The Housemartins - Me And The Farmer (Go! Discs)

I love The Hooses! They're Britain's Brightest Pop Group and this is their greatest blustering pop wheeze since "Happy Hour" except it's even better. This one's something to do with God not being very chuffed with a farmer for growing parsnips in his gumboot. No it's not, it's about something far more significant (though I haven't quite worked out what yet) and it sounds exactly like something else (though I haven't quite worked out what yet. Probably another Hooses song. Oh well...) This single proves - once and for all! - that The Housemartins have wit, intelligence, brevity, humour and the sparkliest, nippy pop tunes ever created. PS. And Stan is extremely good-looking in my "opinion". A bit. (Sylvia Patterson, Smash Hits, August 26, 1987)

Less overtly whimsical than "Five Bonk Like Crazy In Dorset", The Housemartins are in danger of trivialising the very thing that initially won them respect. Housemartins records are like toffee apples: short, sweet and ultimately sickly. (Chris Twomey, Record Mirror, August 29, 1987)

The Housemartins - Happy Hour (Go! Discs)

What endearing souls these Housemartins are. The sort of boys who probably wet their knickers in the school playground, wore shorts after everyone else had moved into long trousers and always, but always, look into their hankies after blowing their noses. Nice, normal chaps making the chirpiest, most heart-tingling records this side of St Winfrid's School Choir (well, maybe not that chirpy). "Happy Hour" is like Bob's Full House or Blue Peter set to music. Sublime. (Eleanor Levy, Record Mirror, May 31, 1986)

The Housemartins are, as they say themselves, "quite good", but this jangly little romp isn't a patch on their two previous singles, "Flag Day" and "Sheep". The lyrics appear to advocate taking one's clothes off in the kitchen sink, which doesn't sound very hygienic at all. On the back of the sleeve there's a little form to fill out which says 'I like this record because. . .(Answer in not more than ten words)'. Well, I like this record because its catalogue number is GOD 11, which is extremely cosmic. (Vici MacDonald, Smash Hits, June 4, 1986)