Cardiacs--where to start?

[arthurfrayn]

There are very few things I dislike by them of what I've heard. And it's more on the order of "not crazy about". Like I said, "Is This the Life" I was a little ho hum about. Then I started to enjoy the guitar solo a lot, then I started to like the instrumental bit directly after. Then I started to like the whole thing. I like the way he sings it.
Still not crazy about "The Whole World Window" -again, kind of ho hum. I don't listen to the "Alphabet Business Concern" anthem too much. But then, I didn't listen to the "Devo Corporate Anthem" too much either. Not crazy about "March" Used to skip "Stone Age Dinosaurs" again -ho hum. But then, I started to really get into Sarah's sax solo. So I like that one now.
Maybe some things on the Alphabet Archive sound a little sketchy, but I can get in the mood for the energy of that disc alone and play the whole thing a couple of times in a day.
So when you get right down to it, there's not a lot by this band I don't like!!

[thedunno]

I won the A little man Cd in a contest of a prog magazine. I wasn't sure if I liked it or not ( I was still into marillion and IQ) but after I had seen them live in Amsterdam not much later I was Fan. Their live energy combined with the complete refusal to take themselves seriously was what won me over.

[loosefish]

I think the one-two punch of Sparky and Fiery Gun Hand was what did it for me. Bear in mind i only discovered the band post-Guns and liked what i'd heard enough to buy Guns, STG1 and Heaven Born at once and listened to them in that order. Guns i liked a lot (principally for There's Good Cud, which reminded me of NoMeansNo and the general punky, mr Bungley elements), but by the last two minutes of FGH i was truly hooked and also stunned at what i was hearing. It might be a corny thing to say, but it was the music i'd always been searching for in many ways, having grown up listening to Zappa, Bungle, Sparks, NMN etc. Some of that stuff comes close, but Tims music has it all.

If we're talking songs we're not so fond of... to be honest there aren't any really. I guess Snakes A Sleeping is one i don't revisit often and maybe some of the Obvious Identity/Toy World stuff. Even weird fragments like Horsehead have their moments (and heartbreaking lyrics in this case!)

[loosefish]

I won the A little man Cd in a contest of a prog magazine. I wasn't sure if I liked it or not ( I was still into marillion and IQ) but after I had seen them live in Amsterdam not much later I was Fan. Their live energy combined with the complete refusal to take themselves seriously was what won me over.

Are you the tattoo guy? (Martin?)

[thedunno]

Are you the tattoo guy? (Martin?)

I do not like tattoos. Especially not on women. Not sexy
(count that as a no)

[loosefish]

Ah sorry, he was also a Netherlander (and presumably still is).

[PeterG]

Ah sorry, he was also a Netherlander (and presumably still is).

LOL! I think I asked "the Dunno" the same question about a year ago. The Dutch tattoo guy we are thinking of, I think isn't here anymore, if he ever was. I know he was on Mares Nest but that died a long time ago.

[Mr.Flower]

Wow! Just got into work after listening to my pristine, gorgeous copy of the newly released The Seaside - what a great job the ABC have done on this ... worthy of laudation indeed. As I've not heard the original, just the shorter, CD version (which I've always appreciated but whilst the songs were great, the recording/production grated a little), so this remastered, longer version felt like a new album to me. Quite brilliant! New/old/lost track Dinnertime (whilst I've heard it before, obviously) fits in really well and is one of the poppier moments (with Gina LB of course).

On a slight tangent, sometimes I listen to Cardiacs and feel that I'm probably the only person on the plant listening to that song at that particular time. However, I got the feeling that everyone else who got their copy of the Seaside was probably listening to it on their way to work this morning that same as I was ... which was nice. Probably hundreds (possibly thousands) of people, nodding along to Hope Day or Gina LB all across the country. Marvellous.

[at least 100 dead]

Currently unreasonably obsessed with this little gem:

[at least 100 dead]

I got the feeling that everyone else who got their copy of the Seaside was probably listening to it on their way to work this morning that same as I was ... which was nice. Probably hundreds (possibly thousands) of people, nodding along to Hope Day or Gina LB all across the country. Marvellous.

That's the way we all go! (Nah, still waiting for mine to, uh, drop...Yeah, drop!)

[arthurfrayn]

I had an unreasonable obsession for a while with Breakfast Line as well.
My listening to ALM&aH&tWWW settled into listening to In a City Lining, I'm Eating in Bed, and The Breakfast Line, and then just The Breakfast Line alone. I like the whole Crimsony thing at the end.

