B

Genre: alternative rock

Rating: 2

Title: Crawdaddy

Company: Columbia

Catalog: AL 45208
Year: 1990

Country/State: Caerleon, Wales

Grade (cover/record): VG+/VG+

Comments: includes original inner sleeve

Available: 1

Catalog ID: 3518

Price: $20.00

Best time to play: sunny, summer day with your convertible top down

Sophomore slump ? Not for The Darling Buds !!! Seriously, 1990's "Crawdaddy" was every bit as good, if not better than their debut. With Harley Fair and singer/front woman Andrea Lewis responsible for penning all eleven tacks,

"Crawdaddy" track listing:
(side 1)

1.) It Makes No Difference (Harley Fair - Andrea Lewis) - 3:55 rating: **** stars

I guess it is simply a part of getting older, but hearing the opener 'It Makes No Difference' takes me back to an earlier time in life ... I was a single dad and trying to find a balance between work, parental responsibilities, and cobbling together a new personal life - the one thing I didn't have was a lot of free time, but I could at least listen to the radio on the way to work and back ... one of those songs I clearly remember was this rocker. The dark lyrics seemed to strike fairly close to home. YouTube has a cool promotion video for the song at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Li4V6TgqOIg

2.) Tiny Machine (Harley Fair - Andrea Lewis) - 5:45 rating: **** stars

Say what you will about this band, but they managed to capture that unique jangle rock sound better than almost any of their contemporaries. Perhaps because it sounded like a quality Bangles song, 'Tiny Machine' has always struck me as one of the standout performances on this set. It was also tapped as the leadoff single:

- 1990's 'Tiny Machine' b/w 'Me? Satisfied?' (Epic catalog number BLOND 5)

YouTube has the promotional video that went with the single: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X2REIMPrnbU

3.) Crystal Clear (Harley Fair - Andrea Lewis) - 3:48

4.) Do You Have To Break My Heart (Harley Fair - Andrea Lewis) - 3:18 rating: **** stars

Kind of a nifty Go-Gos vibe to this pop-ish tune. Very infectious.

5.) You Won't Make Me Die (Harley Fair - Andrea Lewis) - 3:45 rating: **** stars

With a light, breezy melody, 'You Won't Make Me Die' was one of the album's most commercial and radio-friendly perfomances. Interesting that Epic didn't tap it as a single.

(side 2)

1.) Fall (Harley Fair - Andrea Lewis) - 3:56

2.) A Little Bit of heaven (Harley Fair - Andrea Lewis) - 3:46

3.) Honeysuckle (Harley Fair - Andrea Lewis) - 2:35

4.) So Close (Harley Fair - Andrea Lewis) - 5:29

5.) The ed of the Beginning (Harley Fair - Andrea Lewis) - 3:33

As good as the Buds' first LP ("Pop Said") is, this one is even better. Every song is catchy, infectious pop and Andrea's lead vocals are never short of superb. The entire band shines and the production is excellent. "Crystal Clear," one of the tracks issued as a single, should have been a huge hit and sounds every bit as good now as it did over 20 years ago. Play it a couple of times and you'll never get it out of your head. "Tiny Machine," another track issued as a single, is almost as good. But the LP includes many equally great songs that could easily have been singles themselves, such as "Fall" with its insistent rhythm and effective backing response vocals, "Honeysuckle," which just surges with power and a bass line that won't quit, and "Do You Have to Break My Heart" with '60s-style rhythm guitar and a simple yet instantly memorable melody. "Pop Said" has been reissued with bonus tracks and it's way past time for the same treatment to be given to this fantastic LP. Any fan of catchy pop songs will be more than happy with this one.

3 people found this helpful

Comment

Consistently catchy pop

ByJ. Hortonon February 5, 2010

Format: Audio CDVerified Purchase

I think the comments from other reviewers are pretty accurate. I just thought I'd add one more thing.

I've had the experience several times of liking one track from a band, buying the album, and finding that the rest of it doesn't sound like the track I like. That is NOT the case here. If you've heard "Crystal Clear" or one of the other tracks, then rest assured that it represents the sound of the band and the album.

I give it 4 stars out of 5 because it's not exactly a life-changing album but it is very fun and listenable all the way through. I have no complaints at all - I'm glad I bought it.

One person found this helpful

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Five Stars

ByAmazon Customeron October 10, 2016

Format: Audio CDVerified Purchase

Great album

Comment

One of my fave overlooked albums and bands EVER!!!

