Squeeze Still Sounds Like a Band Learning to Be a Band, and That’s the Appeal

Squeeze is The Velvet Underground’s third album, and it is trying to do something very simple: keep the band alive by pretending the original lineup never left. That means carrying on the sound of Loaded, the record that made the Velvuts famous, even though none of the original members appear here. It is a square, cheerful knock-off of Loaded, containing none of the depth or innovation, but a little bit of its sunny swing. The question is whether that knock-off holds together well enough to justify its existence.

Little Jack Opens the Record

“Little Jack” opens the record with a piano-led swagger that sounds like a hangover from Loaded’s “Rock and Roll.” The song is pleasant, if a little thin, and it sets the tone for what follows: a record that knows what it wants to sound like but can’t quite get there. The melody is simple, the rhythm is steady, and the vocals are warm and direct. It is a solid start, but it does not announce anything new.

“Crash” runs just over a minute and a half, and it is the shortest track on the record. It is also the most forgettable. The song is a brief burst of energy that fizzles out before it gets anywhere. It is the kind of track that fills space without earning it, a filler piece that critics have dismissed as a throwaway. There is nothing wrong with brevity, but there is also nothing memorable about it.

Caroline and Mean Old Man

“Caroline” is a brighter, more melodic track that picks up the tempo. The guitar work is sharper than on the opener, and the chorus is catchy enough to stick. It is one of the better moments on the record, a song that shows the band could write something tuneful if they stopped trying so hard to sound like themselves. The lyrics are simple, but they land with a gentle charm that the rest of the record rarely achieves.

“Mean Old Man” follows with a heavier, more blues-influenced groove. The song is built around a driving riff and a sneering vocal delivery. It is the closest the record comes to the raw energy of the Velvuts’ earlier work, but it falls short of the menace that made those songs truly frightening. Still, it is a welcome change of pace after two tracks of mid-tempo noodling.

Dopey Joe and Wordless

“Dopey Joe” is a strange detour, a track that leans into a folk-rock sound that feels out of place in the context of the record. The song is not bad, but it is also not the kind of thing that anyone expected from The Velvet Underground. It is a curious moment, a brief experiment that does not quite pay off. It is the kind of track that might work on a different album, but it sits awkwardly here.

“Wordless” is a brief instrumental interlude, a track that gives the record a moment of quiet before the second half begins. It is not much of a song, but it does serve a purpose. It breaks up the rhythm of the first five tracks and gives the listener a chance to catch their breath before the record shifts gears.

She’ll Make You Cry and Friends

“She’ll Make You Cry” is a slow, brooding track that leans heavily on atmosphere. The song is darker than anything else on the record, and it is one of the few moments where the band comes close to capturing the menace of their earlier work. The production is murky, the guitar is distorted, and the vocals are delivered with a sense of weariness that feels earned. It is a strong track, and it is a relief to hear the band reach for something other than cheerfulness.

“Friends” is a more straightforward pop song, with a singalong chorus and a bouncy rhythm. It is not a bad song, but it is also not particularly memorable. The track is pleasant enough, but it lacks the spark that made the Velvuts’ best work feel dangerous. It is the kind of song that would fit on a radio playlist, but it does not leave much of an impression.

Send No Letter and Jack & Jane

“Send No Letter” is a slower, more introspective track that gives the record a moment of reflection. The song is built around a simple piano line and a gentle vocal delivery, and it feels like a deliberate contrast to the energy of the earlier tracks. It is a good track, but it is also a bit of a letdown after the strength of “She’ll Make You Cry.”

“Jack & Jane” is a return to form, a track that recaptures some of the swagger of the opener. The song is built around a driving rhythm and a catchy chorus, and it feels like the band finally found their footing again. It is one of the stronger tracks on the record, and it is a reminder of why the Velvuts were beloved in the first place.

Louise Closes the Record

“Louise” closes the record with a five-minute epic that tries to tie everything together. The song is sprawling, ambitious, and ultimately exhausting. It is the longest track on the record, and it feels like the band was reaching for something grand but came up short. The song is not a failure, but it is a reminder that the Velvuts were better at short, sharp statements than at long, winding narratives.

The record ends with a final fade-out, a moment that feels both conclusive and unfinished. It is a strange way to end a record, but it is fitting for a record that never quite figured out what it wanted to be.

What Works and What Doesn’t

The record has a few strengths that keep it from being a complete failure:

• The tracks that lean into the Velvuts’ earlier, rawer sound (“She’ll Make You Cry,” “Mean Old Man,” “Jack & Jane”) are the strongest moments on the record. They capture a sense of danger and menace that the poppy tracks cannot match.
• The record has a consistent identity, even if that identity is a poor imitation of Loaded. The band sounds like a cohesive unit throughout, which is more than can be said for some of their later work.
• The record is generally listenable, even if it is not particularly innovative. It does not ask much of the listener, but it does not bore them either.

But there are also weaknesses that are hard to ignore:

• The record lacks the depth and innovation that made the Velvuts’ earlier work so compelling. It is a shallow imitation of a great record, and it never rises above that.
• The record is uneven, with a handful of strong tracks surrounded by filler. The sequencing does not help, as the weaker tracks are placed between the stronger ones rather than grouped together at the end.
• The record is a poorly executed imitation of Loaded, and it is widely acknowledged as such.

The Verdict on Squeeze

Squeeze is a record that is better than its reputation suggests, but it is still a disappointment. It is a listenable, occasionally fun record that captures a bit of the Velvuts’ earlier sound, but it never reaches the heights of the records that made them famous. It is a record that is worth hearing once, but it is not a record that demands repeated listens.

The record is a square, cheerful knock-off of Loaded, containing none of the depth or innovation, but a little bit of its sunny swing. That is a fair description, and it is also a fair assessment. The record is not terrible, but it is not good either. It is a middling record that will likely be remembered as a footnote in the Velvuts’ discography, a record that tried to carry on a legacy without the people who created it.

The record is a boneheaded attempt to carry on the legendary Velvuts sound without any of the original members. That attempt is not a success, but it is not a failure either. It is a record that exists somewhere in between, a record that is worth hearing but not worth defending. It is a record that is better than its reputation suggests, but it is still a disappointment.

The record is a record that is worth hearing once, but it is not a record that demands repeated listens. It is a record that captures a bit of the Velvuts’ earlier sound, but it never reaches the heights of the records that made them famous. It is a record that is better than its reputation suggests, but it is still a disappointment.

1970s music · album review · classic rock · Loaded · Velvet Underground