Argybargy (Deluxe Edition)

People used to say that Squeeze songwriters Chris Difford and Glenn Tilbrook were the new Lennon and McCartney, and for a moment in time it looked like the two singer/guitarists indeed were. This 1980 album (Squeeze’s third) is the one that made them pop stars, and for good reason. Difford’s a literate lyricist whose brilliance wasn't just his witty, eagle-eyed snapshots of everyday things, but also his ability to whittle intricate narratives down to bare essentials. (Listen to the “Separate Beds,” a song involving young lovers spending the night at the folks' house.) Tilbrook’s melodic structures take surprisingly great turns and lift Difford’s words into rarified pop air, especially on the hit songs “Pulling Muscles (From the Shell)” and “Another Nail in My Heart.” They also get deceptively simple on rock ’n’ roll raves like “Farfisa Beat” and “Vicky Beat.” This deluxe version adds 25 more songs, including some killer rarities (the demo of “Library Girl”!) and B-sides, as well as a glorious, band-defining 1980 live show recorded at London’s Hammersmith Odeon.