GLENN TILBROOK: ONE FOR THE ROAD (DVD)
by Rory L. Aronsky
(2007-02-15)
2006, Un-rated, 70 minutes, Image Entertainment
Film Threat.com One For The Road DVD review
http://www.filmthreat.com/index.php?section=reviews&Id=9712

“And if we had really truly done this on the road, I’d be crying by now.” – Glenn Tilbrook
Glenn Tilbrook, solo artist and former member of the New Wave band Squeeze, arrives in Buffalo, NY, expecting to begin his own U.S. tour in an RV, as he had planned. But there’s no RV and this isn’t a typical story about the career of a musician.

There’s no obscurity, at least to the fans who come to see him perform at every stop, no bitterness, as he clearly enjoys what he does, and those who believe they’ve never heard of Tilbrook will soon be surprised in the first few minutes by the music and lyrics of “Tempted,” which is one of those songs on the radio that you hear and immediately get into. He’s provided the soundtrack to many lives and will likely do more of the same by the songs featured.

This documentary/travelogue, made by dedicated fan and filmmaker Amy Pickard looks at Tilbrook closely throughout this journey. Occasionally, he talks about how he began in music and what his childhood was like, but it’s the memories of a man who didn’t rush onto the world stage. He kind of ambled along, eventually being swept up into the craze for Squeeze, which included him and lyricist Chris Difford, who, together with other members, created a sound that started in 1974 during the New Wave period, and of course had its fair share of conflict with departing band members, band members in conflict, and eventually the breakup of the band. Through the songs of the band played by Tilbrook on acoustic guitar and also heard in bits of the way they were originally recorded, Squeeze progressed comfortably to the ‘80s and their music hasn’t aged yet.

Pickard strikes exactly the right tone at the outset, enthusiastic and slightly whimsical, because what better way to learn about the history of Squeeze than from someone who followed their entire career? She even makes sure that her collection of Squeeze concert tickets are proudly displayed, as well as her backstage passes which were given to her because of a public access show she hosted in Dayton, Ohio, devoted to the music and the artists that she loved and had the chance to interview.

Tilbrook’s friendliness and infinite joy at being able to connect with people this closely, and his untiring ambling spirit continues on into the stops on his tour, such as at a library benefit in New Jersey where he leads his audience outside and keeps on singing, and does the same at Grand Central Station in which he and his devoted chorus walk around, as he sings “Goodbye Girl” and encourages them to do the same. There is another moment in the film, not possible for any highly-regarded star on a whirlwind tour, where, while on the streets of Atlanta, one of his fans convinces the crowd to come to her house and they do and he does, shown gearing up to play some songs right in the woman’s living room. And just like Morgan Freeman in “10 Items or Less,” Tilbrook is taken in by the sights and sales at Target, excited about his first RV-related purchase: A set of Christmas lights.

With Tilbrook going back to the roots of musical performance, away from arenas that he once appeared at and posh backstage rooms with fine amenities, that thought also carries into the DVD, which goes to the roots of why the DVD format exists. Pickard wisely leaves herself out of the on-camera action, even though she and cameraman Hans Fritz do quite a job in the details. With the speed at which this tour happens and the inevitable problems that come with RV ownership, especially on the road, questions naturally emerge while watching those problems happen. Fortunately, two audio commentaries; one by Tilbrook and Pickard, and one by Pickard alone, answer every conceivable question that could be asked. Tilbrook reflects on the tour, Pickard keeps him talking, and Pickard’s many troubles while making “On the Road” (including nearly freaking out when she didn’t get an answer back on if the RV had come, because she had hoped to get some shots of it, so as not to interrupt the itinerary along the way with that business), definitely show that making a film simply for the love of it is the best way. She’s come all the way around to this DVD, all the way back from 1991 and that cable access show, an episode of which is also included, featuring an interview with Tilbrook and Difford. It’s impressive dedication and also with a 47-minute interview with Difford, it’s a DVD that’s equally for the purpose of reminding viewers of Squeeze and introducing them to a new Glenn Tilbrook. He’s still got the voice and the music and the words, but especially now, there’s his new course, captured wonderfully.

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GLENN TILBROOK – THE SAVOY THEATRE, MONMOUTH
Saturday 2nd December 2006
Published December 4th 2006, 3:25PM GMT
http://www.towncrier.org.uk/entertainment/847.tc

Front man with Squeeze for over 25 years came to Monmouth last Saturday. This was an opportunity to see one of the country's greatest singer-songwriters and with a packed house, it seems lots of people agreed. Our reviewer was there to soak it up.

It must be very hard for a member of a popular band to go out and forge a solo career without the support of the colleagues he’s played with for 25 years, but Glenn Tilbrook has managed to do this with flying colours.

Squeeze, which Tilbrook formed with Chris Difford in 1975, had their first top twenty hit in 1978 and epitomised the image of Sarf London wide boys with their cheeky chappie attitude and lyrics that sometimes came closer to music hall than to pop.

The band emerged as part of the post-punk New Wave and immediately stood out from the rest, in that they could actually write, play and perform with great skill, unlike so many of their contemporaries.

To most people nowadays Squeeze is synonymous with Jools Holland (who left in 1980, rejoined in 1985 and finally departed in 1990), but it was Chris Difford and Glenn Tilbrook who were the masterminds behind the music.

Tillbrook goes solo in 1999

After touring all over the world and producing 16 albums, the band slipped onto the back burner in 1999 when Chris Difford announced he needed space to develop new projects. Since then Tilbrook has followed his solo career but both he and Difford are at great pains to explain that the band has not broken up but is just in abeyance.

Standing on stage alone with just an acoustic guitar is difficult at the best of times but facing a sell out audience with a high level of expectation must be very daunting indeed.

Not that this seemed to affect Tilbrook in any way whatsoever.

He walked on stage unannounced, before the crew had time to turn the house lights down and began chatting to the audience. This relaxed approach set the tone for the evening.

All the familiar Difford/Tilbrook numbers tumbled out flawlessly, the voice was still there and the guitar playing was superb. Maybe half the audience knew his work and the other half had come to see that bloke from Squeeze but by the end of the evening I think they had all become dedicated Glenn Tilbrook fans.

At one point, someone in the audience shouted a request and with a simple ‘Ok’, he began to play the intro. ‘How easy was that’, he said before starting the vocal line of ‘Black Coffee in Bed’. The audience loved it and quite rightly so!

He also offered up a delightful version of George and Ira Gershwin’s ‘They Can’t Take That Away From Me’ and ended the evening with ‘Its Not Unusual’ accompanied by a group of young ladies who were plucked from the auditorium to form The Glenn Tilbrook Dancers.

Glenn Tilbrook came across as warm and friendly, a consummate professional who knows how to hold and entertain a packed house and the three encores he received at the end of the evening was proof that the audience obviously agreed.

Photos of Glen Tilbrook at The Savoy by Jay Dyer
www.jaydyer.co.uk

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fox news -

On Friday night, I caught a show at Coda on East 34th St. in New York City by Glenn Tilbrook, formerly of Squeeze, the man who wrote “Tempted” and “Cool for Cats.” He’s long ago given up dealing with the business, preferring to tour and play solo.

Luckily Tilbrook is charming, and a virtuoso acoustic guitarist, a one-man band. He puts out his own records now.

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http://www.smh.com.au/news/dvd-reviews/glenn-tilbrook-one-for-the-road/2006/05/01/1146335651910.html

This gloss-free, homely, anything-but-starry-eyed film, which follows the former Squeeze singer on the road in the US (mostly in his recreational vehicle) is warm, funny and utterly charming. It's the perfect companion piece for the gloss-free, homely, warm and utterly charming Tilbrook, who can turn small or large gigs into the kind of joyous pub singalong that seems to occur only in old movies.

Filled with wonderful songs from Squeeze and Tilbrook's solo career, it builds on this instant attraction by showing that the happily daggy Tilbrook does not fear public humiliation. Whether watching his interactions with fellow travellers at campsites or taking club audiences onto the streets or into nearby homes, your main thought is I wish I was there, too.

DVD extras: Interview with Squeeze's Chris Difford, commentary and a 1991 interview.

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http://www.glidemagazine.com/3/reviews1354.html

One For The Road captures the same kind of sprightly fun as a Peter Pan tale. In it, director Amy Pickard realizes her dream of having an "all access" pass to the life of her pop idol Glenn Tilbrook--lead singer, guitarist and music writer for Squeeze. Tilbrook (Pan) has since broken off with Squeeze (The Lost Boys), teamed up with Suzanne Hunt (Wendy) and taken his act on the road in a recreational vehicle (wretched pirate ship).

Pickard (Tinkerbell) documents the man and the musician on tour, complete with the playful show antics he is becoming famous for. Tilbrook soars with talent as a guitar player and singer, and augments that by being a highly interactive performer who creates memorable evenings for his fans by engaging them as backup singers and acting out stunts with them.

Pickard does an excellent job of keeping life on the road entertaining and moving along at a pleasurable pace, but what good is a story without conflict? Tilbrook and company must do battle with the RV many times before the stint is up and other poignant moments round out the film, which consistently maintains a professional sparkle.

