Cardiacs: Classic or Dud?

Eden In The Air given a psych-RnB makeover would be INSANE

frogbs, we do not appear to have met much, and yet we are curiously in agreement on a number of important topics!

A few of the covers from the comp are on YouTube.

Oh and has anyone seen these guys? Gilliam.

An Israeli band playing really great, faintly Klezmerish versions of Cardiacs songs gawd bless 'em.

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

p.s. on that 'discoveries of 2010' thread I concur w/ you about P-Model

i really ought to start a thread for them...

xp hehheh. Saying that, one important element of being into Cardiacs (+parts of the family) for me was being quite measured in my listening; not burning myself out on the frenzied amazingness. They are too intense or concentration-dependent to burn out on - your brain says 'enough' - unlike XTC who I'm on a huge break from. But that's just me..

I remember we've had some discussion like this before, with you favouring this continued exposure..for me, they are a treat, like a bottle of champagne.

NSRO were lovely, MORE MORE MORE (I'll have a little snuffle around) and now yeah that cover calls...

btw, THE MAGIC OF POLLZ FREEFORM 1990's ALTERNATIVE ALBUM POLL - THE RECKONING (TOP TEN COUNTING DOWN NOW)

Cardiacs are a kinda go-to for me - I rarely go 2 or 3 days without a fix. Recently I've been mad discovering other shit. Hasn't stopped me, of course. Complete listens-through are a rare and delightful treat, of course :)

frogbs, we do not appear to have met much, and yet we are curiously in agreement on a number of important topics!

StG your #1 all time too?? That album was like my destiny. I discovered Cardiacs by accident!! Someone sent me a tune and I completely forgot about it, but listened to "Captain Lou Albano's History of Music" (love this tune) and next up was "Cardiacs - In a City Lining". I think like 3 minutes in I had this feeling of, whoaaaa, this is going to be one of your new favorite bands. After hearing the first two albums and reading all about StG I had a strong feeling that it could become my favorite album of all time. I remember giving it that first listen, getting to "Dirty Boy" and cranking it up so loud it made my ears ring for a good half hour after.

Big <3in in this thread! Dirty Boy is one of the few pieces of music that makes me actually feel *faint*. It's so overpowering, nothing can follow it. It absorbs (most) rock music.

Oh, I knew StG was going to be my favourite album ever before I heard it. This didn't even remotely prepare me for how good it actually is, of course. I discovered them (well, I'd seen their name in some Oceansize liner notes and thought nothing of it) here: Forgotten 90's alternative rock masterpieces WANTED

^^^third post, as if 'everything' had been waiting for me to start the thread

This RES cover is doooope!

Have previously described 'Dirty Boy' as my favourite song ever. Have since downgraded it to 'joint first' alongside 'Moon In June' by Soft Machine and 'Fanny' by Cardiacs-in-all-but-name Spratley's Japs.

Also, this is freaking immense.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_pf-bLAppC4

If we were to poll StG I'd probably vote Flap Off You Beak, however, for being joy itself

oh my word they do All His Geese Are Swans oh my word

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Sq0nTW6RpE

^^^have already heard that, dude's a Cardiacs forum regular. and yeah it's absolutely incredible, last 3 minutes especially

covering Dirty Boy on an acoustic guitar I mean hell Mahler on a piccolo but it WORKS

Dirty Boy is one of the few pieces of music that makes me actually feel *faint*. It's so overpowering, nothing can follow it. It absorbs (most) rock music.

I totally get this. I almost wish they made it the last song on the album (no disrespect to "Foundling" which is also great); you can't really follow it up with anything.

Oh, I knew StG was going to be my favourite album ever before I heard it. This didn't even remotely prepare me for how good it actually is, of course.

Had to have a glance at the tracklist again - can't believe how many top quality tunes there are on this thing. Stuff like "Bellyeye", "Horse's Tail", "Insect Hoofs on Lassie", "Bell Clinks", "Red Fire", "Foundling"...none of those even make up my top 5 on this album but they would be highlights on practically any other album.