ByLarry Davison October 26, 2008

Format: Audio CD

I agree with the others, as Welsh band the Darling Buds should have hit it big, but other similar bands overshadowed them, as good as they all were...some being the Primitives (with their great single "Crash" later featured in "Dumb & Dumber"), Lush (another one of my faves), and even Echobelly (also featured in D&D with "Insomniac"...but their best work came later on in "On" and "Lustra" but that's another story).

This is a Darling Buds review, of their sophomore and best album, IMO, "Crawdaddy" from 1990.

I'm not sure if any other band combined these styles better, but picture a yummy sweet hybrid of 60s Brill Building girlgroup pop, powerpop and Britpop, with just a tinge of tasty, trendy guitar feedback thrown in for good measure. Just scrumptious...and the album just charms over and over. I think the album was promoted to some degree by Columbia to alternative channels like college radio and MTV's "120 Minutes", but it never took off in mainstream areas..."Crystal Clear" and "Tiny Machine" were promoted as the singles...ALL 10 tracks really could have been hits as they are perfect gems of pop songcraft sung by a great charming female singer in Andrea...she's one of THE overlooked greats...as good as Sandie Shaw, Dusty Springfield, Sandra Cretu, Kirsty MacColl, her voice and the way she harmonizes with herself...over great Britpop guitar and a nice rhythm section and catchy-as-hell tunes.

To be honest, I think the wrong songs were promoted as the singles...if anything, the best song on the album is "Do You Have To Break My Heart??", track 4...easily on the list one of THE greatest and most overlooked songs of all time. Killer chorus, verses, and one of the greatest middle-8/bridges I have EVER heard in my life...unbelieveable...a second choice would be the closer, "End Of The Beginning"...I keep going back to those songs...for the past 18 years I did just that.

Yes, their debut "Pop Said" was awesome, and their 3rd and final effort "Erotica" was cool, but on their middle album, "Crawdaddy", the Buds perfected their formula of girlgroup sweetness and powerpop punch, but the timing was just off...history will be kind to the Buds, I really think so.

One person found this helpful

Comment

The GREAT lost album of the 90s

Bykevin m antonioon November 3, 2005

Format: Audio CD

'Crawdaddy' is what albums used to be: 10 songs, 40 minutes long, and not a clunker in the bunch.

The songs are simple and extremely catchy; it's one of those cds where after you listen to it, you have to play it again.... and again.

'Crawdaddy' actually spawned three college radio hits, the soft-loud-soft "It Makes No Difference", the romping "Crystal Clear", and the life affirming "Fall". The thing is the other seven songs could've been hits as well, especially the one two-punch of "A Little Bit of Heaven" and "Honeysuckle".

I wish the Darling Buds had hit it BIG; they deserved it. This cd is proof. It's 15 years old, but still as fresh as today.

7 people found this helpful

Comment

"Darling" alt-pop.

ByH3@+hon April 27, 2004

Format: Audio CD

I have to credit late night MTV with my exposure to "Darling Buds". The 1990 video was for "Crystal Clear", and I've liked that song ever since. It's easily the best track on here, and I think "Tiny Machine" was a minor hit as well. The rest of the album is good, just not as sweet as the first few tracks. This group actually reminds me of two other of my favorite bands from the era, those being "Lush" a little bit, and "The Primitives" alot. It's just that female voice over catchy alt-pop that's hard to resist. Check it out if you can find it.

Comment

Every song catchy and listenable

ByMadtown Steveon December 11, 2003

Format: Audio CD

This CD is under-rated. It's true they didn't change the world but who does? I recently found this CD again and listening to it realized it's better than most anything on pop radio today. I haven't heard the group's later efforts, but this was an energetic, original spin on the rhythmic things going on in alternative rock of the late 80's/early 90's. It's a great effort from a virtually unknown band, not overproduced, with lyrics that are light but smart, sly, sexy. Just good fun edgy pop rock, dark and sweet. I've re-bought old CD's from groups of this era, wondering if I'd like them as much the second time around. Most disappoint, sounding dated. This one is as good today as it was then.

9 people found this helpful

Comment

Very good

By80s fanon February 9, 2010

Format: Audio CD

This CD is great. The music is nice. I could listen to it all the time. The Darling Buds are great. This CD is not that hard to get so why don't you go get yourself a copy of it. My favorite song on it is So Close.

