# Never Said Goodbye
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{{for|the 2016 Chinese film|Never Said Goodbye (film)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Infobox album
| name = Never Said Goodbye
| type = studio
| artist = [Cerys Matthews](/source/Cerys_Matthews)
| cover = Cerys_Matthews_-_Never_Said_Goodbye.jpg
| alt =
| released = 21 August 2006
| recorded =
| venue =
| studio =
| genre =
| length = 45:19
| label = [Rough Trade](/source/Rough_Trade_Records)
| producer =
| prev_title = [Cockahoop](/source/Cockahoop)
| prev_year = 2003
| next_title = [Don't Look Down](/source/Don't_Look_Down_(Cerys_Matthews_album))
| next_year = 2009
| misc = {{Singles
| name = Never Said Goodbye
| type = studio
| single1 = Open Roads
| single1date = 7 August 2006
| single2 = A Bird in Hand
| single2date = 14 August 2006
}}
}}
'''''Never Said Goodbye''''' is the second solo [studio album](/source/studio_album) by Welsh singer-songwriter [Cerys Matthews](/source/Cerys_Matthews). It was released on 21 August 2006 by [Rough Trade Records](/source/Rough_Trade_Records). Matthews co-produced the album with Ben Elkins and [Stuart Sikes](/source/Stuart_Sikes).
The album received generally positive reviews from [music critics](/source/music_critics), who noted its [folk](/source/folk_music) influences and "expansive" sound compared with its predecessor, ''[Cockahoop](/source/Cockahoop)''. ''Never Said Goodbye'' peaked at no. 1 on the [UK Independent Albums](/source/UK_Independent_Singles_and_Albums_Charts) 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](/source/Soul_Love_(David_Bowie_song))" by [David Bowie](/source/David_Bowie) and "Grace Cathedral Hill" by [The Decemberists](/source/The_Decemberists).[{{cite AV media notes|title=Open Roads|type=liner notes|others=[Cerys Matthews](/source/Cerys_Matthews)|publisher=[Rough Trade Records](/source/Rough_Trade_Records)|year=2006|id=RTRADSCD357}}] Ahead of the album's release, Matthews embarked on a UK tour which began on 27 July 2006 at [Llangollen Town Hall](/source/Llangollen_Town_Hall) and concluded with a headline slot at [Cardiff Big Weekend](/source/Cardiff_Big_Weekend) festival on 6 August 2006.[{{cite web |url=https://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/local-news/review-the-big-weekend-2319405|title=Review: The Big Weekend|date=7 August 2006|work=[WalesOnline](/source/WalesOnline)|access-date=16 June 2022}}]
== Critical reception ==
{{Album ratings
| rev1 = [AllMusic](/source/AllMusic)
| rev1score = {{Rating|2.5|5}}[{{cite web|last=Mawer|first=Sharon|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/never-said-goodbye-mw0000742786|title=Never Said Goodbye – Cerys Matthews|website=[AllMusic](/source/AllMusic)|access-date=8 June 2022}}]
| rev2 = ''[The Independent](/source/The_Independent)''
| rev2Score = {{Rating|3.5|5}}[{{cite news|last=Price|first=Simon|title=ABC Discs|url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/722988789/|work=[The Independent](/source/The_Independent)|publisher=Independent Digital News & Media Ltd|location=[London, United Kingdom](/source/London)|page=94|date=20 August 2006|accessdate=8 June 2022|via=[Newspapers.com](/source/Newspapers.com)}} {{subscription required}}]
| rev3 = ''[The Skinny](/source/The_Skinny_(magazine))''
| rev3Score = {{Rating|3|5}}[{{cite news|last=Seller|first=Jon|title=Cerys Matthews - Never Said Goodbye|url=https://www.theskinny.co.uk/music/reviews/albums/cerys-matthews-never-said-goodbye|work=[The Skinny](/source/The_Skinny_(magazine))|date=14 August 2006|accessdate=28 July 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230416144547/https://www.theskinny.co.uk/music/reviews/albums/cerys-matthews-never-said-goodbye|archive-date=16 April 2023|url-status=live}}]
}}
Sharon Mawer of [AllMusic](/source/AllMusic) gave ''Never Said Goodbye'' a mixed review, noting its "pleasant folky numbers" though opining that various moments are "just too slow".[{{cite news|last=Keiper|first=Nicole|title=More Nashville Pop of Note|url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/277493603/|work=[The Tennessean](/source/The_Tennessean)|location=Nashville, Tennessee|page=D9|date=23 July 2006|accessdate=14 June 2022|via=[Newspapers.com](/source/Newspapers.com)}} {{subscription required}}] Naomi West of ''[The Daily Telegraph](/source/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".[{{cite news|last=West|first=Naomi|title=Cerys Matthews – Never Said Goodbye|url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/753265894/|work=[The Daily Telegraph](/source/The_Daily_Telegraph)|location=[London, United Kingdom](/source/London)|page=144|date=19 August 2006|accessdate=14 June 2022|via=[Newspapers.com](/source/Newspapers.com)}} {{subscription required}}] Jon Seller of ''[The Skinny](/source/The_Skinny_(magazine))'' magazine described ''Never Said Goodbye'' as an "interesting if at times pedestrian album" featuring "easy-going beats, pleasant guitar and Matthews' trademark domineering vocals".[{{cite AV media notes|title=Never Said Goodbye|type=liner notes|others=[Cerys Matthews](/source/Cerys_Matthews)|publisher=[Rough Trade Records](/source/Rough_Trade_Records)|year=2006|id=RTRADCD227}}]
===Musicians===
{{div-col}}
*Cerys Matthews - vocals, guitars
*Kevin Teel - guitars
*[Gruff Rhys](/source/Gruff_Rhys) - acoustic guitar (track 11), vocals (tracks 3 & 11)
*Matt Martin - acoustic guitar (track 7), percussion (tracks 7 & 11)
*[William Tyler](/source/William_Tyler_(musician)) - acoustic guitar (track 11)
*[Mason Neely](/source/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](/source/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](/source/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)
{{div-col-end}}
===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==
{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders"
|+ Chart performance of ''Never Said Goodbye''
! scope="col"| Chart (2006)
! scope="col"| Peak
position
|-
{{album chart|UK2|43|date=20060827|rowheader=true|accessdate=24 May 2022}}
|-
{{album chart|UKIndependent|1|date=20060827|rowheader=true|accessdate=24 May 2022}}
|}
==References==
{{reflist}}
{{Cerys Matthews|state=autocollapse}}
{{Authority control}}
Category:2006 albums
Category:Cerys Matthews albums
Category:Rough Trade Records albums
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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Never Said Goodbye](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Never_Said_Goodbye) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Never_Said_Goodbye?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.