''Pop Said...'' is the debut album by the Welsh band

the Darling Buds The Darling Buds are an alternative rock band from Newport, South Wales. The band formed in 1986 and were named after the H. E. Bates novel '' The Darling Buds of May'' – a title taken in turn, from the third line of Shakespeare's Sonnet 18: ...

, released in 1989 via

Epic Records Epic Records is an American record label owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America Sony Corporation of America (SONAM, also known as SCA), is the American arm of the Japanese conglomerate Sony Group ...

. The album charted at number 23 on the

UK Albums Chart The Official Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales and (from March 2015) audio streaming in the United Kingdom. It was published for the first time on 22 July 1956 and is compiled every week by the Official Charts C ...

. The album was re-released by

Cherry Red Records Cherry Red Records is a British independent record label founded in Malvern, Worcestershire by Iain McNay in 1978. The label has released recordings by Dead Kennedys, Everything But the Girl, The Monochrome Set, and Felt, among others, as well ...

in 2006 in an expanded 21-track edition, including B-sides and rarities from the era.

Production

The songs were written by Harley Farr and Andrea Lewis. ''Pop Said...'' was produced by Pat Collier.

Critical reception

Trouser Press ''Trouser Press'' was a rock and roll magazine started in New York in 1974 as a mimeographed fanzine by editor/publisher Ira Robbins, fellow fan of the Who Dave Schulps and Karen Rose under the name "Trans-Oceanic Trouser Press" (a reference to ...

'' called the album "a dozen upbeat songs about love (of the puppy, crummy and lost varieties), all well sung and solidly played," writing that "repeated listenings may cause a sugar rush." ''

The Boston Globe ''The Boston Globe'' is an American daily newspaper founded and based in Boston, Massachusetts. The newspaper has won a total of 27 Pulitzer Prizes, and has a total circulation of close to 300,000 print and digital subscribers. ''The Boston Glob ...

'' wrote that "each of the dozen tunes here is crafted like a classic pop single: killer hooks, race-and-roar guitar lines, telling catchphrases, girl-boy conflicts and emotional kicks." ''

The Jerusalem Post ''The Jerusalem Post'' is a broadsheet newspaper based in Jerusalem, founded in 1932 during the British Mandate of Palestine by Gershon Agron as ''The Palestine Post''. In 1950, it changed its name to ''The Jerusalem Post''. In 2004, the paper w ...

'' deemed the album "replete with consummate pop songs." ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

'' wrote that "as the guitars surge and the catchy choruses pile up, the Darling Buds supply unrepentant pop pleasure."

Track listing

Original

All songs written by Harley Farr and Andrea Lewis # "Hit the Ground" (2:19) # "Burst" (2:51) # "Uptight" (2:48) # "The Other Night" (2:22) # "Big Head" (2:24) # "Let's Go Round There" (3:26) # "She's Not Crying" (2:07) # "Shame on You" (2:01) # "You've Got to Choose" (2:17) # "Spin" (2:41) # "When It Feels Good" (3:44) # "Things We Do for Love" (3:18)

2006 re-release bonus tracks

# "Just Say So" (3:11) # "Pretty Girl" (2:43) # "If I Said" (3:19) # "Turn You On" (2:55) # "Different Daze" (4:01) # "Mary's Got to Go" (2:02) # "I'll Never Stop" (3:25) # "Shame on You – Slightlydelic Version" (4:35) # "It's All Up to You – Flip Flop Version" (2:21)

Credits

*Andrea Lewis – vocals *Geriant "Harley" Farr – guitar *Chris McDonogh – bass *Richard Gray "Bloss" – drums

References

1989 debut albums The Darling Buds albums Epic Records albums One Little Independent Records albums {{1980s-pop-album-stub