Never Say Never Archives

Album: retreat from the sun
Year: 1997

. . .

that dog.’s first two albums — the 1994 self-titled and 1995’s Totally Crushed Out spent too much on the avant side of their post-Breeders avant-pop conglomeration.

But on their third album, 1997’s retreat from the sun, they leaned straight in to the pop, and produced an album that I think is one of the finest records of the entire year — the only ones I loved more were Whiskeytown’s Strangers Almanac and a little thing called OK Computer — and a record that has a handful of songs that I would put up against anything else that came out that decade. Or ever, as we’ll see.

Album: Never Say Never EP
Year: 1981.

. . .

Romeo Void so quickly followed up their debut album with a four-song EP, it was clear they’d recorded a song and they couldn’t wait for people to hear it. And they were right, as the EP was named for not just their greatest song, but one of the great dance-punk songs of all time, the timeless “Never Say Never,” which stretched out over six glorious minutes and basically dwarfed the other songs on the EP.

While they did stick a shorter version of “Never Say Never” as the opening track of their second album, 1982’s Benefactor and a remixed version on their 1991 best of Warm, In Your Coat, the original is the one to seek out. Opening with guitarist Peter Woods scratching his guitar like he’s auditioning for the Gang of Four, and almost instantly falling into a groove with bassist Frank Zincavage and new drummer Larry Carter, the band is already cooking by the time Deborah Iyall starts singing, her voice distorted and reverbed.

Never Say Never

Certain Songs #2693: that dog. – “never say never”

Certain Songs #2108: Romeo Void – “Never Say Never”