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Monday, 27 February 2006 05:53

What makes this tour doc special is the hook, wherein Tilbrook (armed with only a couple of acoustic guitars) trades in private jets and tour buses for the ultimate in tour vehicle rockosity—a Cruise Master RV—and nights at seedy KOA campgrounds.

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Ultimate fangirl-turned-documentarian Amy Pickard delivers a sweetheart mash note to her fave ’80s pop star, Squeeze frontman-turned-singer/songwriter Glenn Tilbrook in this winning, insider’s glimpse behind the scenes of Tilbrook’s 2002 debut U.S. solo tour. What makes this tour doc special is the hook, wherein Tilbrook (armed with only a couple of acoustic guitars) trades in private jets and tour buses for the ultimate in tour vehicle rockosity—a Cruise Master RV—and nights at seedy KOA campgrounds.

Pickard (and the viewer) rides copilot to Tilbrook’s disarming, veddy English charm on countless highways, leading to a blur of ecstatically received intimate acoustic gigs across America (including several impromptu street performances and an inspired midday Grand Central Station set) and a few inevitable bumps in the road (a lemon of an RV, learning how to properly hook up the RV’s sewage hose). Chockfull of silly stage banter and shtick (like Tilbrook’s habit of leading his live audiences to a nearby business, house, or parking lot for a few songs), sing-along crowds, and a treasure trove of unreleased Squeeze video clips and photos (not to mention some sweet extras, including an extensive interview with Tilbrook’s former songwriting partner Chris Difford and an endearingly awkward Tilbrook Q&A from an early Japanese screening), One for the Road is a must-have for fans, and serves as a fine primer for those who might recognize Squeeze’s one major U.S. hit, “Tempted,” but remain otherwise uninitiated. And while this breezy 70-minute romp might disappoint viewers who prefer their behind-the-music docs full of egomaniacal rants and general assholia (Beulah, we hardly knew ye), the rest of us will be smiling ear candy–to–ear candy.