Babylon and On by Squeeze

Babylon and On, Squeeze's seventh album, came out on A&M, the second act of a band that had split in 1982 and regrouped in 1985. Glenn Tilbrook co-produced with Eric "ET" Thorngren, and the lineup swelled to six with former Soft Boys bassist Andy Metcalfe, drafted as a second keyboard player behind Jools Holland, though the credits show he played on just three tracks. Gilson Lavis keeps the drums snapping.

At its heart is still the partnership once hailed as heirs to Lennon and McCartney: Chris Difford's wry, word-crammed lyrics and Tilbrook's sticky melodies, polished to a glossy sheen. "Hourglass" is the prize, a giddy, tongue-twisting pop rush that became their biggest American hit, climbing to number 15 on the Hot 100, a surprise Difford put down to its video. "Trust Me to Open My Mouth" wears a rueful grin. At home it reached number 14, their best UK album placing outside the hits packages until Cradle to the Grave.

Written with AI assistance from RockLists chart data, MusicBrainz and Wikipedia.