I almost wish they made it the last song on the album (no disrespect to "Foundling" which is also great); you can't really follow it up with anything

I make it the opening track on every Cardiacs compilation I've ever created. Instead of ending everything (the universe, time, life etc), for me it comes outta the gate saying 'there's other music, then there's this, if you liked that here's some more awesome stuff'. I generally follow it up with Anything I Can't Eat which is so delirious it really doesn't care if it's following up The Almighty itself :D

and yeah, 'Billion' is a perfect, unassuming follow-up. So like Tim Smith to pull that kinda move - and so fitting too :)

As I've said elsewhere on this thread, Foundling is one of the comparatively weakest tracks, but it's also the only one that absolutely, definitively sounds like a closer, so it's a perfect fit for me. Although my favourite Cardiacs closer is still Snakes-A-Sleeping, my fucking god...

I have gone through phases of calling OLAITS and Guns joint #1 album evah, btw. Right now I think it goes StG, Pony, Guns, OLAITS. Then all other music ever made.

Dirty Boy IS however either opening or closing track. It cannot possibly be anything else. The same thing, from two perspectives. :)

The quality of both tribute CDs is really high thankfully, only a couple of duff tracks to my ears. I really love The Gasman's glitch-pop reworking of Gloomy News, and Knifeworld doing The Stench Of Honey is splendid.

Anyway, don't know if I should be sharing this link, but here's a handful of tracks that didn't make either disc, including a splendidly ramshackle version of The Duck & Roger The Horse.
http://www.genepoolrecords.com/TIMSMITH/

Ooooh! Who by?

Steven Evens & The Gilchrist Family Band - Duck & Roger
Local Girls - Odd Even
Ham Legion - Dead Mouse

thanks :)

Have previously described 'Dirty Boy' as my favourite song ever. Have since downgraded it to 'joint first' alongside 'Moon In June' by Soft Machine and 'Fanny' by Cardiacs-in-all-but-name Spratley's Japs.

― acoleuthic, Thursday, February 3, 2011 10:50 PM (Yesterday) Bookmark

finally heard the spratleys japs album for the first time today. just beautiful. and 'fanny' was certainly one highlight among many.

I've always believed STG to be my favourite cardiacs album, but I'm obsessively thrashing ALMAAHATHWW on a daily basis here... the latter half of 'breakfast line' has wrapped itself around my brain like a serpent made of glass. or something.

This is my current Cardiacs CD-80, btw -

Dirty Boy 8:55
Anything I Can't Eat 3:25
Dog-Like Sparky 4:54
Fiery Gun Hand 5:13
The Duck And Roger The Horse 3:57
Fanny 6:23
Jitterbug (junior is a) 7:31
Two Bites Of Cherry 3:20
Come Back Clammy Lammy 4:07
Flap Off You Beak 3:45
Buds And Spawn 6:46
Core 2:32
R.E.S. 5:16
Signs 4:26
Snakes-A-Sleeping 8:25

(78:46)

ALM... is awesome but for me it's just the beginning. There's a STRONG case for replacing Fiery Gun Hand with In A City Lining in my CD-80 but I just...can't do it. You're right that the album is superb, almost from start to finish (I can't really get with Is This The Life - I'm Eating In Bed forever!) and that its sheer heart is something wondrous to behold.

Pony is next-level music. I'm convinced his 'shadow band' were a group of wandering angels. 'Oh' and 'Flash The Sea...' and 'Vine' especially are brainblowers, but yeah 'Fanny' is *perfection*

these dudes did 'like a g6' rite

Only track I'd definitely find a way to add is "All Spectacular"; its pure magic

This thread is good for reminding me to check out Spratley's Japs...I don't remember what the Cardiacs connection is exactly but I hear them mentioned a lot whenever they pop up...

My list:

1. StG
2. On Land/A Little Man (tie...can't figure out which is better)
3. Guns
4. Songs for Ships & Irons
5. Heaven Born & Ever Bright - could be higher but I don't like the mastering; there is just no bass level at all...songs are great though

There was a piece about Tim in yesterday's Guardian, but I should warn you it's quite upsetting to read. Poor, poor guy.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2011/feb/03/cardiacs-tim-smith-stroke-tribute-album

This thread is good for reminding me to check out Spratley's Japs...I don't remember what the Cardiacs connection is exactly but I hear them mentioned a lot whenever they pop up...

