tilbrook are sleepwalking. I waited a few weeks and many listens to write a review because I was hoping some subtle gems would reveal themselves (as on the vastly underrated Play album), but most of these songs continue to unimpress me.

Surprisingly, the biggest offenders are the songs which prominently feature Chris Difford's vocals. Usually, Difford sung ditties appear as rare and entertaining treats in the Squeeze catalog. There are a whopping 4 of them on Ridiculous and all are substandard. In addition, Keith Wilkinson, who came up aces on Some Fantastic Place with "True Colors", can only muster the dull "Got To Me" this time around.

"Electric Trains" is the catchiest song here, but it is somewhat sabotaged by trite and pandering lyrics. "This Summer", "Daphne", and "Great Escape" are all very good, and perhaps "Sound Asleep" qualifies. So Ridiculous is still a worthwhile pickup for fans, but certainly not one of Difford & Tilbrook's better efforts.