One of the items currently at auction is a box-set by Squeeze, Six of One.  I got this as a review copy back in 1997.  I haven't kept all the reviews I wrote - somewhere along the line, I misplaced my fees too -  but I did find this particularly embarrassing example of how to fudge a review without really thinking too much.

STARTS

Squeeze - Cool For Cats (A&M)

Tracklist: Slap And Tickle - Revue Touching Me Touching You - It's Not Cricket - It's So Dirty - The Knack - Hop Skip And Jump - Up The Junction -Hard To Find - Slightly Drunk - Goodbye Girls - Cool For Cats

Originally released: March 1979 Re-released: with bonus tracks (I Must Go and Ain't It Sad) as part of the box set Six Of One.

Top chart position: 45

Best track: Cool For Cats and Up The Junction - oddly, both singles spent one week at number two and 11 weeks total in the U K singles chart.

Vinyl Goldmine: The single Cool For Cats came in a variety of coloured editions, the red vinyl (a thousand pressings) being the rarest: expect to pay upwards of 15 pounds.

Best line: `Never chew a pickle with a little slap and tickle!'

Who are they? The band was formed in 1973 by Glen Tilbrook and Chris Difford. Joined later by Harry Kakoulli (bass), Gilson Lavis (drums) and Julian (Jools) Holland.

Flashback: The apparent chauvinism in their lyrics and the cartoon irony of the early muscle-man cover illustrations led to the charge of sexism.

Acclaimed for... kitchen sink songs: real life full of ordinary details.

Criticised for... being ‘awfully ordinary’.

Press cutting: ‘Sounds about as glamorous as a suburban estate agent.’ (Anne Nightingale, April 23rd 1982)

Most likely to say: ‘Our records are the kind you can eat your fish and chips to.’

Musical offspring: Britpop

ENDS ...

© Skirt magazine, 1997

Squeeze: Six of One (box set) ... A&M, 1997