Made concurrently with Guns. Comprises Tim and his girlfriend Joanne Spratley and some of their mates and a broken-down mellotron in the New Forest. Is *fucking amazing*, slightly different vibe to Cardiacs (more...rootsy? Nah, that's not it. More mossy) but obviously the same songwriter.

Thanks for that piece, will read now...

is it bad that my first reaction is 'haaaa, J Spratley is now dating Bic Hayes'? oh you bedhopping psychpoppers...

The thing about Spratleys was, if you believe the rumours, the band was just Jo & Tim, the others didn't really exist! It really was inspired by a malfunctioning mellotron, though.

Cheers for the Guardian piece...about to read now.

(but yeah, horrible that this shit can happen to anyone.)

That is my new favourite musical rumour. Makes the album all the sweeter if so. A secret shared by a couple. A whispered murmur of affection in sky-vaulting, earthy space-pop. <3

I like to think they found some fauns in the New Forest and got them playing drums and guitar tho

Did any of you guys see the 08 Roundhouse shows? I was there on the Friday (can't quite recall) and it was certainly some kind of London Experimental Rock ground zero.

am gonna guess that Chrome Hoof did their thang

wasn't there, wish I had been

You Made Me Realise - beyond any legend you've heard.

Support was a pretty shrug set from Sonic Boom.

I like the fact that Tim Smith experienced that in his last minutes of full sentience, horrible as what happened subsequently was

(am not talking about Sonic Boom, haha)

REALLY wish I'd been there now. Kevin Shields in his own quiet (lol) way is a dude who can be spoken of in the same breath as our Tim :P

otm, I like to believe that Dirty Boy harnesses some of its dense, elemental power from Loveless.

I can't really respond to the horrible aftermath...it's just one of these unexplainably tragic things. And I remember you met him (do I remember this right?)

You do! We exchanged a few brief and affectionate words. Yeah, alright, I was completely overcome. He's probably used to it. :)

http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2011/feb/03/cardiacs-tim-smith-stroke-tribute-album

It doesn't look like his condition is good...I don't know anything about strokes, but is it possible he may never recover from this?

Yeah, I was listening to an interview with Kavus Torabi recently(ish) and what K said sounded pretty bleak too :(

I haven't bought any other Cardiacs discs because I haven't found any 'official' release (as they generally fetch > $100 on amazon and ebay),

I am super-glad I got to see Cardiacs now, my one and only Cardiacs gig on their first set of dates outside London for many years and now looking all too likely to be their last, but my one regret of the evening is that the merch desk had many copies of CDs I thought were out of print (also t-shirts) and such a massive, chatty merch queue I had to give up and get my public transport home - I have some of them but owning most of the 80s stuff is a distant, crazy dream

To my shame I preordered the tribute CD and haven't yet made it to the bonus disc despite it having the lovely Gasman on, so this thread is a good reminder to put that on

I remember planning with an online buddy seriously planning to fly out to the UK with the sole purpose of seeing them; I really wanted to do it but ultimately decided it wasn't worth it. I regret that now.

Live recording gone up on D1m3ad0z3n, one I've never heard before, Whitelands College '85 and it's a soundboard too!

Gorgeous cover of "Stoneage Dinosaurs" on the tribute CD. And per comments upthread, the standard is generally really high - special love for the Max Tundra track too.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KPszC-lYHT4

A little disappointed in SW doing the Cardiacs song that's most like a Porcupine Tree or No-Man song, considering his wherewithal he could have attempted a more interesting track, it is good tho'

I think quite a lot of the choices are pretty safe tbh. Not many people taking on the really out-there stuff. Can't grouse though, they're still covering great music, plus I need to actually hear it!

xp this gig upthread is pretty good LJ, want it?

yah totes, send it my way! :)

Sent you a dropbox link, will stick it in there for you sometime later on.