Cardiacs: Classic or Dud?

they change my life constantly. no one today can touch them.

to be muttered in the same breath as the smiths, dexys, detroit techno, etc etc

Classic, Classic, CLASSIC

There's a Rock Sounds mention this week (thanks to Sean Organ), and a couple or articles in The Organ 'zine - www.organart.com

Always check out WWW.CARDIACS.COM for info!

I've had the Greatest Hits on constant play since I got it. What an album! I've only had Guns, Sing to God and the Sampler up till now, so most of the old stuff is new to me. Affectionate Friends ain't bad either.

xini

BTW if you get the chance go see Bill Drake, he has an album forthcoming, and there's a CD-single out produced by Tim Smith (Cardiacs).

A fan!

Result!

DL... If you've just heard 'Guns', wait till you hear 'A Little Man And A House And The Whole World Window'... give us an email if you have difficulty getting stuff.

08/12/04: London - Astoria
09/12/04: Manchester - MDH (Uni)
10/12/04: Glasgow - Garage
11/12/04: Sheffield - Leadmill
13/12/04: Cambridge - Junction
14/12/04: Bristol - Anson Rooms
15/12/04: Wolverhampton - Wulfrun Hall

Did anyone see them at the Astoria on 12th Nov? What happened?

Say WHAT? What a fuckin' double-bill!!!!!

I expect indifference followed by swift irritation followed speedily by violence.

For you lucky bastards that live in London, Cardiacs will be playing TWO SPECIAL SECRET CONCERTS at The Bull and Gate in Kentish Town, London on the 21st and 22nd of December.

Take some time to appreciate the lyrical genius of the man... A song about an insect landing on a TV screen and falling in love with Lassie (who was a he-dog). A song about when you used to play with your food on the plate because it was too scary. All with random letters inserted into words ("indside") and resurrection of beautiful archaic terms like "phiz" and "foundling". And utterly no respect for the rules of metre. You could write a doctoral thesis on it.

It shouldn't be about whether you boo or hurrah Cardiacs, by the way. Just take it as a fact that Cardiacs are a truly independent musical/lyrical universe in itself. For that is undeniable fact.

Let's fly hawks around your house :-)

The Astoria gig last December was, I think, my 20th and I’m looking forward to the next 20. A new album would be nice though – Guns was SEVEN years ago! And I wonder when these promised DVDs will come out…?

One more thing - my girlfriend’s sister is one of the uninitiated and wants to hear what Cardiacs sound like – is there one song I could play her which will get them across? I was thinking ‘Fiery Gun Hand’.

I happened on this long podcast inerview with Jon Poole. There's some Tim and Cardiacs talk starting just after the hour mark.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R_Ah_9Il9_U

I used to see JP around now and then. I don't know him at all really, I think he recognised me from Cardiacs gigs somehow. But when he started with the mustache and bowl hat look I wouldn't recognise him. I think he came over and said alright in the pub on a couple of occasions and I was like... alright? A strange thing but this character had a good vibe, seemed like a wise friend or something. Didn't work out who it was for absolutely ages after. Sorry, Jon!

Yes, he's a lovely chap, when I moved in similar musical circles in the late 90s, I would bump into him now and again, always very funny. A little later, he got a job in Borders Book shop on Oxford St, which was kinda weird.

I know there is a surfeit of covers/interpretations on YT these days, which is great, but I love this arrangement of Bell Clinks.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s1hBu1F8ULk

Ooh yeah that's nice.

Saw someone wearing a Cardiacs shirt in the wild for the first time last night, at a black midi show. I feel like a putz for not going up and talking to him, but he didn't compliment me on my Max Tundra shirt either, so fuck him :)

I never had particularly strong feelings about Madness (Suggs being a tv personality who was in adverts didn't help though) but hearing songs like "My Girl" recently, the things Cardiacs got from them really let me enjoy them to an extent I haven't before.

It is not a strong influence outside of the early stuff imo but fun to try and spot. Eg. The claustrophobic camera angles and general decay here are reminiscent of the Rotten Shed.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rs5ao3jR7BU

61st anniversary of Tim Smith's birth today. Here's a nice new big article about inspirations and interpretations and stuff.
https://thequietus.com/articles/31719-tim-smith-cardiacs-strange-world

That's a nice read, Sean (and Marina) did a lot of good work helping keep interest in Cardiacs going when the rest of the universe cared not one tiny bit.

I think that's a different Sean (not Sean Organ) btw. I hope this means there's still at least one good book in the works.

Ahh is it? I just made the leap when he started speaking about their frendship

It seems that Tim Quy has actually left our world, very sad. RIP

That's really sad to hear, I'd heard he was in poor health. They were never as good once he left if you ask me.

all one glorious continuum, of which he was a very dear part, rip

This is the official announcement.
https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=pfbid028zaezbJ9SeiEx3oG5LTr4s1pQZ6JKVUVTjVqLCS4TipTxwRp2fdgrTfEzHPK9AU5l&id=100032042187218&mibextid=Nif5oz

What insanity is this

https://www.the-cep.org.uk/family-tree/

R.I.P. the great Tim Quy, who I had the pleasure of meeting at ABC 2019.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xUclU3nUOb4

Listening to Sing to God right now, my best attempt at a description is "What if Nomeansno tried to be early Genesis?"

wild band

i guess they are the UK cheer accident or cheer accident is the US cardiacs?

"what if poster imago's favourite album" haha, NOW YOU KNOW

C-A a decent analogue!

i think this is stressing my dog out

laaaaasssie's

on the tvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv

Interview with Jon Poole
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LbFfLpJUQYM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tKSap5N2tmw

lol i just knowingly listened to the cardiacs for the first time ever

didn't expect to be reminded of henry cow

Beyond the often quoted 'Salvation Army band playing carousel punk in a force ten gale' type of thing, there are a multitude of influences that suffused Tim's style - prog and ROI, new wave, traditional British and early music composers, twelve-tone music, and so on.

you love to hear it

welcome to the first day of the rest of your music listenerhood, or something