Special Features include commentary by Pickard, commentary by Tilbrook with Pickard, an extended interview with former Squeeze-mate Chris Difford, a 1991 interview with Difford and Tilbrook by Pickard, and Tilbrook enjoying a question and answer session through an interpreter in Japan.

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http://www.miaminewtimes.com/Issues/2006-01-26/homeent/dvdish.html

Glenn Tilbrook: One for the Road DVD

Amy Pickard's road movie is a delightful thing, as modest as its star and just as charming. Indeed, Glenn Tilbrook actually is the hell-of-a-guy he comes off as here -- a man who, as co-singer and co-songwriter in Squeeze, used to sell out arenas, but is delighted nowadays to lead a packed club in a rousing sing-along of "Tempted" or "Goodbye Girl" that ends up in, oh, a parking lot or somebody's house. The doc's full of those funny moments, as Tilbrook and his gal-pal/manager tour the States in an RV, mingling with the common folk, who treat him like their best friend. The movie's best moment occurs in a trailer park outside Dallas, where Tilbrook small-talks some folks who flip when they find out who he is. The music's stellar, too, a collection of Squeeze best-ofs and Tilbrook's solo stuff, which is no less essential. -- Wilonsky

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http://www.digitallyobsessed.com/showreview.php3?ID=8237

Glenn Tilbrook: One for the Road (2005)
"The reason I like what I'm doing is that I never know what's coming next." - Glenn Tilbrook

Review By: Rich Rosell   
Published: January 16, 2006Stars: Glenn Tilbrook
Other Stars: Suzanne Hunt, Hans Fritz, Amy Pickard
Director: Amy Pickard
MPAA Rating: Not Rated for (nothing objectionable)
Run Time: 01h:10m:07s
Release Date: January 24, 2006
UPC: 014381289329
Genre: music

DVD Review
The first thing you probably need to realize is that this is not a solo concert disc featuring former Squeeze frontman Glenn Tilbrook, who toured the states in an RV with an acoustic guitar, crooning hits like Tempted and Black Coffee in Bed. Yes, there are chunks of Tilbrook performing live strumming madly like a crazed troubador but those moments are not the main attraction here, and if you get over that initial hurdle then the fun of this documentary will be instantly more accessible. This is a documentary, almost a fanumentary, shot by Ohio native and self-professed rabid Squeeze fan Amy Pickard in 2002 as Tilbrook made his quirky one-man trek from Maryland to California.

Pickard, whose early public access music show in Dayton originally hooked her up with Tilbrook, is understandably giddy (almost too much so in spots) as she gets to follow along with one of her rock idols. I can certainly relate to the coolness that Pickard must have felt to go all inner circle with a musician she was a huge fan of, but there is a balancing act early on of whether this was going to be about her filming Tilbrook, or about Tilbrook on tour. Her effusive presence does get moved to the periphery, and she gives us a look at a rock star facing middle age looking for a novel way to connect with his fanbase.

There are Tilbrook live solo acoustic songs captured here, but again, this isn't a concert disc, and it's rare when a song is played in its entirety. It's really a case of up-close-and-personal time, with Pickard tagging along with Tilbrook from coast to coast. Tilbrook experiences a batch of logistical headaches along the way, including some constant motor home repairs and cell phone problems, but we also see him shopping at Target for the first time. A friendly chat with some fans (who understandably didn't recognize him at first) at an RV park is one of those connecting moments that it seems he was shooting for with the one-man tour idea, and during one of his concerts he leads the audience outside and into the nearby home of a fan to play a few songs. That spontaneous living room concert is a very neat rock moment, the rare kind of intimate encounter between musician and fans, and Tilbrook seems to be enjoying every minute of it as much as the audience.

And as a marketing tool for subsequent Tilbrook solo acoustic tours, this is actually a great piece of work, The concerts look like a hell of a lot of fun, very casual affairs with sing-alongs and audience participation that match the well-crafted pop friendliness of songs like Is That Love, Another Nail in My Heart and Goodbye Girl. Tilbrook plays an open, affable host, and he seems to understand the necessary evolutionary passage from international rock star to 40-something songwriter without a band (Squeeze dissolved in 1998) looking to reestablish those deep roots in a different, but personal way. Amy Pickard gets up close, and shows us the softspoken Tilbrook doing just that.

Rating for Style: B
Rating for Substance: B

Image Transfer Review: Image quality looks like what you would anticipate from a doc shot with a handheld, but the transfer is in 1.78:1 anamorphic widescreen so that somehow seems to weaken the bad parts a bit. Yes, it is an on-location documentary, so the rough spots where an opportune moment appeared play alongside segments shot under more controlled situations. Clarity varies from setting to setting, with outdoor night scenes looking least pleasant and most grainy, but these limitations are not wholly unexpected. The transfer is never exceptionally sharp at any time, but there is a vague consistency of sorts here.

Image Transfer Grade: B-

Audio Transfer Review: If you get past any preconceptions that you may have had that this is a music DVD, then the 2.0 stereo track won't seem so initially lackluster. It's a documentary about a musician, largely shot on shaky handheld cameras with recording quality varying by location, and the voice clarity is generally discernible throughout. There is some clipping in spots, and the snippets of Tilbrook performances are unfortunately not always clean or distortion free.

Audio Transfer Grade: B-

Disc Extras
Animated menu with music
Scene Access with 35 cues and remote access
Subtitles/Captions in English with remote access
2 Documentaries
1 Featurette(s)
2 Feature/Episode commentaries by Amy Pickard, Glenn Tilbrook
Packaging: Amaray
Picture Disc
1 Disc
1-Sided disc(s)
Layers: dual

Extras Review: The extras here should no doubt warm the flashback cockles of Difford/Tilbrook fans, as Image has included Amy's 1991 Squeeze Interview for Dayton, OH Public Access Show (25m:16s), in which Amy Pickard chats with the songwriting team of Glenn Tilbrook and Chris Difford. The video quality is pretty fuzzy, but the two Squeeze-sters chat it up nicely, and it's interesting listening to Tilbrook knowing in reality he's ten years from touring solo in an RV.

Also included is a lengthy 2001 Chris Difford Interview (48m:03s), with Pickard corralling a slightly bored-looking Difford who talks of the changes when everyone has turned "fatter, balder and older", and still manages to lay out some telling tales amidst Pickard's shaky camera work. The Tokyo Screening Q&A August 2005 (12m:55s) segment has a shaggy-haired Tilbrook fielding genial questions from an excited Japanese audience; sound quality here leaves a little to be desired, but it's workable.

There are two commentary tracks, and while one probably would have sufficed, we get a pair. The first is a solo track with Amy Pickard, and has her delving in more detail into the origins of the project. She talks about IM'ing Tilbrook, and thinking his RV tour idea reeked of "white trash," and essentially spends most of the time filling in some of the logistical cracks in documenting the tour. Hardly essential listening, but Pickard seems genuinely excited about working with one of her rock idols, so there's an envy factor there that makes me a bit jealous. A second commentary hooks up Pickard as the moderator for Tilbrook, who admits to needing some prodding here and there. I prefer this over the solo Pickard commentary, and this track more or less serves as a semi-companion to the feature, with Tilbrook addressing the middle-age evolution of a musician. The downside is that both tracks have sketchy audio quality, and it sounds as if it were recorded standing seven feet away from a Mr. Microphone.

The disc is cut into a hefty 35 chapters, with optional English subtitles.

Extras Grade: B

Final Comments
Former Squeeze frontman Glenn Tilbrook goes minimalist as witnessed by this solo acoustic RV tour of the States, and from the looks of things he had a fun time doing it.

Here's a somewhat different look at rock touring, interesting on its own, but certianly worth a look for Squeeze fans.
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A Filmmaker's Love Song

By Jen Chaney
Special to The Washington Post
Friday, January 27, 2006; Page WE41

Directors of music documentaries usually try to contain their inner rock geek. The filmmakers behind such releases as "End of the Century: The Story of the Ramones" or the Metallica tale "Some Kind of Monster" may consider themselves ardent fans of their subjects, but that admiration never creeps into their movies.

The opposite is true in "Glenn Tilbrook: One for the Road" ($19.99), released on DVD Tuesday. It follows the former frontman for British alternative-pop band Squeeze during his 2001 solo tour of the United States and stands as naked testament to the passion that music can inspire: in Tilbrook, his fans and, yes, the filmmaker. Debut director Amy Pickard, who first interviewed Tilbrook and fellow Squeeze founder Chris Difford on a Dayton, Ohio, cable access show in 1991, makes no secret of her everlasting love for the man and his melodies. In fact, she speaks the first words in the film, which mention how much she adored Squeeze as a teenager. Although Pickard's presence may violate a basic tenet of documentaries ("The director should not be part of the story"), it doesn't detract from this charming portrait of a singer-songwriter determined to keep performing, even if it means driving a barely functioning RV cross-country to play small clubs.

