In Today's Room Much better than the last several, ending the album side on a strong note, and the Prince fan in me really loves that his influence is here. One of my favorites on the album for sure. 4/5
“In Today’s Room”- I too would never in a zillion years think this was influenced by Prince. I don’t know what happened to the backing vocals on this album but they really have no edge and the overall sound of this lp’s production seems very sterile to me. An ok song, not one I’d rush to put on a mix playlist. 3/5
That was so good, I might have to bump up my score for Hourglass. I hope D & T got a nice cheque from that.
In Today's Room I like this song a lot better than the preceding songs. There's a good trippy bass line, and then a smooth, slinky groove over the top of that. I probably don't know Prince well enough to know how slavishly it references him, although I hear elements of Motown which isn't outside the normal for Squeeze - particularly in the call and response (which is splendid). It's an excellent track and I like the whimsy of the lyrics (which are somewhat abstract). The vocal performance is great - someone upthread (as I was skimming through) mentioned that they thought it was a sexy vocal. I don't know that this is how I would classify this vocal. I do think it's compelling, there's a lot of appeal in it but I don't feel the sizzle of a sexy vocal at all (and let's face it, you would have to really amp it up to hit Prince levels of sexy ). 4.3/5 - I think a solid grower of a song for me. Any song I can shuffle across the floor to is gonna win points for me, and I can already remember the chorus after 2 listens!
"In Today's Room" 5/5 I've loved this song since day one and had always marveled at the answer and response between the lead and background vocals, as well as the out-of-nowhere bridge about jam. You can knock me over with a feather right now after learning about the Prince connection. I love Prince, but I'm straining to hear it in this song. It's still very quirky clever Squeeze to me. dan c
Squeeze's more dancey tracks aren't usually my cup of tea, but "In Today's Room" is one of their better efforts in that area. The octave-apart call-and-response vocals give the song a lot of Squeeze character. I do hear Prince's influence on this song, at least musically. Having said that, the song doesn't really go anywhere interesting and doesn't move me all that much. It's a decent enough album track, but not a song that is anywhere near my personal Squeeze top 20. 3/5
This is a bit of a threadcrap but while we're on the subject, in the original Trivial Pursuit game anytime the question uses the phrase "sexy rocker" the answer is always Prince. Meanwhile, it's Thanksgiving time here in the US and we actually had our big meal Wednesday night, so I'll have to listen to this track again when I'm not exhausted from all that cooking and eating.
I find "In Today's Room" to be a bit average. Definitely a good groove and guitar work; reminds me of something I'd maybe hear on Bowie's album Let's Dance. The motown tones are not my favorite, and the backing vocals are even less my favorite. I suppose Glenn's vocal is good; it's just too fancy schmancy, like he's trying really hard. No particularly good melodies, but plenty of serviceable ones. 3/5
In Today’s Room is to me the same as Onto the Dance Floor and the like. I’m not a dancer so these kind of tracks just aren’t for me. 2/5
"In Today's Room" I'd go along with those that find this one a bit average. Nice groove, but nothing stands out from the track and it doesn't really go anywhere. I think this one sounds more like a track from D&T than anything else we've heard on this album so far. 3/5.
3/5 Gains a mark for Chris's unique dreamlike, almost Larkinesque meditation on time and consciousness. But I don't think the backing vocals work at all well. (This is a common problem for the band). And the music is basic and not what I like to hear from Glenn. The combination of blues changes and production work could show the influence of Prince I suppose. What it shows more clearly to me though is a lift of the melody from Ode To Billie Joe by Bobbie Gentry.
My apologies for being so late. Hourglass - A great little song. Always reminded me of a Madness tune. 5/5 Footprints - I like the groove immensely. Could use another hook maybe but I like it! 4/5 Tough Love - It's a tad over-produced for my ears but a nice change of pace. 3/5 The Prisoner - Not really shot with this one. I do like the drumming! 2/5 853-5937 - Another clunker for me. 2/5 In Today's Room - A nice piece of Squeeze work filtered through the 80's sounds without smashing you over the head with it. 3/5
In Today's Room - 4 I didn't really notice the Prince influence before reading about it, but now I can hear it.
In Today's Room has got a nice groove and good energy. As a song it's just okay and nothing more. It gears up to become a great song but doesn't deliver - just grooves along pleasantly. As an album track it's fine, quality filler. 3/5
I've had Babylon and On since the day it came out. I don't remember "In Today's Room" at all, unlike every other song. Did I always just skip it? Did I give up after the previous songs? I do recall the line "love's at the door", but the rest is at best a blur. I don't mind it when I'm listening to it, but for some reason "In Today's Room" has never stuck for me, despite it being rather good and worthy of the Prince comparisons. 3.5/5
In Today's Room This one is not great, not bad - not anything really and therefore not memorable. I guess it's a bit of a dance track with a bit of an 80s sound to it, other than that I find it difficult to characterize it at all - it's just something that washes over me pleasantly enough, like background music. 3/5
Our votes for "In Today's Room" 1-0 2-1 3-12 4-8 5-4 Average: 3.5460 Cumulative Rankings For Babylon And On 1. Hourglass - 4.2586 (updated) 2. Tough Love - 3.8397 (updated) 3. Footprints - 3.8357 (updated) 4. In Today's Room - 3.5460 5. 853-5937 - 3.0650 (updated) 6. The Prisoner - 2.9833 (updated)
Today's song is "Trust Me To Open My Mouth" Alternative access: Squeeze Youtube channel Squeeze – Trust Me to Open My Mouth Lyrics | Genius Lyrics This was the second single released from the album in September 1987, reaching #72 on the U.K. singles chart. Glenn was influenced by Michael Jackson in the writing of this song. It’s about adultery, though written in the third person, and was not consciously about Chris’s life at the time, in which he was going through a divorce. Glenn likes that Babylon focuses on the band rather than moods and atmospheres, and thinks this song, in particular, is a great one to play live.
I am surprised that Glenn rates "Trust Me To Open My Mouth" so highly. To me it is Squeeze paint-by-numbers with a very generic melody and some of Chris's blander lyrics. I don't hear the M.J. influence at all. I think it's the second-weakest track on side two next to the dismal closer. 2/5
