Cardiacs--where to start?

[chalkpie]

I get the same 'funny feeling' from some of Ennio's melodic choices and timbres as i do from Tim's music (and Kate Bush's and Robert Wyatt's).

I've never really got on board with Charles Ives for some reason. Anyone give me some guidance on what his best stuff is?

That 'funny feeling' is not something made-up, I think you're onto something quite honestly because I generally feel the same way.

As far as Ives is concerned, I am a huge fanatic, so my suggestion is to try again, or try something you haven't heard. I started an Ives thread last year, so if you want to revive it, I'm down with that.

http://www.progressiveears.org/forum...highlight=ives

[aith01]

I've been listening to Lemon Demon since '03! It is so strange to see him mentioned on a Cardiacs thread - I liked his music a lot but I wouldn't exactly recommend it. But this new disc is the real deal, dude is a huge Cardiacs fan apparently and I think that influence is finally starting to manifest itself. His prior discs are pretty good too, but man, this is AOTY material.

How funny! Never expected to see someone here who had been listening to them for that long.

I wasn't aware of Lemon Demon until several weeks ago and the only one I've heard is Spirit Phone, but I absolutely agree, it is the real deal.

Cheers!

[aith01]

Every track will hit you just a bit harder on some days, just like any Cardiacs albums. That's the way it all goes with his work imo. One of them is "This Ground Town"........What an exceptional tune.

I have the feeling that if Tim had endless time, money, and energy, that he could have turned out these albums like snapping his fingers. Endless creativity.

EDIT: allow me to mention how much love I have for "Savour", "Englands", and "Veronica.." as well. OK, consider it mentioned

This Ground Town -- was listening to that on the way to work this morning. What a killer tune that is! It's got that "sea shanty swagger" (I don't know what else to call it), something I love about Tim's songs, and it really makes me think he was a big influence on Blur.

My favorite thing about it: There's this bit that occurs near the middle, and then is repeated three times near the end, where there's that melody line that ascends and descends -- similar to what happens in Loosefish Scapegrace, except that it goes into what sounds like a IV-ii-V cadence (going from memory, and not sure if I'm using the right terminology). It's the part where he goes "pain is hard, they want to die, they pain we go away, goodbye", and the chord change is right at the end. It happens at 2:50 and then repeats again starting at 4:09.

Any of you folks with more musical knowledge than me, please feel free to chime in.

Allow me to interrupt for a moment and invite/encourage you pondies to go check out the 'Ennio Morricone' thread at some point when you have a chance. I am completely and utterly blown away by his music right now, and since you all have a taste for sublime melodic and harmonic material a la Mr Smith, there might be something you might dig by Mr Morricone (or not). Only a suggestion. This is a pretty huge discovery for me, and its actually taking away from my Cardiacs listening - ahhhhhhhhhhhhh. I won't bug you again on this, I promise.

Ennio Morricone is someone whose music, I must shamefully admit, I have remained largely ignorant of. Heard his scores for some of the Sergio Leone movies, but can't really remember anything about them.

A pretty big oversight, on my part. And if Morricone is able to draw someone's attention away from Cardiacs, then I am intrigued.

Any suggestions for a starting point?

[zombywoof]

Bent Knee in Baltimore. Soundcheck. RES (drum intro cover only).

I was the other guy in the room who got it.

[chalkpie]

Bent Knee in Baltimore. Soundcheck. RES (drum intro cover only).

I was the other guy in the room who got it.

[aith01]

Bent Knee in Baltimore. Soundcheck. RES (drum intro cover only).

I was the other guy in the room who got it.

Whoa, nice! I'll bet that was a good show.

Evidently the members of Bent Knee have excellent taste.

[zombywoof]

Whoa, nice! I'll bet that was a good show.

Evidently the members of Bent Knee have excellent taste.

Well it was played for me.

It was an amazing show.

[aith01]

So now that I'm riding high on a Cardiacs wave again, I went looking for what to shop for next -- and it looks like the Sea Nymphs albums are no longer available from Wayside.

I'm hoping it's only temporary, and that I haven't missed the boat completely on those.

[Phlakaton]

http://abc-mary.myshopify.com/collec...-sea-nymphs-cd

[PeterG]

Check out the beginning of this, and at around 0:20 don't tell me that the cadence there doesn't sound like Tim - well actually the other way around But you get my point - it has that Vaughan Williams 'thumbprint' in there that is so prevalent in Tim's soundworld, but written by an Italian instead of an Englishman. Maybe Sir Kavus would know this - but I wonder if Timmy was a big fan of Ennio?

Absolutely, from 0.22 to 0.26 to be exact with the "actual" Cardiacs chord/note at 0.24. Regarding Ralph Vaughan Williams, you owe me royalties every time you make that comparison, as I believe I was the first person to make that 20th C folk revival comparison to RVW over a decade ago on the Mares Nest forum...... 2 euros please

[aith01]

http://abc-mary.myshopify.com/collec...-sea-nymphs-cd

Thanks!