One person found this helpful

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College Rock Circa 1990

Bymarmbruon September 16, 2003

Format: Audio CD

The Darling Buds did not change the world, but they made some pretty good melodic-kind of bubblegummy-guitar pop in their day. It's a guitar-bass-drums-poppy female vocal lineup. This album came out before Smells Like Teen Spirit and grunge changed the face of "alternative music", and is pretty representative of what US college radio stations were playing at the time. Crystal Clear and It Makes No Difference are two of the catchiest tunes. The Primitives are (were) a similar band.

2 people found this helpful

1 comment

Great stuff

ByGregory P. Carrieron January 17, 2012

Format: Audio CD

One of the best releases of the 90's. This is an excellent band at their peak. The Darling Buds deserve to be remembered as one of the best bands of their era.

rawdaddy was The Darling Buds' third album. It was released on Epic Records in 1990 and featured the singles "Tiny Machine" and "Crystal Clear".

The album's sound was more accomplished than on the band's debut album Pop Said.... The arrangements were lush, and with tracks like "Tiny Machine" clocking in at just under six minutes, the song lengths were relatively epic compared to the two-minute average on Pop Said....

Track listing[edit]

All songs written by Harley Farr and Andrea Lewis

"It Makes No Difference" (3:55)
"Tiny Machine" (5:45)
"Crystal Clear" (3:48)
"Do You Have To Break My Heart" (3:18)
"You Won't Make Me Die" (3:45)
"Fall" (3:56)
"A Little Bit Of Heaven" (3:46)
"Honeysuckle" (2:39)
"So Close" (5:29)
"The End of the Beginning" (3:33)

Singles[edit]

"Tiny Machine" (1990)
"Crystal Clear" (1990)

Members[edit]

Andrea Lewis - Vocalist
Geriant "Harley" Farr - Guitarist
Chris McDonogh - Bassist
Jimmy Hughes - Drummer

Though some of the Blondie-isms of Pop Said remain, the Darling Buds' sophomore record is a musical progression from the debut and just as strong as its predecessor. Andrea Lewis turns in some saucy lyrics and sultry vocals, and the band throws inflections of glam guitar ("It Makes No Difference"), and state-of-the-art dance pop which rivals the best of St. Etienne ("The End of the Beginning"). As with Pop Said, this is quality fare throughout. It never loses steam, crystallizing with "So Close," a prime lovelorn tune that seems to reference the Buzzcocks' "Why Can't I Touch It." Altogether, Crawdaddysmacks of a band who amount to more than just a good pop group.

I don’t play Crawdaddy as much these days and almost feel it’s a guilty pleasure when I do. I shouldn’t feel that way because this is decent enough pop music with catchy melodies, jangly guitars, and clever keyboard work. This stuff feels more eighties than nineties with the sound having a definite Blondie influence, but then almost every pop band with a female lead vocalist that formed in the late eighties was influenced by Blondie.

You also might say that the style of this album falls between the Sundays and the Bangles. It isn’t as folky or lyrically provocative as the Sundays’ early work, but Crawdaddy is edgier than the melodic pop the Bangles were known for a few years earlier. This is certainly worth checking out for fans of the bands I’ve mentioned in this review. If you decide to have a listen, I expect those that are old enough to have been listening in the early nineties will discover that you’ve already heard several of the songs here and those songs that you haven’t heard previously will sound familiar because of their derivative and accessible nature.

This is where the Buds go sorta "Madchester". In 1990, many were doing it I suppose, what with the advent of the Happy Mondays and ecstacy tabs and acid house. To me, the whole scene reeked of psych undertones - the kids and bands and clubs were trying to recreate a 60s type vibe with 90s tinged dance rock hybrids and lots of drugs. A lot of the tempos started to sound like Deep Purple's "Hush". But that's cool. Whatever...it didn't change the pop smarts of our favourite Welsh indie kingpins, it just added more of a groove to their songs.

That's the first Darling Buds album I've heard and I liked it a lot. The general picture of what they can do pans out much better in album format than on their singles. Indie pop is a good description. Andrea Lewis on vocals covers the material nicely and Geriant "Harley" Farr strums along satisfactorily on guitar, without ever being particularly original or, for that matter, reminding me of anybody else, and therefore distinctive. 3,85 rating. Nice album. Nice sound.