Glenn Tilbrook is the focus of "Glenn Tilbrook: One for the Road," a documentary by director (and fan) Amy Pickard. (By Ebet Roberts)

For those struggling to remember the highlights of Squeeze's discography, such catchy favorites as "Tempted," "Goodbye Girl," "Black Coffee in Bed" and "Hourglass" should jump-start the musical memories. The band is perhaps best known for its early hits compilation, "Squeeze Singles: 45s and Under," which found its way into almost every Gen X college student's CD collection and ultimately went platinum in the United States. Squeeze's infectious, intelligent pop earned Tilbrook and Difford, who together wrote almost all of the group's songs, comparisons to Lennon and McCartney. But by the late 1990s, Squeeze had reached its breaking-up point. That ultimately led Tilbrook, at age 44, to release an independent solo effort, "The Incomplete Glenn Tilbrook," buy an RV and hit the road, his acoustic guitar and Pickard's two-person film crew in tow.

If Tilbrook is bitter about trading his Madison Square Garden days to play library benefit shows and gigs at Rams Head Tavern in Annapolis, he doesn't show it in "One for the Road." His voice -- so sweetly pitch-perfect on such early '80s hits as "Another Nail in My Heart" -- sounds as resonant as ever, and his performances never cease to surprise. In an article last year in The Washington Post's Sunday Magazine, then pop critic David Segal described a Tilbrook show at Iota in Arlington during which the singer persuaded the entire crowd to move the proceedings into the parking lot, calling it the greatest "Live Concert Moment" he had witnessed. Plenty of great LCMs are packed into Pickard's documentary. In New York City, Tilbrook jogs through Grand Central Station, leading a singalong of "Goodbye Girl" as his audience trots dutifully behind, doing its best to keep up with their Pied Piper of pop. During a gig in Boston, Tilbrook again takes fans outdoors and into the streets, where he hops into the back of a van while crooning "Pulling Mussels (From the Shell)." And in Atlanta, he and a small crowd leave the venue and walk to an audience member's home, where Tilbrook continues the show with a spirited version of "Tempted."

The DVD would have been better had more concert footage been incorporated into the disc's extras, but, as Pickard explains during one of two commentary tracks, she couldn't afford to pay for the rights to include it. Still, for an independent release, there are a decent number of bonus features, including a Q&A with Tilbrook after a Tokyo screening of the film; a recent, nearly hour-long interview with Difford; and Pickard's cable-access interview with a much younger Difford and Tilbrook.

Naturally, like any documentary by an inexperienced director, "One for the Road" has its share of flaws. The amateurish title graphics introducing many scenes ("Glenn Shops for RV Supplies") are a distraction, and the digital-video camerawork is occasionally unsteady. (Pickard confesses that when she got home from her first round of touring, she realized that 85 percent of her footage was unusable.) More important, the film never digs into Tilbrook's life as deeply as it should, and we learn little about why Squeeze broke up. Like the title of his solo CD, the film plays a bit like "The Incomplete Glenn Tilbrook."

Still, you have to give props to Pickard. With no feature film experience and little financing, she spent four years making a movie about one of her adolescent heroes. The result is a pleasing cinematic gift for Squeeze fans, and proof that sometimes a passion for music can be the best motivation.

Glenn Tilbrook: One for the Road Unrated, 80 minutes Contains an occasional profanity.

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http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A42721-2005Apr10.html
POP MUSIC

Monday, April 11, 2005; Page C04

Glenn Tilbrook

The staff at the Rams Head Tavern probably knew they were in trouble Saturday night when Glenn Tilbrook and band walked off the stage into the audience, stood on chairs in the middle of the club and invited everyone to sing and dance along to "Goodbye Girl." The Annapolis venue is used to having patrons remaining seated (and hushed) at assigned tables, but the co-founder of Squeeze was having none of it.

"I think it'll be more fun if everyone just moves over here in front of the stage," the 47-year-old rocker told the crowd before prepping it with essential harmony parts for the next song, "Tempted." He was right.

The fans didn't need to be asked twice and remained standing, and in full voice, for the rest of the show. Interactive concertgoing on this sort of intimate scale is a rare thing, but in his solo career Tilbrook has made it a trademark. He's having fun only if everyone in the room is taking part.

For nearly two hours, Tilbrook, battling a raspy voice, revisited the songs he and his Squeeze cohort Chris Difford made famous, including the power pop gems "Black Coffee in Bed," "Pulling Mussels (From the Shell)" and "Take Me, I'm Yours." With his three band mates, keyboardist Stephen Large, bassist Lucy Shaw and drummer Simon Hanson, he also showed off new material from his solo career, including "This Is Where You Ain't." From last year's "Transatlantic Ping Pong," he dropped in "Hostage" and a sweet and sentimental ode to an old friend, "Ray and Me."

While the late-night crowd cheered the new stuff, it roared for the older, more familiar tunes, such as "Up the Junction" and "Hourglass." It has been three decades since Squeeze first formed and two since its heyday. But Tilbrook's enthusiasm for rocking out seems at an all-time high. You would have thought he was playing for a crowd of 20,000, not 250.

-- Joe Heim
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Glastonbury Festival 2004- Glenn Tilrook & The Fluffers

GLENN TILBROOK: A man cast from the same sacred mould as other classic British songwriters such as Ray Davies, Elvis Costello and Paddy McAloon delivers a blistering, irrefutable, unrestrained, totally unpretentious hour of joie de vivre to an ecstatic audience.

The man’s called Glenn Tilbrook. His band is called The Fluffies and they ROCK. Tight as f**k and lovin’ it. Unburdened by the über-cool inflicted on and dished out by so many fly-by-night ‘stars’ Tilbrook and his band’s passion and enthusiasm is contagious. In fact it’s outrageous.

Class on a stick.

With a career built on the eternal fundamentals of great songs and great voice Tilbrook and the band blaze through a set heavily laced with Squeeze classics.

‘Pulling Mussels’ opens proceedings and as the expertly constructed hour roller coasts, Tilbrook's canon of suburban classics keeps on coming.

Interspersed with newer material and an inspired cover of ‘The Cornell Hurd Band’s’ – ‘Genetalia of a Fool’, the audience are treated to classics such as ’Is That Love’, ‘Tempted’, ‘Another Nail In My Heart’, ‘Up The Junction’ and a version of ‘Goodbye Girl’ that sees the whole band leaving the stage on a mad Pied Piper like jaunt in to the crowd.

The evening climaxes with monumental, overdriven versions of ‘Take Me I’m Yours’ and ‘Slap & Tickle’ with Hendrix on keys Steven Large thumping, posturing, vocodering and slamming like there’s never going to be a tomorrow, drum and bass mayhem and Tilbrook too showing that not only is he a great singer/songwriter but he knows his way round a fretboard.

Class is class is class. Martin Williams (Glastonbury Festival review)

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Glenn Tilbrook and the Fluffers
T on The Fringe Gig + An informal one

Drams None
Music See the review
Band Glenn Tilbrook (vocals and guitar); Lucy Shaw (bass); Simon Hanson (drums); Stephen Large )keyboards)
Date 14 August 2005Date the gig took place
Venue Liquid Room (Venue 173)
Address 9c Victoria Terrace
Reviewer Julian Davis

Sandwiched between a tour of Japan and further tours of Australia (Sept) and USA (late Oct). Glenn manages to find time to team up with the Fluffers again for a short series of British gigs - and Edinburgh welcomed them back with open arms as a packed Liquid Room vented their approval when the man himself ambled onto a red bathed stage with raised beer glass and was quickly followed by Lucy, Simon and Steve.

Glenn Tilbrook & The Fluffers
Any worries about attitude were quickly dispelled as the band launched energetically into a series of old Squeeze songs (including Pulling mussels from a shell, Is that love, Tempted and Slap and tickle) as well as respect to the Chris Difford lyrics of Walk away and the passionate revelation of his feelings in Neptune (from Transatlantic Ping-pong). The concert version of Neptune in particular gave scope for Steve's dexterity on the keyboards descending into a sort of disintegration jamming apparently reflecting the sort of feelings that Glenn held at the split. Feeding off the energy from the audience Glenn quickly settled into his usual light-hearted mode which, coupled with his boyish round face partially covered by a mass of wavy locks, endears him to his faithful. Lucy occasionally joined in the escapades by bouncing across the stage like a kangaroo (was she hinting that she wants to go on the Australian tour?) and jabbing her chin out in time to the beat, Simon discarded his smart black jacket (but not his hat) as he laid into his drum kit, and Steve, looking quite cool and presentable in his jacket and red shirt tinkling his triple tier of keyboards.

What really appeared to go down well was a great cover version of the Nancy Sinatra song These boots are made for walking which, as a concert version, was loud and proud and suitably augmented by audience participation. The audience. who had some chance to warm up their tonsils during that and the chorus of Is that love were necessarily cooling down during the short break. only to find the band snaking through the middle of them in a musical conga and busking it up with an impromptu rendering of Goodbye Girl and then settling into a circle in the middle of the floor, whilst Steve stood over by me with what could best be described as a small portable keyboard attached to a flexible pipe which he blew down. Steve described it to me as a toy!.