Guess I overreacted a bit.

[chalkpie]

Absolutely, from 0.22 to 0.26 to be exact with the "actual" Cardiacs chord/note at 0.24. Regarding Ralph Vaughan Williams, you owe me royalties every time you make that comparison, as I believe I was the first person to make that 20th C folk revival comparison to RVW over a decade ago on the Mares Nest forum...... 2 euros please

I'll just buy you a pint if we ever meet.

[chalkpie]

Thanks!

Guess I overreacted a bit.

Don't miss this - its life-altering.

[chalkpie]

Ennio Morricone is someone whose music, I must shamefully admit, I have remained largely ignorant of. Heard his scores for some of the Sergio Leone movies, but can't really remember anything about them.

A pretty big oversight, on my part. And if Morricone is able to draw someone's attention away from Cardiacs, then I am intrigued.

Any suggestions for a starting point?

No oversight at all - I've been into EM in any seriousness for about 2 weeks now

My suggestion: Go over to the EM thread, and start listening to everything that has been posted so far. You'll either be craving more or never want to hear that stuff again.

[PeterG]

I'll just buy you a pint if we ever meet.

You're on.

[aith01]

Don't miss this - its life-altering.

Duly noted. Thank you!

No oversight at all - I've been into EM in any seriousness for about 2 weeks now

My suggestion: Go over to the EM thread, and start listening to everything that has been posted so far. You'll either be craving more or never want to hear that stuff again.

Thanks man. I'll do just that!

After getting more familiar with OceanLandWorld, all I can really say is that it's a crime that only one Tim Smith solo album exists in the world. The guy is a genius, and that CD is proof of it.

[chalkpie]

After getting more familiar with OceanLandWorld, all I can really say is that it's a crime that only one Tim Smith solo album exists in the world. The guy is a genius, and that CD is proof of it.

I hear ya, and I guess we just have to appreciate as much as he gave us - especially this, Spratley's Japs, and Sea Nymphs. These otherworldly gems give us a different angle of what Tim is all about. Sea Nymphs 2.0 on its way though, and its easily my most anticipated album by anybody on Earth at this time.

[Phlakaton]

I hear ya, and I guess we just have to appreciate as much as he gave us - especially this, Spratley's Japs, and Sea Nymphs. These otherworldly gems give us a different angle of what Tim is all about. Sea Nymphs 2.0 on its way though, and its easily my most anticipated album by anybody on Earth at this time.

Since my obsession will not go away - I did another bit of art... TIMMY! He's upset with that other guy - the one who plays that four stringed thing. Who is he? He is? :P

Tim_Portrait.jpg

[aith01]

I hear ya, and I guess we just have to appreciate as much as he gave us - especially this, Spratley's Japs, and Sea Nymphs. These otherworldly gems give us a different angle of what Tim is all about.

Amen to that. Tim, and the Cardiacs band members, have given a wealth of great music for us to enjoy.

And I just ordered the Spratley's Japs CD from Wayside yesterday (along with Mare's Nest).

Sea Nymphs 2.0 on its way though, and its easily my most anticipated album by anybody on Earth at this time.

This is something I did not realize, but I'm very excited to hear it!

[chalkpie]

And I just ordered the Spratley's Japs CD from Wayside yesterday (along with Mare's Nest).
This is something I did not realize, but I'm very excited to hear it!

Oh man - please report back on Spratley's. Its basically another amazing Cardiacs album albeit travelling down a very, very different road.

As far as Sea Nymphs, some guy asked the question on a second Sea Nymphs here and got an answer
http://forum.cardiacs.org/viewtopic.php?f=36&t=3861

[NogbadTheBad]

U have to register, what does it say?

[aith01]

For me, Swimming With The Snake is the not only the most beautiful, heartbreaking, otherworldly and psychedelic song Tim has ever written, it's the the most beautiful, heartbreaking, otherworldly and psychedelic song I've ever heard by anybody.
Something absolutely not of this world happens during it, as if the very laws of physics have been changed and some part of 'a world beyond this one' has been allowed to leak in.
The whole piece seems to shimmer with a wordless universal truth that I can't quite put my finger on.

Swimming With the Snake is a very, very interesting and different kind of track. I'm still absorbing it to be honest. It doesn't really sound like anything I've heard before either, which is a rare thing anymore.

Love the way you described it!

[aith01]

Oh man - please report back on Spratley's. Its basically another amazing Cardiacs album albeit travelling down a very, very different road.

Most definitely! I'm looking forward to hearing it finally.

[Phlakaton]

Most definitely! I'm looking forward to hearing it finally.

I think its awesome. Definitely a nice contrast of sorts to Cardiacs.

[chalkpie]

Since my obsession will not go away - I did another bit of art... TIMMY! He's upset with that other guy - the one who plays that four stringed thing. Who is he? He is? :P

Tim_Portrait.jpg

Beautiful man (again). Love the added texture in this one.