[at least 100 dead]

I had an unreasonable obsession for a while with Breakfast Line as well.
My listening to ALM&aH&tWWW settled into listening to In a City Lining, I'm Eating in Bed, and The Breakfast Line

Those three are among my favorites as well. To me, the Cardiacs catalog is just full of sleepers. Songs you maybe didn’t take notice of at first have a way of creeping up and nesting in your ear and then you can’t stop listening to them. No other bands/artists do that to me, except the Coltrane Quartet.

Aww man, ALPH CD 001 just arrived and a thing of beauty it is! As Mr.Flower said, it’s like a new album. The Seaside version of Nurses is much better than the one on StG, which is no slouch, but a bit ear-rapey.

Now off to paint the living room in blue, green, turquois and pink stripes. The landlord’s gonna love this…

[zombywoof]

So jealous of those of you who have your Seaside discs.

[arthurfrayn]

So jealous of those of you who have your Seaside discs.

LIkewise! Hoping I'll have the greenbacks to get this in the New Year!

[at least 100 dead]

So jealous of those of you who have your Seaside discs.

Let me rub it in a bit more: The remaster sound great! Nice & punchy! Very satisfying bass! Crystal clear highs! Mmmh....

*rolls on the floor, lasciviously licks the crevices of the digi-pack in ecstasy*

[Steve F.]

So jealous of those of you who have your Seaside discs.

Our copies of Seaside ship tomorrow. The Alphabet Business Concern has little interest in the fact that Wayside Music's loyal customers are jealous of others.

[zombywoof]

The Alphabet Business Concern has little interest in the fact that Wayside Music's loyal customers are jealous of others.

[thedunno]

Got a shipping notice a week ago but still nothing here
Did they put it on a boat to Antarctica? Or personal delivery by Jim in his underpants swimming over the canal?

[thedunno]

The Seaside has arrived in the lowlands!
Loving it. Sounds a lot more punchy then the original. Great to have the original versions of House, nurses and is this the life.

Happy now.

[at least 100 dead]

^
Glad you got yours. Enjoy!

I wonder if other Cardiacs albums will get the remaster-treatment. Sing to God could surely use it. Maybe “they” could also re-recorded the drums in "Stone Age Dinosaurs"?

[thedunno]

^
Sing to God could surely use it.

I LOVE the way Sing to God sounds. It is so layered and dense but you still can hear every sound (without being sure about the origin of many sounds).
To my ears only Angleworm Angel sounds over the top but I guess that will always stay my least favorite song of the album no matter the production.

Not sure if I would buy a Sing to God remaster.

Heaven born and ever bright, now that could use some brushing up, especially on the lower tones.

[at least 100 dead]

HB&EB could benefit from a remaster, no doubt.

With S2G, I find it's too compressed and the upper-mids/lower-highs are a bit harsh to these ears; some more bottom-end would be appreciated. It's still my favorite Cardiacs album, mind.

[zombywoof]

^
Glad you got yours. Enjoy!

I wonder if other Cardiacs albums will get the remaster-treatment. Sing to God could surely use it. Maybe “they” could also re-recorded the drums in "Stone Age Dinosaurs"?

Don't touch Songs for Ships and Irons, it's perfect.

[anant]

Hello, new member here & to be honest only joined because of this thread. Apart from the Cardiacs forum & fb page it's rare to see much discussion of them anywhere, let alone a thread now on it's 84th page!

I discovered them a few years ago and it's a familiar story - couldn't listen to anything else for at least 6 months, annoyed friends with a slightly embarrassing evangelical fervour etc, etc.

Favourite albums: STG, OLAITS, Garage Concerts

Re remastering - yes, STG & HBAEB particularly. A lot of STG sounds really muddy to me, eg Fiery Gun Hand. HBAEB is horribly tinny with barely discernible bass. Hope it happens.

I have a youtube channel that's just Cardiacs. Recently posted an obscure (well, aren't they all?) Tim Smith song called Vermin Mangle (aka Dream Dress), a live solo performance from 2000 which may be new to some of you.

[smcfee]

Hello, new member here & to be honest only joined because of this thread. Apart from the Cardiacs forum & fb page it's rare to see much discussion of them anywhere, let alone a thread now on it's 84th page!

Welcome! Glad to have another cult member. The people are nice but avoid the kool-aid.