The second half didn't let up on pace, volume and musical ability with a repeat of the same formula of solo tracks and well loved Squeeze favourites including Slap and tickle, Black coffee in bed, Hourglass and Up the junction. But it was Take me I'm yours which stood out, as Steve took to sound effects on vocals and keyboards ending up sounding like Sparky and his magic piano (someone please explain this to the younger readers!). Just when you wondered what would happen next (and giving other bands a great idea how to avoid doing encores) they finished their set by systematically dismantling their equipment and handing it out to the audience - which was quickly retrieved by the roadies!

Thinking that was the end of it, fans were delighted to find out from hastily distributed fliers that Glenn would be appearing down the road at Cabaret Voltaire (36 Blair Street) for a free lunchtime solo gig. Little enticement was needed. Glenn's performance with the Fluffers is professional and electrifying but on his own, he has a more informal relationship with the audience. So, after descending the steps to what can best be described as a dimly lit dungeon, we assembled for another dose of Glenn Tilbrook.

Again he gives due acknowledgement to Chris Difford for the lyrics on Piccadill" and played both solo items (such as Genitalia of a fool) and older Squeeze tracks (The Truth), but it was the spectacular acoustic Parallel world from the Incomplete Glenn Tilbrook and a cover version of Jimmy Hendrix's Voodoo Chile which definitely stood out for me - especially his madcap attempt to play his acoustic guitar behind his head and descending into a fit of giggles.

Being in a more intimate situation, Glenn offers more of his personality and off-beat humour, like his tall tale of being Jimmy's brother and teaching him the riff for Voodoo Chile. He also, more predictably, became frustrated at the barrier between him and the audience, demolishing the exclusion zone at the front of the stage. Not being satisfied with that, he ended up unplugging his guitar and like a modern day Pied Piper, lead the faithful back to the bar - and when I eventually had to leave, he was still sitting cross-legged on the bar (barely having any spare space above his head) and organising the audience into various octaves of response to Tempted.

You actually have to see him in both modes; with and without the Fluffers, to appreciate the full extent of the musical ability and showmanship of this former Squeeze member. From comments made, we should not be holding our breaths for any chance of a reunion; maybe Chris's book cast asunder a healing rift and I will be interested in a few days to see how Mr Difford performs solo and what he has to say. In the meantime, the legacy of the unbelievable talent that made up Squeeze continues separately with Glenn, Chris, Jools Holland and Paul Carrack, but in both his solo and Fluffers modes, Glenn is beginning to stand well with his own compositions, continuing the tradition of superb melody hooks; but apparently, the sibling rivalry which plague many successful bands such as the Kinks, Oasis, Crowded House and even to a certain extent the Lennon/McCartney partnership, is still simmering.

However, the devoted following which Glenn's undoubted talent and showmanship has drawn around him are voting with their feet and many are already looking to December 7th when he returns for another concert in Edinburgh (The Venue, Carlton Road). Hope to see you there!

Performances: 14th August (Liquid Room) 15th August (Cabaret Voltaire - solo)

© Julian Davis 18/08/2005. Published on www.edinburghguide.com
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http://www.ootweb.com/articles/glenn_tilbrook.htm

Glenn Tilbrook recently played two sold out solo shows at the Tin Angel in Philadelphia. With a new record projected by the end of next year, Tilbrook played at an exhausting pace treating the packed house to one classic Squeeze song after another as well as selections from his solo efforts. Highlights included “Pulling Mussels ( from the shell), “Black Coffee In Bed”, “Tempted”, “If I Didn’t Love You” and “Hourglass”. Look for Tillbrook to return to town sometime next year, hopefully with a new cd in hand.

GLENN TILBROOK, LIFE AFTER “SQUEEZE”

By Rob Nagy
While London’s punk music scene was at an all time high in 1978, a little known quintet was crafting a style and unique sound that would soon become “Squeeze”. A bridge between the British pop and post-punk era, Squeeze was anquered by the songwriting team of Chris Difford and Glenn Tilbrook. They would later be heralded by some critics as the Lennon and McCartney of the 1980’s. With Difford penning the lyrics and Tilbrook crafting the music, Squeeze would go on to record some of the finest pop songs of the 20th century of which a handful are classics twenty some years later.

Success was easily found by “Squeeze”on their home turf of England earning top ten status with “Take Me I’m Yours” and “Up The Junction”, gaining popularity in America was not so easy. It wasn’t until 1987 that the band broke the U.S. Top 40, a decade after their debut, with the song “Hourglass”. Squeeze gradually developed huge cult following in the U.S. carrying them well into the 90’s with a body of work that included “Pulling Mussels (From The Shell)”, “Tempted”, Black Coffee In Bed” and “If I Didn’t Love You”. Feuding between band members, creative differences and the pressures of being chained to a major record label, opened the door for a number of musicians to join “Squeeze” only to end up leaving. Through it all Tilbrook and Difford remained continuing to crank out well crafted songs that got lots of radio exposure on college and alternative stations but had difficulty cracking the main stream airwaves, getting just a taste of what should have made the band as big as any of the super groups of the time.

By 1982 Tilbrook and Difford had enough and “Squeeze” was disbanded only to regroup again in the not too distant future. In spite of this, Tilbrook had no intention of ending his collaborations with long time friend and band mate Difford. Both artists had a strong desire to pursue solo efforts. Over the next three years various band members worked with a variety of musicians and musical styles reuniting as “Squeeze” in 1985 for a charity event. With the core of the original line-up in place, “Squeeze” opted to stay together and released “Cosi Fan Tutti” earning positive feedback from the industry but generating less than dazzling record sales. “Babylon and On” soon followed becoming an unexpected hit reaching number 14 in the U.K. earning the band their biggest U.S. hit “Hourglass” climbing to number fifteen. A world tour was highlighted by shows at New York’s Madison Square Garden and the prestigious Reading Festival. Success was short lived as the band endured lots of bumps and bruises over the next five years releasing several records to look warm responses.

By the early 90’s Difford and Tilbrook started to branch out and began playing solo acoustic shows as a duo in the club circuit while continuing with Squeeze who, continued to struggle to maintain a consistent line-up. A variety of compilation cd’s were released in the U.S. and abroad. With contractual obligations satisfied with A & M Records, Squeeze signed on with the much smaller independent label Quixotic Records. They released their last album “Domino” in the fall of 1998 before finally calling it quits as a band. “I always enjoyed being in Squeeze” says Tilbrook, “But there was always an element of struggle attached to that. I don’t say that’s a bad thing. But to struggle for most of that time ultimately becomes quite hard.” Tilbrook added, “If it were that hard I would have changed things sooner so I was happy with the continuity of being in Squeeze and me and Chris (Difford) working together.”

Tilbrook officially kicked off his solo career in 2000 with the release of the single “Parallel World”. A year later he released his first full-length album, “The Incomplete Glenn Tilbrook” followed up by the 2004’s “Transatlantic Ping Pong”. Tilbrook aggressively performed both solo and fronting his own band “The Party” of which a couple members, along with Tilbrook, would go on to form his current band “The Fluffers”. Going under the name “The Band”, they toured the U.K. making their U.S. debut at the high profile annual music conference “South By Southwest”. “The Fluffers is the first real band I have been in since Squeeze.” Says Tilbrook. “We all live within ten minutes of each other so we are able to rehearse and discuss ideas. With Squeeze everyone lived all over the country so it was difficult to get together unless we were recording or on tour.” Tilbrook added, “I’ve discovered so much about myself, the songs as a performer and myself as a person on stage. “The last five years I’m the happiest I’ve ever been. Perhaps I shouldn’t feel as happy. Things aren’t as good as I would wish them to be. I’m doing what I’ve always wanted to do and I’m lucky I can make records and say to myself, I’m really proud of this and can let it go and people can discover it or not.” Still, Tilbrook recognizes the down side of no longer being with a group that has the stature of Squeeze or the budget and marketing blitz of a major record label. “I feel somewhat of an outsider from the music business”, says Tilbrook. “I think some of that is now through choice. The world I operate in is unlikely to deliver high sales for me and that’s a bit of a disappointment. I am not willing to go through the compromises I think would be necessary to reach a larger audience unless it was on my own terms, which is what I am doing now.”

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MOJO - Review
Tempting new music from ever-affable Mr Tilbrook.

This follow-up to 2001's The Incomplete Glenn Tilbrook finds the singer/guitarist settling in nicely to musical life without longtime Squeeze mate and collaborator/lyricist Chris Difford.
 
Recorded in numerous UK and US locales (hence, presumably, the title), the collection nonetheless hangs together on the strength of Tilbrook's most dependable qualities- shining on brightly vocals and a pop-smart knack for finely detailed melodies-and-hooks embroidery.
 
While the infectuous Untouchable and the breezy There For Her conjure up welcome memories of past triumphs, others composed solely by Tilbrook show him moving forward- most notably, with the adult themed Hostage and Domestic Distortion, concerning a disconnected father and child's tentative reunion.
 
Don't fret too much about ageing perspectives, though: any album that features songs called Hot Shaved Asian Teens and Genitalia Of A Fool can't be too serious.
 
