Make no mistake, East Side Story is the band's early masterpiece. While Sweets was far more experimental (as was Cool for Cats), the band's fifth album focused on songcraft. Originally intended as a double album (with hopes for Elvis Costello, Paul McCartney, Dave Edmunds and someone else who I can't recall at the moment), East Side Story is the band's most perfectly formed album.

Every track belongs here and the arrangements from the startling guitar break on Inquintessence to the organ hook that opens Tempted are brilliant. This is an album that's crying out for a second disc of live material from the same album. The two bonus tracks are a mixed bag. One's quite good and the other is just a so-so remake of an oldie.

By the way, this is exactly the same remaster that was used for the box set Six of One that is now out of print.

This is a wonderful album which is slightly marred by the inclusion of two rather mediocre bonus tracks at the end. I think the industry should re-think the practice of adding tracks to re-issues if they are not up to snuff---as in this case. This alone, however, should not put anybody off buying the disc, which is otherwise a charming piece of work.

"East Side Story" is the greatest album of Squeeze's long, distinguished career. It was their fourth album, and they were on an amazing trajectory, with each album revealing growing craftsmanship and confidence, culminating in this masterpiece in 1981. Difford's wry lyrics remained fascinating, but it was Tilbrook's growth as the music-writing half of the team that was leading them into astounding new realms of creativity. He seemed to be able to absorb all musical styles and spit them out in wildly diverse gem after gem. The songs were becoming ever more melodically complex, but without sacrificing the catchiness that it essential to this sort of pop music. (On later albums he would sometimes be guilty of going too far with the melodic complexity, but no sign of that yet in 1981). In addition, Tilbrook had blossomed into a wonderful vocalist, and his guitar leads had become models of dazzling efficiency. (I defy anyone to name a more exquisitely consise guitar solo than the 12-second masterpiece in the middle of "In Quintessence".) New keyboardist Paul Carrack (of pub-rockers Ace and "How Long" fame) is a smoother fit for Difford and Tilbrook than his predecessor Jools Holland, and his lead vocal showcase, "Tempted", became Squeeze's biggest hit to date. Among the other highlights: the achingly lovely ballad "Labelled With Love", here given a gentle country treatment, but you could just as easily imagine this song sung by a crooner like Sinatra or Tony Bennett (assuming the crooner could pull off Difford's lyrics); the rockabilly "Messed Around", which sounds like it's straight out of Elvis' Sun Sessions; the more typical Squeeze pop-rock gems "Is That Love", "Someone Else's Bell", and of course "In Quintessence"; and the amazing "Mumbo Jumbo", wherein Tilbrook combines 3 or 4 great melodies into a single three-minute classic. Elsewhere there are Beatles-inspired orchestrations and dark sonic experiments. Squeeze hit their peak here, and their albums of the past 20 years have often come close to the heights reached on "East Side Story", without ever topping it. This album is an absolute must-own for any Squeeze fan.

One of the biggest albums of the 80's - East Side Story delivers some of Difford and Tilbrook's greatest numbers. Plenty of gems besides the obvious 'Tempted'. Who writes songs like 'Vanity Fair', 'Is That Love', or 'Labelled with Love' these days? Enjoy