Singles -- 45's and Over

I was seven years old when I first became obsessed with Squeeze. The fixation began when I hijacked my parents' cassette copy of the 1982 compilation Singles -- 45's and Under, instantly falling in love with the pseudo-rap hit "Cool for Cats." I soon became enamored with all of its 12 songs, from the synth-spiked breakup lament "Goodbye Girl" to the soaring R&B knockoff "Black Coffee in Bed."

In hindsight, Squeeze was a strange choice for a seven-year-old Canadian child. After all, the band's claim to fame was its new wave-y take on pub rock, with lyrics that embraced bitter heartbreak, drunken debauchery and near-incomprehensible cockney slang. I certainly had no idea what the band meant by lewd quips like "give the dog a bone" or "all I get is bitter and a nasty little rash."

As I got older, I didn't attempt to keep up with the band's new material, but that old copy of Singles -- 45's and Under remained in rotation along with whichever flavour-of-the-month band I was interested in at the time. The result of this continued love is that now, 17 years (go ahead, do the math) after my first listen, I know the band's early recordings better than any other's on the planet.

It was of special interest to me, therefore, when Squeeze announced that it would be releasing a new greatest hits collection, Spot the Difference, featuring re-recorded versions of all their old classics. The album's twist is that, rather than attempting to present the old standbys in a new light, the new versions of the songs are intended to sound as close to the originals as possible. Fans are then invited to, ahem, spot the difference between the new tracks and their original incarnations. (In an interview with SoundSpike, co-frontman Chris Difford explained that the goal of the project was to gain licensing control over the tracks.)

To be sure, the arrangements on Spot the Difference are spot-on. Every keyboard line and guitar part is accounted for, and the musicians' voices have held up remarkably well considering that over 30 years has gone by since the band's first releases.

Still, the differences, when they do emerge, are striking. There are some slight lyrical changes in the final verse of "Goodbye Girl," and the brief vocal snippet at the beginning of "Tempted" is no longer buried beneath the organ. The drums hit harder throughout the disc, and the guitars are turned down in favour of the keyboards (which are played with different presets).

Rather than these subtle changes, however, what's most apparent from the recordings is just how good the songs are. From the quasi-rockabilly chug of "Another Nail in My Heart" to the jazzy keyboard breaks of my original favourite, "Cool for Cats," the old hits are nothing short of pop perfection. And then there's "Up the Junction," a riveting narrative about accidental pregnancy and romantic rejection that's given a radio-friendly sheen thanks to its addictive keyboard motif.

It's these moments of pop bliss that make Spot the Difference such a triumph. The subtle differences will allow you to listen to these old standbys with new ears, and you'll remember what was so good about Squeeze in the first place -- a knack for catchy hooks and poignant storytelling that's so undeniable, even a seven-year-old could relate to it.