(Awarded 3 stars out of 5).
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Monday, June 28, 2004
English Rock: Glenn Tilbrook's Transatlantic Ping Pong  
http://musicspectrum.blogspot.com/

There's a great walking scale emphasized by keyboards in many Squeeze songs and now also in Glenn Tilbrook's solo work. With variations and such added to these walking scales, I'm inclined to put Squeeze and Tilbrook in the Jazz-influenced Rock section. After all, as I said in my Tilbrook concert review , there's a similarity to Elvis Costello and the Attractions. Plus, if you want to be pianist about it, that's where bands with heavy keyboard/piano leanings should end up in the Spectrum.

Overall, though, Squeeze and Tilbrook are Britpop, pure and simple. To the English Rock section, then, with Tilbrook's Transatlantic Ping Pong . The Beatles, XTC, Tilbrook, Crowded House, Housemartins, Free French , Spearmint . For what I own in my collection, that's how it plays out.

What makes Tilbrook so hard to define is that his brand of Britpop (and really Squeeze as well) grabs from all different directions, like putting new clothes on a paper doll. The basic songs are Britpop, but they can wear soul-funk, jazzed-up beats, New Wave, Who-like rock, or countrified balladry.

Tilbrook isn't just turning in some kind of "Retro Squeeze" thing. His latest solo project builds on what he learned in Squeeze while finding his own voice. The opening track, "Untouchable," sounds most reminiscent of Squeeze and acts like the paper doll, the Britpop song from where the rest of the album departs, expands, and funkifies.

Watch how this works. Track 2, "Lost in Space," is a soul-funk variation, with a theme that brings to mind Thomas Dolby's Aliens Ate My Buick . Track 3, "Neptune," turns in a great back beat. Here Tilbrook proves how he can take a 4th grade joke and make it into an incredible pop song ("Oh! Here you come here you come now/Oh! Where are you coming from now?/Uranus and I'm here in Neptune"). Track 4, "Hostage," adds the country influence with pedal steel guitar. Track 5, "Hot Shaved Asian Teens," a potentially offensive song which actually turns out to be a stream of consciousness, dream sequence of word phrases, spins out the New Wave. Track 6, "Ray & Me," a light ballad accompanied by toy piano and beat boxing. Are you still with me? The Britpop keeps taking on different shapes.

Having seen the Fluffers working so well together with Tilbrook live on stage, it is great to take special note of the tracks that bring them all together on the album. "Lost in Space," "Ray & Me," "Reinventing the Wheel," "Where I Can Be Your Friend," and "There for Her," feature the members of the Fluffers: Lucy Shaw on bass, Simon Hanson on drums, and Stephen Large on keyboards.

There's some crude humor here, as I mentioned with "Hot Shaved Asian Teens" (just typing that title into my blog will probably generate some unintended Web traffic!). However, Tilbrook's charm is that he can take that crude humor to talk about what really troubles us, what we really think and feel. "Domestic Disturbance," a ballad walking the border between pop and lounge act, emerges from the humor and fun of Transatlantic Ping Pong with the lines that jumped out at me while Tilbrook played live, "Sliding from the shadows/Of our domestic disturbance/Uncertainty has been the only thing I'm sure of/My feelings are elusive/Somewhere that I just will not go/Now we're on a journey, where it ends I don't know."

Through this music I am trusting Tilbrook to be guide to understanding life and love. Yet, Tilbrook brings a lot of fun to this prospect of encountering my own feelings. It's not too bad to reflect on your life if it comes in the form of Britpop.

As Tilbrook would say, "Cheers then!"

Thanks to Glenn Tilbrook , Quixotic Records , Compass Records , and Tilbrook's tour manager for the review copy.

permalink# posted by Benjamin : 4:31 PM
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SOME FANTASTIC PLACE! - Glenn Tilbrook & Pat DiNizio in Concert
Rock 2 The People Concert Series: June 04, 2004
A Rock Report by Rich and Laura Lynch
http://www.kweevak.com/rd_art_2004_06_04_r2tp.htm

It may have only been your average hotel ballroom slash conference center at the Raddison Hotel in the shadow of the Garden State Parkway in Paramus, New Jersey, but the Rock 2 The People Concert Series managed to transform it into some fantastic place to see a show.

Glenn Tilbrook set the bar high as Rock 2 The People kicked off their concert series!

By the time Mr. Tilbrook reached the stage around 10 p.m. a standing room only audience had gathered inside the warm, intimate room and they were exuding an excited buzz in anticipation of the performance by their rock hero from Squeeze.

After opening with the energizing 'Pulling Muscles From a Shell' the exuberant Tilbrook made a proposition to the crowd to "stack the chairs" referring to the restraining layout of seats.

However, the crowd - many of them in their late thirties and early forties - seemed to prefer the option of seating, and no attempt was made to stack them.

After playing two songs from recent solo records -- 'Hot Shaved Asian Teens' and 'This Is Where You Ain't' -- the crowd started to come alive when Glenn played the live favorite, 'Is That Love', from the East Side Story record.

When he played the next tune, another song from East Side Story -- the breakout top-10 charting 'Tempted' -- many persons in the crowd gave in to the temptation to "stack the chairs" and they stood up and started passing and stacking the chairs as Glenn had earlier suggested while letting out shouts of "stack the chairs!" No sooner did this movement take root when venue and hotel security stepped in to put a stop to the revolt. But, Tilbrook wasn't done yet in his attempts to draw his loyal and loving fans closer to himself.

Tilbrook was hilarious and engaging during his two hour set which featured music from the vast Squeeze catalogue and songs from his two solo records including his most recent, Transatlantic Ping Pong. Also on display were his famous genial nature, charm, playfulness and English wit and humor. Often, and at various times throughout the night, Glenn would raise his pint of amber ale high toasting the audience with the cry of "Cheers Then" before quenching his thirst. Throughout the evening Tilbrook thrilled the oft-singing audience with favorites and rarities including the title track from Some Fantastic Place, 'Walk Away', 'Messed Around', 'Up the Junction', 'Goodbye Girl', 'Hourglass', and a rousing cover version of The Beatles 'Ob La Di Ob La Da'.

The recent tour has found Tilbrook at the top of his game and sounding as good as ever with a new band -- The Fluffers -- whose energy level and musical competency has fans comparing Glenn's new outfit to early incarnations of the legendary English post-punk power-pop outfit, Squeeze.

This show, however, was a solo act with accompaniment on piano and mouth organ provided by the slight but multi-talented Stephen Large. The two performers had a good chemistry between them and Large added the keyboard chords, leads and rhythmic backing that were so important to the overall Squeeze sound. In this setting, Glenn had an opportunity to display his dynamic acoustic playing style that included many lead runs reminding the audience that he is also a very accomplished, if not under-rated, lead guitar player. The guitar-keyboard combo allowed listeners to focus on the talents of each performer because their playing was not getting lost in a bigger band sound.

Glenn Tilbrook and Stephen Large made a big impression!

Late in the evening Glenn suggested that everyone stand up and move their seats closer to the stage to fill in the gap between the performance area and the front row. This request resulted in confusion but less chaos than the "stack the chairs" plan and served to bring the performer and legendary rocker closer to the people for the closing songs and encores which included 'Slap and Tickle' and 'Take Me I'm Yours' -- two classics from the earliest Squeeze releases.

Following the show fans had the opportunity to interact with the evening's performers in the hotel lobby. Pat was mingling. Stephen Large, having won new fans was chatting with admirers, and a still-jovial Glenn was signing autographs and posing for pictures. It was a festive end to a magical night of music that really had brought rock to the people -- mission accomplished!

Originally Published: 06/11/2004 on Kweevak.com
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TRANSATLANTIC PING PONG (Compass) • Glenn Tilbrook
Superb cheeky survivor pop, from one of its true and perennially young statesmen.
http://www.puremusic.com

Glenn Tilbrook continues his rise from the ashes of Squeeze fame into the role of the indie solo star he is indefatigably becoming. Just a glance through his website with no real account of his notorious 25 year history with Squeeze gives the clear impression that his career is going on Now.

His energy is well revealed in our 2002 interview following a show that blew everyone present off their feet. His fiery solo debut The Incomplete Glenn Tilbrook is seen and raised here with a batch of songs that prove Tilbrook hasn't missed a half step. He's moving faster now, in fact. Half of this great new record was actually cut with mutual friends in Nashville, at Toy Box Studio on the East side, with the help of Bill Lloyd, Michael Webb, Kyle Melancon, Lee Warren, Bill Davis, and others. The other half was cut in England, and mixed in various far flung locations. The artist is covering the globe in an RV, playing every radio station and listening room worth its salt along the way. Like Richard Thompson, Glenn Tilbrook has not already been a huge star in band format, he is the entire package as a solo artist and more--as a stand alone player, a singer, a writer, and an entertainer, he is all there.

