Never Said Goodbye

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For the 2016 Chinese film, see Never Said Goodbye (film).

Never Said Goodbye
Studio album by
Cerys Matthews
Released21 August 2006
Length45:19
LabelRough Trade
Cerys Matthews chronology
Cockahoop
(2003) 		Never Said Goodbye
(2006) 		Don't Look Down
(2009)
Singles from Never Said Goodbye
  1. "Open Roads"
    Released: 7 August 2006
  2. "A Bird in Hand"
    Released: 14 August 2006

Never Said Goodbye is the second solo

studio album by Welsh singer-songwriter Cerys Matthews. It was released on 21 August 2006 by Rough Trade Records. Matthews co-produced the album with Ben Elkins and Stuart Sikes
.

The album received generally positive reviews from

music critics, who noted its folk influences and "expansive" sound compared with its predecessor, Cockahoop. Never Said Goodbye peaked at no. 1 on the UK Independent Albums
chart.

Release and promotion

"Open Roads" was released as the album's lead single on 7 August 2006. The maxi single included covers of "Soul Love" by David Bowie and "Grace Cathedral Hill" by The Decemberists.[1] Ahead of the album's release, Matthews embarked on a UK tour which began on 27 July 2006 at Llangollen Town Hall and concluded with a headline slot at Cardiff Big Weekend festival on 6 August 2006.[2]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[3]
The Independent[4]
The Skinny[5]

Sharon Mawer of AllMusic gave Never Said Goodbye a mixed review, noting its "pleasant folky numbers" though opining that various moments are "just too slow".[3] Simon Price of The Independent described the album as a more "confident affair" than Matthews' previous album Cockahoop, and "a polite, bijou piece of work which rewards your attention but never demands it."[4] Nicole Keiper of The Tennessean described Never Said Goodbye as a "far more pop-rocked up affair" than its predecessor.[6] Naomi West of The Daily Telegraph opined that the album is "huge [and] expansive of spirit and sound" featuring "songs backed with dense arrangements of pounding drums, eccentric backing vocals and squirling organs".[7] Jon Seller of The Skinny magazine described Never Said Goodbye as an "interesting if at times pedestrian album" featuring "easy-going beats, pleasant guitar and Matthews' trademark domineering vocals".[5]

Track listing

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Streets of New York"Cerys Matthews4:37
2."A Bird in Hand"Matthews3:32
3."Oxygen"Matthews4:31
4."Open Roads"
  • Matthews
  • Jonny Male
  • John Smith
4:37
5."This Endless Rain"
  • Matthews
  • Kevin Teel
3:42
6."Blue Light Alarm"
  • Matthews
  • Teel
3:42
7."Morning Sunshine"
2:31
8."Seed Song"
  • Matthews
  • Male
  • Pete Smith
5:05
9."What Kind of Man"Matthews1:18
10."Ruby"Matthews3:21
11."Elen"
  • Matthews
  • Rhys
8:44
Total length:45:19

Credits

Credits adapted from the liner notes of Never Said Goodbye.[8]

Musicians

  • Cerys Matthews - vocals, guitars
  • Kevin Teel - guitars
  • Gruff Rhys - acoustic guitar (track 11), vocals (tracks 3 & 11)
  • Matt Martin - acoustic guitar (track 7), percussion (tracks 7 & 11)
  • William Tyler - acoustic guitar (track 11)
  • Mason Neely - drums (all tracks except 2, 10 & 11)
  • Jeremy Lutito - drums (tracks 2 & 10)
  • Brad Pemberton - drums (track 11)
  • Byron House - bass (tracks 1-6, 8-9)
  • Jeff Irwin - bass (tracks 7, 10, 11), euphonium (track 6)
  • James Haggerty - bass (track 10)
  • Ben Elkins - keyboards, backing vocals, programming
  • Troy Johnson - additional piano (track 11)
  • Eric Darken - percussion
  • Todd Kemp - additional percussion (track 11)
  • Janice Corder, Everett Drake, Ann McRary - backing vocals (tracks 2, 8 & 11)
  • Sam Ashworth - backing vocals (track 4)
  • Lloyd Barry, Vinnie Ciesieski - trumpets
  • Roy Agee - trombone
  • Jay Phillips - trombone (track 6)

Production

  • Producers - Cerys Matthews, Stuart Sikes, Ben Elkins
  • Engineers - Stuart Sikes, Jeremy Ferguson
  • Arrangers - Ben Elkins, Cerys Matthews
  • Mixer - Jeremy Ferguson
  • Mastering - Andrew Mendelson
  • A&R - Seth Riddle

Charts

Chart performance of Never Said Goodbye
Chart (2006) Peak
position
UK Albums (OCC)[9] 43
UK Independent Albums (OCC)[10] 1

References

  1. ^ Open Roads (liner notes). Cerys Matthews. Rough Trade Records. 2006. RTRADSCD357.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  2. WalesOnline
    . 7 August 2006. Retrieved 16 June 2022.
  3. ^ a b Mawer, Sharon. "Never Said Goodbye – Cerys Matthews". AllMusic. Retrieved 8 June 2022.
  4. ^
    Newspapers.com
    . (subscription required)
  5. ^ a b Seller, Jon (14 August 2006). "Cerys Matthews - Never Said Goodbye". The Skinny. Archived from the original on 16 April 2023. Retrieved 28 July 2023.
  6. Newspapers.com
    . (subscription required)
  7. Newspapers.com
    . (subscription required)
  8. ^ Never Said Goodbye (liner notes). Cerys Matthews. Rough Trade Records. 2006. RTRADCD227.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  9. ^ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 24 May 2022.
  10. ^ "Official Independent Albums Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 24 May 2022.
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