Artist:   Squeeze
Song:   "Tempted"
Album: Singles—45s And Under
Label:   A&M
Year:    1981

These Brits are like a stealth bomber: they come in low and end up taking out all the competition. As songwriters, Squeeze has few equals. Chris Difford and Glen Tillbrook are one of the great duos in that regard, and they’ve also run a super-cool rock outfit since the late ‘70s, give or take a few years on hiatus. “Tempted” is one of their biggest hits, and the fact it’s sung by short-term member Paul Carrack doesn’t take away a thing, except to show how smart the band was in recruiting Carrack in the first place. It’s a simple song, really, just an organ, monster beat, a couple of guitars and oohing singers in the background, lovingly co-produced by Elvis Costello. The strength lies in the vocal, which is rhythm & blues at its best. The story is the oldest tale in the holy book: Adam and Eve and the conflicts of the flesh--same as it ever was. It’s hard to tell if there are any bad guys in this rendition. It’s more like the suffering itself is punishment enough to forgive all sins, no matter how wayward these gentlemen go. It reaffirms that there are certain human dilemmas that will never be solved, no matter how good or bad we all behave. To create a pop masterpiece out of such epic problems, in the hands of Squeeze, seems like the most natural thing in the world. Bombs away.