The single and opening song, "Untouchable," is world class grown up pop music, co-written with Chris Braide who sings and plays guitar and keys on the cut. It’s my favorite on the record, and arguably the Squeeziest. Along with the cover of "Genitalia of a Fool," Glenn penned five alone and co-wrote two with Briade, one with his former Squeeze partner Chris Difford, one each with Steve Poltz (though I find the title "Hot Shaved Asian Teens" pretty revolting, it’s a bad jam), Ben Jones, and George Hartner. Many angles of relationship get handled in humorous and poignant ways, with penetrating English wit. There’s a slew of good players from both sides of the pond in play, but we particularly enjoyed the genre-bending steel playing of Lee Warren, the bass and guitar work of Bill Lloyd, and the multi-instrumentalism of the artist himself.

Check the clips on the Listen page, and we know you’ll agree that Glenn Tilbrook is that needle in the haystack, that elusive necessity called pop for grownups, and that you need to buy it, here.  FG

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Not Lame Records - Review
Glenn Tilbrook - Transatlantic Ping Pong
Fabulous, surprisingly strong 2004 solo release from the Squeeze man (well, one of them, at least). After 30 years producing finely-crafted pop vignettes with Chris Difford and Squeeze, Glenn Tilbrook`s got nothing left to prove. Before you even put Transatlantic Ping Pong on the CD player you KNOW it`s going to be packed with neat tunes, tasteful harmonies and lyrics that tell real stories of real people.The good and bad news is, of course, that there are no surprises here. This is a surprisingly fresh and solid outing. " 4 1/2 stars... his second solo album and his best record in a long, long time. Simultaneously looser and more focused than Incomplete, Transatlantic finds Tilbrook returning to the hooky, direct power pop of the best Squeeze albums, but instead of sounding like a retread or a last grasp for glory, he sounds comfortable, as if he knows this is the sound that suits him best. Most important, it sounds like he`s having fun, and that`s the sentiment that rules the album. It`s not just that the music is bright and catchy, the sound of a top pop tunesmith working at full strength; it`s that the songs themselves are often larks.... that kind of boozy, good-time humor is evident not just in the words, but the raucous, full- bodied performances that make Transatlantic Ping Pong a joy on the sheer sonic level. Plus, those off-color jokes are tempered by the fine craftsmanship of songs like "Untouchable" and the bittersweet "Ray & Me," both of which are bolstered by the lively performances and recording, and the whole thing winds up as his most likable and alive record in quite some time.

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From the June 22, 2004 issue of USA Today
Glenn Tilbrook, Transatlantic Ping Pong (***)
Question: Are Hot Shaved Asian Teens and Genitalia of a Fool the titles of
a) popular video rentals b)recent Howard Stern segments or c) songs on Tilbrook’s new CD? If you guessed “c,” there’s no need to explain that the former Squeeze frontman hasn’t lost his, um, cheeky sense of humor. Luckily Tilbrook has also retained his sweetly plangent tenor and keen melodic savvy, as more wistful, winning tracks such as Untouchable and Ray & Me confirm. The singer/songwriter’s occasional indulgences in blue-tinted humor are hardly offensive, but blue-eyed soul continues to be his strong suit. -- Elysa Gardner

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SOUTHAMPTON EVENING ECHO

Charming performance from true professional Glenn Tilbrook, Ferneham Hall, Fareham
Charismatic and dynamic singer/songwriter Glenn Tilbrook charmed the friendly festival crowd with an energetic and professional act. Backed by excellent musicians on keyboards, drums and bass guitar, Tilbrook's arrangements are crisp and tight, the lyrics refreshingly intelligent and shrewd. Words like "chagrin" and phrases like "genitalia of a fool" sparkle in feel-good pop songs that are cleverly constructed with catchy riffs and driving rock rhythms. During his acoustic solo spot, Tilbrook completely discarded the safety net of microphone and amplifier, and wandered nonchalantly into the auditorium, singing and playing guitar in the darkened and delighted audience without missing a note. The former Squeeze frontman clearly enjoyed himself with a varied range of sounds, from the funky "Stop For A Minute" through the soulful "Black Coffee In Bed" to the perceptive new single "Untouchable".

The 13th annual Gosport and Fareham Easter Music Festival gets better and better!
Brendan McCusker

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EDINBURGH EVENING NEWS 5/5/04
Glenn Tilbrook and Band, The Venue ****

Glenn Tilbrook and Chris Difford were among the greatest songwriters never to take the world by storm. Tilbrook may be writing solo now, but his performance last night was in no way half measures. Backed by a stonking, heavyweight trio - the thunderous Lucy Shaw on bass, Stephen Large on keyboards and Simon Hanson on drums - Tilbrook, his songs and his, previously hidden, exceptional guitar skills had the audience alternately hushed and listening or singing their heads off. On Goodbye Girl, he wandered amongst the crowd acoustically with the band, and the audience almost drowned them out. Naturally, songs by his old mates Squeeze featured prominently, but for every Up The Junction or Take Me I'm Yours, there was a new number, including his latest single, Untouchable. And, for sheer entertainment and energy - he was.

Martin Lenon

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The Sunday Mail
MAIL MUSIC : GLENN TILBROOK TWA TAMS, PERTH, MAY 6 2004

May 16 2004
Paul Dunning

The former Squeeze singer/songwriter and his fantastic band played an excellent two-hour show.
Opener Pulling Mussels (From The Shell) and songs from Tilbrook's new album Transatlantic Ping Pong were well received, as were solo versions of Some Fantastic Place and Goodbye Girl. Tilbrook then grabbed his guitar and led the crowd on a march around Perth. When they re-appeared, Tilbrook was in a shopping trolley. Squeeze classics Tempted, Another Nail In My Heart, Hourglass and Up The Junction rounded off an excellent gig.

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http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&uid=UIDCASS80311171113553241&sql=A3hvyxddb4ola

Artist  Glenn Tilbrook
Album Title  Transatlantic Ping Pong
Date of Release  Jun 8, 2004
4.5 Stars from allmusic.com

Splitting from longtime songwriting co-partner and musical partner in crime Chris Difford rejuvenated Glenn Tilbrook, leading to a good solo debut in 2001 with The Incomplete Glenn Tilbrook and a subsequent never-ending tour that found the former Squeeze frontman playing seemingly anywhere and everywhere for a good three years. This constant activity pays off on 2004's Transatlantic Ping Pong, his second solo album and his best record in a long, long time. Simultaneously looser and more focused than Incomplete, Transatlantic finds Tilbrook returning to the hooky, direct power pop of the best Squeeze albums, but instead of sounding like a retread or a last grasp for glory, he sounds comfortable, as if he knows this is the sound that suits him best. Most important, it sounds like he's having fun, and that's the sentiment that rules the album. It's not just that the music is bright and catchy, the sound of a top pop tunesmith working at full strength; it's that the songs themselves are often larks. A few songs explore some regret over the past — most notably on "Hostage," where he meets up with a former lover/partner, and "Domestic Distortion," where he comes to grips with his adult child — but they're surrounded by songs filled with jokes. While some of those display the trademark dry wit of Squeeze, more often than not these are dirty, filthy jokes, like rewriting a country standard for "The Genitalia of a Fool" and turning on a disco beat for "Hot Shaved Asian Teens," which may not be any more vulgar than a typical spam e-mail, but certainly is a bit of a shock coming from Tilbrook. But that kind of boozy, good-time humor is evident not just in the words, but the raucous, full-bodied performances that make Transatlantic Ping Pong a joy on the sheer sonic level. Plus, those off-color jokes are tempered by the fine craftsmanship of songs like "Untouchable" and the bittersweet "Ray & Me," both of which are bolstered by the lively performances and recording, and the whole thing winds up as his most likable and alive record in quite some time. — Stephen Thomas Erlewine

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11 December 2002: Viper Room — Los Angeles
by Kimberly Mack - PopMatters Music Critic
http://popmatters.com/music/concerts/t/tilbrook-glenn-021211.shtml

Glenn Tilbrook practically skipped onto the tiny red-curtained Viper Room stage in Los Angeles, California. Dressed in a simple red and white T-shirt and jeans and carrying an acoustic guitar, Tilbrook dove heartily into a performance that showcased the depth and breadth of a two-decade-plus career with Squeeze as well as his own solo foray. Despite a rather nasty flu that caused Tilbrook to cough in between songs and sweat more than is customary at your average unplugged rock show, he joked, danced and emoted his way through a veritable treasure trove of hits.
Tilbrook mostly performed songs from various points in Squeeze's recorded history rather than his own solo material. The audience was barely warmed up before he began a passionate and particularly poignant version of the pop ballad "Up the Junction" from 1979's Cool for Cats. This song is one of Squeeze's more lyrically sound pieces, a song that belied the young age of its creators, with lyrics like: "I worked eleven hours / And bought the girl some flowers / She said she'd seen a doctor / And nothing now could stop her." and "Alone here in the kitchen / I feel there's something missing / I'd beg for some forgiveness / But begging's not my business / And she won't write a letter / Although I always tell her / And so it's my assumption / I'm really up the junction."

