Cardiacs--where to start?

[chalkpie]

Your words brought a tear to my eye, man. For real, so true.

Wow, thanks man. I'm glad that I'm not crazy in my assessment of this guy - he is total gem.

I still can't get over the one-two-three punch of "Manhoo", "Wireless", "Dirty Boy". Those three tunes alone are better than bands entire catalogs with 15+ albums. Am I joking? Not really. And the ironic part (at least for me as a an extreme lover of instrumental composition) is that there is nary a brilliant instrumental section to be found, which for me says volumes about how strong his semi-normal tunes are. When I'm listening to 'Manhoo" for instance, its so brilliantly created that whatever 'Tim Smith Universe' he happens to be taking you at the time, its so engrossing and powerful that you are sucked in and enjoy every nano-second he throws at you. Nothing is expected nor missed. It's like trying to describe how great Mahler is for example, words don't suffice, the music and moment does.

[JAMOOL]

I can only give 'em half points for "Wireless" considering that it's basically a Faust rip - but they do it well! Still, I understand what you mean. "Flap Off You Beak" was the one that really got me; it's just so incredibly dense for what is essentially a 3-4 minute pop song. Even without the complexity the songs tend to be crazy and beautiful - "Foundling" hits such a weird spot in my brain, like they'd been sitting on that synth patch just waiting for the perfect tune to come along to throw a wrench in the listener's heart.

[Obarmoth]

It's the 'Dog-Like Sparky'/'Fiery Gun Hand' one-two that completely does my head in every time..

[iguana]

“bell stinks” / “bell clinks” (prepare to be annihilated)
“angleworm angel” (especially with the chant levelling everything in the end section)
“a horse’s tail” (there's stuff in there that will last lesser bands’ entire albums. and here it's a four-minute CARDIACS tune)
“nurses whispering verses” (magnificent re-recording of an old “the seaside” tune)

i could go on an on, which i won’t. the only thing that could be said against the “sing to god” albums is that the production is at times irritatingly trebly.

[marinaorgan]

This is what Cardiacs were like when I first saw them... I guess this was a few months before the best gig of my life (Croydon Underground, 1985) and I was blown away finding these on youTube recently:


Part 2 (slightly better quality):

[chalkpie]

OK, everybody name their Top 15 Cardiacs tunes. Yes, it may be impossible, but I want to see some favorite treasures courtesy of Tim. Right now, I will say "Stench of Honey" is in there. An odd choice, but a perfectly crafted pop gem, almost a symphony in 3+ minutes. Brilliant.

[chalkpie]

How is it quiet around a cardiacs thread? Only been into them for about 2 weeks now, and I'll tell you, I'm their biggest fan in the universe at this moment. Tim Smith has engulfed me with his incredible musical genius. Cardiacs make your favorite band of the past 40 years suck.

Ok, fuck it, I'll start my own list. This is actually a CD mix I just created, but at the moment it could be a top 15, but I see this changing daily.

Gibber and Twitch (Garage)
Manhoo
Hope Day (Garage)
In the Corner of Sin (Sea Nymphs, but its so beautiful and classical in stature)
As Cold as can be...... (Garage)
Gina Lollabridgida (Garage)
Lilly White's Party
Odd Even
R.E.S. (Seaside version, but they are all fantastic)
Wireless (I broke up the trilogy on "Sing", but they also work scattered about
Dirty Boy
The Duck and Roger the Horse (studio)
Dead Mouse
The Everso Closely Guarded Li
All Spectacular

[Romerovm]

I am playing "Sing to God" for the first time as I type this (the only studio album I hadn't heard). It is freaking amazing... what a musical genius Tim Smith is.

[chalkpie]

I am playing "Sing to God" for the first time as I type this (the only studio album I hadn't heard). It is freaking amazing... what a musical genius Tim Smith is.

Have you got to "Manhoo"/"Odd Even"/"Dirty Boy" yet? Beyond amazing set of tunes there, but the whole thing is.

[Romerovm]

Have you got to "Manhoo"/"Odd Even"/"Dirty Boy" yet? Beyond amazing set of tunes there, but the whole thing is.

Not yet. Getting close though.

[Romerovm]

By the way, the production is a little bright unfortunately. Sounds fine after adjusting the bass and treble though.

Was this album released on vinyl?

[Romerovm]

Have you got to "Manhoo"/"Odd Even"/"Dirty Boy" yet? Beyond amazing set of tunes there, but the whole thing is.

Manhoo is great. Dirty Boy is incredible; the last couple of minutes of that song are so intense... simply amazing.

[chalkpie]

By the way, the production is a little bright unfortunately. Sounds fine after adjusting the bass and treble though.

Was this album released on vinyl?

Yeah, I agree. I would LOVE to have SW remaster the entire catalog, and release it properly. He could work wonders on the EQ and overall timbre of the albums, and do some really cool surround shit if one is so inclined.

[chalkpie]

Are "Mare's Nest" and "Garage Concerts I and II" the best live-sounding documents of the band (from a sound engineering point?)? Are there boots out there that are A+ sonics (any year)?

[JAMOOL]

I do think that Heaven Born and Ever Bright could use some remastering - it's awfully trebly

[Morpheus]

Heaven Born and Ever Bright was actually undone by remastering. The first edition issued by Rough Trade sounds so much better, the Alphabet version, released a few years later suffers from loudnesswarsitis. I only heard the first version a few years ago and was surprised by just how much better it sounded.

[JAMOOL]

nice - thanks for the tip!

btw I'm still pondering my top 15 tunes - can't decide so I'll just let iTunes tell me which ones I like the most!

[Morpheus]

Every once in a while the old version pops up on ebay going for the usual absurd prices

The Rough Trade version has this cover
http://www.progarchives.com/progress...12112011_r.JPG

The more common Alphabet version looks like this
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...ver-Bright.jpg

[PeterG]

The easy access points for people new to Cardiacs are:

Songs For Ships and Irons - A collection of several early EPs
Greatest Hits - covers mid-period and later stuff
Archive - very early stuff from Cardiac Arrest days thru to their 2 cassette albums Toy World and The Obvious Identity and the original verison of The Seaside
Sampler - covers the lot
Garage Concerts vols I & II - 2 gigs playing loads of early stuff

[JAMOOL]

Given the experiences of every Cardiacs fan and non-fan I know, I'd say the steps are 1) troll around Youtube for Cardiacs tunes and 2) either buy every single disc they ever made or swear off the band for life.

[PeterG]

I've got the original version of Heaven Born on vinyl & CD and it sounds great.

[chalkpie]

cardiacs on top everyday. Best band on the first 20 pages ay PE.

[Udi Koomran]

No Cardiacs Thread could ever be complete without these clips
mind-blowing right ?

[thedunno]

mind-blowing right ? absolutely! The tightness, the complexity and the energy is amazing.

But what still amazes me is that Tim wrote these tunes in his late teens, an age at which most kids are still busy trying to sound like their heroes. Cardiacs already sounded so complex and so completely unique. Now THAt is completely mind-blowing.

[iguana]

were these promo clips to market the 2007 tour, their last to date? or were they part of something more elaborate that was in the works? perhaps kavus torabi can chip in here?