Squeeze was the fifth and last studio album to be released under the Velvet Underground name. It was primarily written and recorded by singer-guitarist Doug Yule in a London recording studio, following the departures of Lou Reed and Sterling Morrison. Drummer Maureen Tucker, while still technically a member of the band at this time, was not involved in the recording, reportedly due to cost-cutting measures.

About the album

The Velvet Underground — which at that time consisted of Doug Yule (vocals/guitar), Willie Alexander (keyboards/vocals), Walter Powers (bass guitar) and Maureen Tucker (drums) — had toured the United Kingdom and The Netherlands in October and November 1971 to support its latest album, Loaded, which had seen a European release in March of that year. The plan was to record a second and final album for their record company, Atlantic Records, afterwards, but Atlantic had lost faith and decided to issue an archive recording from 1970 featuring Lou Reed, Live at Max's Kansas City, instead.

After the tour, band manager Steve Sesnick managed to get a recording deal with Polydor UK to record a final Velvet Underground album. Alexander, Powers and Tucker were sent back to the United States by Sesnick, however, presumably to retain maximum control over the finished product. Thus, Yule was the only Velvet to actually perform on the album. Although Squeeze was released nominally as a Velvet Underground album, it could justifiably be regarded as a Doug Yule solo album in all but name.

The eleven songs that make up Squeeze were written by Yule and recorded with the help of Deep Purple drummer Ian Paice, with additional occasional saxophone and backing singer assistance. They range from Beatles-like whimsy ("Crash") via pop to typical 70s rock ("Mean Old Man").

Squeeze was recorded in the autumn of 1972 and released in the United Kingdom, France, Germany (all 1973) and Spain (1974). No singles were taken off it and the album did not chart. Yule assembled a backing band consisting of Rob Norris (guitar), George Kay (bass guitar) and Mark Nauseef (drums) to tour the United Kingdom in November and December 1972 to promote the upcoming album; a live recording from this tour is included on the 2001 live box set Final V.U. 1971-1973. After the tour, during which they were deserted by Sesnick, Yule also called it quits, bringing the Velvet Underground to an end.

Squeeze saw a number of re-issues in France during the 1970s and early 1980s. It has been out of print since, and has not been issued on compact disc. The status of Squeeze in the Velvet Underground's recorded canon is generally regarded as dubious; the 1995 Velvets boxed set Peel Slowly and See includes the four studio albums from the Lou Reed era of the band, but excludes Squeeze. In the Peel Slowly and See liner notes, David Fricke dismisses Squeeze as "an embarrassment to the VU discography."

Influence on others

Perhaps the most notable effect this album had on other musicians is that Chris Difford, Glenn Tilbrook, Jools Holland, and Paul Gunn decided to name their band "Squeeze" as a tribute to this album.

Track listing

All songs written by Doug Yule.

Side A

1. "Little Jack" – 3:25
2. "Crash" – 1:21
3. "Caroline" – 2:34
4. "Mean Old Man" – 2:52
5. "Dopey Joe" – 3:06
6. "Wordless" – 3:00

Side B

1. "She'll Make You Cry" – 2:43
2. "Friends" – 2:37
3. "Send No Letter" – 3:11
4. "Jack & Jane" – 2:53
5. "Louise" – 5:43

Personnel

• Doug Yule – lead vocal, guitar, keyboards, bass guitar, producer

Additional musicians

• "Malcolm" – saxophone (possibly Malcolm Duncan )
• Ian Paice – drums
• Unidentified female backing vocals

Notes

1. Willie Alexander interviewed by Henry Daniels in "Velvet Underground", originally published by Frendz on October 5, 1971, republished on Foggy Notion: a Velvet Underground Web Corner
2. Doug Yule interviewed by persons unknown in "Velvet Underground ist wieder da", originally published in Sounds #34, November/December 1971, republished by Thomas Östreicher
3. Willie Alexander interviewed by Arjan de Weerd in "Despite All the Amputations, the Name of This Band Is Velvet Underground", originally published in July 2005 on Foggy Notion: a Velvet Underground Web Corner
4. As listed on Olivier Landemaine's Velvet Underground Web Page discography pages for the UK, France, Germany and Spain
5. According to Doug Yule in his liner notes to the Final V.U. 1971-1973 box set (2001).

External links

• Velvet Underground Squeeze, site devoted to the album
• Foggy Notion, a Velvet Underground web corner
• The Velvet Underground Web Page
• The Velvet Forum, a V.U. discussion forum