After a joyous rendering of the bouncy pop fun of "Piccadilly" from 1981's East Side Story, during which he insisted on audience participation, Tilbrook launched into a hilarious rant about VH1 and Squeeze's place in its history. ". . . First we were on VH1. Now it's VH1 Classic . . . What's next? VH1 Are You Still Alive?" Tilbrook went on to discuss Squeeze's wariness, at first, of the music video form and how uncomfortable they were when they made the video for their 1982 hit "Black Coffee in Bed". He commented about a Billy Squier video he saw, just a few days earlier, for "Rock Me Tonite", and commiserated with how difficult it was to make music videos in the 1980s that weren't campy or silly. Tilbrook's unexpectedly literal imitation of Squier in that video was priceless.

Although he was under the weather, Tilbrook's vocals were as beautiful as ever. There was the occasional croak, but those moments were overshadowed by his energy, humor and passion for the music, his music. During the blue-eyed soul of "This Is Where You Ain't" from his 2001 solo album, The Incomplete Glenn Tilbrook, his voice was clearly hoarse, but that somehow only added to the emotion of the song. In fact, it seemed he found a way to use the hoarseness of his voice to carry the audience to another level of emotional connection to his work throughout the night. To say the mostly middle-aged, mostly male crowd was appreciative of Tilbrook's efforts would be a huge understatement. Through their eyes, the true impact of Squeeze's music could be seen and felt. Of course there were younger fans in attendance: a trio of young men, no more then 25, right up front and a young woman with pink hair who knew every word to every song, but it was clear that the bulk of the audience grew up with Squeeze. This was evidenced by the fact that there was never silence in between songs or even your usual hoots and hollers. There were song requests -- and not just a song or two or the same songs -- the requests were many and varied. During each break a different fan had a different song they wanted: "Tempted", "Is That Love?", "Goodbye Girl", to name just a few.

Tilbrook sang songs from many different albums, though mostly from Squeeze's first four studio releases. However, he did perform a few songs from 1987's Babylon and On -- the lovely melodic ballad "Tough Love", the up-tempo pop song "Footprints" and the hit "Hourglass", which was performed with much enthusiasm and featured more audience participation in the form of hand claps during the break in the song.

Highlights of the evening, and there were many, included a slowed down, sexy, almost bluesy version of that ode to masturbation "Touching Me, Touching You" from Cool for Cats, which Tilbrook happily introduced: "I still identify with it now!" The utterly gorgeous mid-tempo pop of "Is That Love" from East Side Story and the distinctively English, Beatles-esque "Slightly Drunk", also from Cool for Cats, were beautifully executed. During "Take Me I'm Yours", from Squeeze's debut album, U.K. Squeeze, Tilbrook demonstrated an impressive fluency on the guitar, and the soulful pop of "Tempted", the song that broke Squeeze in the United States in 1981, whipped the audience into an excited frenzy.

For an encore, Tilbrook performed the timeless "Pulling Mussels (From the Shell)" and "Another Nail in My Heart" from Argybargy. And after the last lyric was sung and the last note sounded, a woman behind me said, "Wow! And that's what he's like when he's sick." Indeed.
— 8 January 2003

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GLENN TILBROOK: THE MEMORIAL PUB TOUR
27 May 2002, The Bluebird, Nashville (USA)
http://www.kindamuzik.net/live/article.shtml?id=1622

In America, there are several things that you normally do on Memorial Day. You can throw a barbecue party, have a picnic, participate in a veterans parade, or, if you were in Nashville this year, you could have gone to The Bluebird Cafe to see Glenn Tilbrook, with Steve Poltz as the opener. Being the intrepid KindaMuzik reporter that I am, I forced myself to give up the trip to the cemetery and ponied up to join another 150 people (believe it or not, a full house) to sample some bottles of Bass Ale and enjoy a very relaxed and often funny show. My duty was clear.

Tilbrook's been touring the country on his "pub tour," living out of an RV and playing nothing but tiny venues, and Nashville was the last stop before returning to the UK.

First up was Steve Poltz, who I knew mainly as the writer of Jewel's You Were Meant For Me and Everything About You, off of the Notting Hill soundtrack. The manic Mr. Poltz was a fun surprise, offering some bouncy and jaunty tunes, but his big strength was his humorous introductions and the sense of humor present in his songs, as when he turned the Jewel song into a "guy's song" by replacing the line "Break the yolks, make a smiley face" with "Break the yolks with a goddamn fork." An accomplished acoustic guitarist, he also has a distinctive voice and was a real blast. He dedicated Waterfalls to Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes and did a great version of the Prince song, complete with a perfect rap. Not bad for a slacker white guy...

After a short intermission (if only all shows were like this), it was time for the unpretentious and affable Mr. Tilbrook, who delighted the faithful with a full cross-section of his career. From Take Me I'm Yours, off of the first Squeeze album, and Touching Me Touching You, Goodbye Girl, and Up The Junction from their second LP, Cool For Cats, he also touched their more quiet periods, playing Truth from the album Play and Melody Motel from Frank and did a song from Some Fantastic Place. Still, he managed to include most of the fan favorites as well: classic songs like Is That Love, Tempted, Black Coffee In Bed, Another Nail In My Heart, as well as the lesser commercially known great songs like Vanity Fair, Labelled With Love, Vicky Verky, and Separate Beds.

Tilbrook also covered songs from his solo career, including a fine song that he co-wrote with Ron Sexsmith called By The Light Of The Cash Machine. My favorite was the hilarious rave-up Interviewing Randy Newman, in which he describes the second "panic attack" of his life, which came about when he interviewed Newman for BBC Radio. The song details the perils of thinking that you've done your homework as an interviewer and then totally blanking when confronted with the interview subject. Drop-dead funny and a little uncomfortable — much like watching a train wreck.

Tilbrook's been inviting audiences to venture outside the venues for impromptu campfire singalongs, and tonight was no exception. We all wandered out to the parking lot (I think that Glenn was taken a little aback by the non-exuberant nature of the Nashville audience), and there we were treated to a rousing audience singalong of Pulling Mussels (From The Shell), with him grinning when we came to the more difficult bits. Never has a song with such a charming metaphor for cunnilingus been sung before in a Nashville parking lot — at least I don't think Hank ever did it that way.

It's amazing how many great songs Tillbrook has had a hand in writing, and the solo venue offered a great chance to experience the depth and breadth of his output. Having said that, he still managed to find time to "squeeze" in several covers: from a shouted-out request of Wichita Lineman, to another request for Willie Nelson, which he complied with by doing a charming version of You Were Always On My Mind, complete with a Willie-esque, halting, Spanish-tinged guitar solo. Plus, he called Steve Poltz back onstage to sing the song that he co-wrote with Elvis Costello, From A Whisper (To A Scream), which was a nice surprise.

Tilbrook has one of the most distinctive and evocative voices in pop music, and it's well served in the intimate confines of the smaller "pub." He hasn't lost a step, and his voice is still playing those serpentine games that has made him one of pop's greatest tunesmiths. One nice touch is that Tilbrook always asks for applause for the absent Chris Difford, and tonight was no exception.

His label is Quixotic Records. Instead of a donkey, he's riding an RV across the land (the mechanical beast being a bit of an ass, according to him). Instead of Pancho Villa, he has his manager Suzanne, and instead of windmills, it's memories that he's tilting at. Sweet dreams are made of this indeed.

by Dave Weil

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The Horseshoe Tavern, Toronto, Canada
SQUEEZE PLAY - GLENN TILBROOK NEEDS THE STAGE BY ANDREW YATES
Glenn Tilbrook at the Horseshoe (370 Queen West), Wednesday (May 15).
http://www.nowtoronto.com/issues/2002-05-09/music_feature4.php

The rv speeds down route I5 on the U.S. West Coast. A road sign reads "Portland 50 miles," and the soundtrack blares Squeeze's Cool For Cats.All of a sudden the camper starts to cough black smoke and vibrate, and a Brit-accented voice bellows, "Bloody hell! What's going on?"

The voice is Glenn Tilbrook's, and he's reacting to yet another tour-bus breakdown. The scene could wind up being in One For The Road, a documentary about Tilbrook that's currently in production. He's the singer songwriter best remembered for his work with 80s new wave band Squeeze, and he brings his solo show and his newly repaired RV to the Horseshoe Wednesday.

"I'm nowhere near the peak of my career. I'm completely aware of that," says Tilbrook. "I hope the film shows that it's possible to make a way for yourself."

Humble words from a man revered by many for his pop craftsmanship, who's collaborated with the likes of Mark Knopfler, Elvis Costello and Richard and Linda Thompson.

But Cool For Cats was released in 1979, and new wave is history. A recent bout of 80s nostalgia hasn't moved Tilbrook to envision a Squeeze reunion, but neither does he plan to quit making music and touring any time soon.

"I'm not in a position where I could give up working, but I also enjoy touring. I want to tour for the rest of my life. The interesting thing is that I've had kids come up to me who know nothing about Squeeze. They've stumbled across my record and played it on their college radio program."

But even if some people are stuck in the past when it comes to Tilbrook, his marketing methods are very present-tense. You won't hear him on the radio or on MuchMusic. He takes full advantage of the Internet to get word out about concert tours and new recording projects.

"My primary business is to let people know about me. The Internet has been fantastic for bringing people together to support my work. The record companies even use it to find people who will put up flyers for my concerts."

When it comes down to promotion versus piracy, the former always wins out for Tilbrook.
"It's one of those things where technology has run ahead of the law, so we've got to get used to it. Now it's up to the artists to make the packaging more interesting. We've got to make the shows more interesting."

He's spent the past eight years working on his solo performances, and promises there will be lots of Squeeze songs alongside solo tunes and covers when he hits the stage with his acoustic guitar.
"My shows are full of improvisation," sells Tilbrook. "They're full of people talking to me and me talking to them."

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Glenn Tilbrook: A Laughing Matter
http://www.musician.com/redirect/854
by Scott Tribble
Part 1: Songwriting & Humor

You don’t often come across a rock star as self-deprecating as Glenn Tilbrook. But, for a man who holds humor in such esteem—both in his life and in his music—it’s not surprising that he’s willing to poke a little fun at himself.

On his first solo album after more than 20 years in the business, The Incomplete Glenn Tilbrook, the former Squeeze front-man delivers first-rate pop-rock whimsy—of which he’s frequently the subject. Whether recalling embarrassing encounters with musical idols (“Interviewing Randy Newman”) or confessing to dance-floor inadequacies (“Up the Creek”), Tilbrook, writing the words for the first time in his career, serves up lyrical wit to match his typically-engaging melodies.
It was Tilbrook’s knack for crafting memorable hooks that made Squeeze one of the most successful Brit-pop acts of the 1980s and ‘90s. Setting music to band-mate Chris Difford’s lyrics, Tilbrook moved across a wide stylistic range, from the blue-eyed soul of “Tempted” to the androgynous synth-pop of “Take Me I’m Yours.” Many Squeeze songs remain radio favorites to this day, including the seminal "Pulling Mussels (From the Shell)," "Black Coffee in Bed," and "Cool for Cats."

Since Squeeze went on hiatus after 1998’s Domino, Tilbrook has performed intimate acoustic shows for audiences worldwide. Musician.com caught up with Tilbrook at one of his recent tour stops and spoke with him about his songwriting process and the sanctity of humor in rock and roll.

Musician.com: So how’s the tour going?

Glenn Tilbrook: It's great! While I love playing with a band—I love the pool of talent [associated with having] a band—one of many things that I got from my talent shows [in the past] was that I never had the chance or ability to establish more of a show than a recital. That's what I'm doing now and have been doing for the last seven or eight years.

Musician.com:: Let’s talk about your songwriting process. I understand that, when you were with Squeeze, you preferred to have finished lyrics from Chris Difford before you came up with the music…

Tilbrook: That's the way we first wrote without ever really talking about it. It worked and we never changed it—not even ending up changing it, but we never really talked about changing it because it worked.

Musician.com: Did Chris present his lyrics to you with general ideas for sound or style? Take “Labelled With Love” [from 1981’s East Side Story], for instance—did Chris indicate that he had written the song with a country sound in mind or did you simply hear the lyrics that way?

Tilbrook: Second way, actually. Chris never really indicated anything to me [with respect to the sound]. With “Labelled With Love” it really just came from the context of the lyric—it suggested it really—that just sort of came out.

Musician.com: What was it like composing your own lyrics for Incomplete?

Tilbrook: I found it very hard at first…I wasn’t far along and I sort of thought, “Well, I can't do it.” And I gave up doing it and said that I would co-write the songs that I needed. The first lyric I wrote off this album was for “Interviewing Randy Newman” and I figured, “I’ve got the hang it of it [now].” As soon as it worked, when I realized I could in fact [write lyrics], it gave me confidence, and that's very much how it goes. I now know that I can do them.

Musician.com: Where did you turn for inspiration? Were your lyrics fictional or based on personal experience?

Tilbrook: I found myself writing about things that I’d learned about Chris Difford was an enormous influence on the lyric writing. Although he wasn't involved in any of [the songs on Incomplete], he was sort of a shadow behind me. The best of Chris' lyrics always had a ring of truth about them. The only way I knew to actually approach songs was from the few things that I knew about.

Musician.com: Are the words and music coming in conjunction these days or do you still prefer to have the lyrics finished before you start composing?

Tilbrook: Some of it is coming in conjunction. I probably do still prefer to try to write a lyric first. When it has happened together, that's great.

Musician.com: Can you give some examples of songs where the lyrics came first and where the words and music came together?

Tilbrook: Again, I would use “Interviewing Randy Newman” as a good example of a lyric that I definitely… I wanted to tell that story and that sort of all tumbled out. After re-writes—quite a lot of re-writes—it made proper sense. Then, there's a song like “This Is Where You Ain’t,” where the music and the lyrics came together. That song is about my sons leaving for Australia. I very much wanted to write about that—because I saw them taking off on a plane, and it was really horrible. I wanted to stress that feeling in a more balanced way, and the tune came at the same time.

Musician.com: While some of the songs on Incomplete do deal with serious topics, humor, for the most part, is present throughout. For you as a writer, did humor serve to diminish the tension of writing lyrics or did it spring from something bigger, as in some idea of great pop music not taking itself too seriously?

Tilbrook: I think a lot of stuff that I've always liked has had a sense of humor. It's not necessarily stuff to make you laugh out loud. It's an attitude. I don't know. It's really strange to put in words why I feel that way. I like laughing, and I like treating serious subjects, but I think Randy Newman summed it up by saying kind of the opposite, when he said: “No one ever wrote a song about something they didn't like by saying ‘This is bad.’” And I think, too, that humor can be a disarming device. You know, drop your guard and say things that, said in another way, can be upsetting.

Part 2: Great Pop Songs & The Future

What are the ingredients of a great pop song, in your mind?

Tilbrook: You know, I don't know. I am the most useless person for analyzing why I like something. And in a way I'm quite glad about that because...you know...some songs just get you. It can be any number of things that you like. For instance, Prince still had my favorite album of last year, but my favorite record was [by] The Avalanches…. [It was just] a whole bunch of party songs [sampled] on that record, but they changed the color of the instrumentals, changed the vocals…I didn't listen to it that way when I heard it—what I heard was a great record. It wasn’t the lyrics that got through to me, but the sound. Yet, when I hear something like “Common People” by Pulp—it’s a great song, but the lyric is what makes it a great song. Having a sense of humor is also very important….

Musician.com: Can you give some examples of other pop songs over the years that you have considered great—for whatever reason?

Tilbrook: Well, from the 1950s, [songwriters Jerry] Leiber and [Mike] Stoller were brilliant. I think the stuff they did in Jailhouse Rock [starring Elvis Presley]... well, “Jailhouse Rock,” the song, that's a very familiar song. It takes elements of Black R&B quite cleverly. I think quite a lot of their writing seems to be heady—I don't think they're just intuitive writers. And combine that with a lyric that's witty and funny.

From the 1960s, [Procol Harum’s] “Whiter Shade of Pale.” Because the classical influence in rock hadn't been done before. It was a time when a lot of boundaries were being pushed back. A lot of barriers were redefined after that point, and it's one of those songs with a tactical influence. Three years before, it was impossible—you could have never done something like that. I think we're still doing stuff like that now, and that shows the influence that it had.

I think Stevie Wonder was the most significant thing for me in the 1970s. What they did with sound on those records … and the sense of musicality and adventure was terrific. It's hard to [pick one song]..."You and I" from Talking Book—that’s a very advanced tune. One step away from cabaret, but on the right side of it.

I think Prince was the man of [the 1980s] for me. I think he took a lot of risks and chances while he was commercially-successful, which I really admired him for. The track “Under the Cherry Moon,” I think, is a lovely song. Rubbish film, great song! [laughs]

For the 1990s, “Venus as a Boy” by Bjork. Again, the creeping in of dance music for me. Dance music is always been something that I've really loved … so you hear a lot of that in what I do. Bjork managed to combine dance music and songwriting.

Musician.com: What’s next for you? More solo recording? Getting back with Squeeze?

Tilbrook: Well, I've already started recording shows that I'm doing. I'm recording some in Britain and Australia... I'm going to do a live album. The way that I play guitar and sing [on this tour], I’ve never done on a record before.

I've also started writing for my next record, too, so I'm very definitely going to be doing another one of those. I'm not sure yet what this [next] one's going to be like. As for Squeeze, I'll never close the door because I love it too much, but I can't see any circumstances with us getting back together in the near future.

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Tilbrook hits street
Bluebird can't contain Ex-Squeeze frontman
http://www.denverpost.com/Stories/0,1413,36%257E78%257E573596,00.html?search
By John Moore
Denver Post Staff Writer
Monday, April 29, 2002 -

Leave it to a man on crutches with a severely sprained ankle to lead a singing walkabout along East Colfax Avenue.

That's what genial former Squeeze frontman Glenn Tilbrook did Wednesday night, about an hour into his concert at the Bluebird Theatre, at a time of night when bands 20 years his junior are typically making a beeline for the beer.

Tilbrook plodded onto the Bluebird stage before a sparse house of about 150 for his "RV Tour," a solo acoustic evening recounting the early days of Squeeze in stories and s