Cardiacs--where to start?

[chalkpie]

Obsessed with "Fairy Mary Mag". Tim's voice sounds incredible - that melody with that choir mellotron - holy crow. And these lyrics(!):

Don't do anything just stand there
Holding the light with man and boy shaking all hands
If I were a bad dog you'd all be dead

Six big strong boys from the land
Chewed off a piece of Mary Magdalenes arms
While guardians wailed 'Oh for shame! For shame!'

I will tear the secret from your arms

And come boys out from the hat!
I cannot see your feet!
Come on my lucky lads! You don't want to live forever!
As I live and breathe as if in danger or as if in doubt
(Ran in circles screaming 'SHOUT!')
If I were a bad dog you'd all be dead

(Crucified) I thought you were dead

[Phlakaton]

Obsessed with "Fairy Mary Mag". Tim's voice sounds incredible - that melody with that choir mellotron - holy crow. And these lyrics(!):

Don't do anything just stand there
Holding the light with man and boy shaking all hands
If I were a bad dog you'd all be dead

Six big strong boys from the land
Chewed off a piece of Mary Magdalenes arms
While guardians wailed 'Oh for shame! For shame!'

I will tear the secret from your arms

And come boys out from the hat!
I cannot see your feet!
Come on my lucky lads! You don't want to live forever!
As I live and breathe as if in danger or as if in doubt
(Ran in circles screaming 'SHOUT!')
If I were a bad dog you'd all be dead

(Crucified) I thought you were dead

This one and Helen and Heaven - kinda share a feeling for me - I marvel at the lyrics on both and damn - what chords!!

[chalkpie]

This one and Helen and Heaven - kinda share a feeling for me - I marvel at the lyrics on both and damn - what chords!!

Spot on! They are kindred spirits in a way - the "Magical Tim Fairytale goosebump Loosefish glitter dust particles" are to be found en masse on these gems.

[chalkpie]

Another random thought #364747363.......I just recently acquired a pretty nice German automobile with a pretty nice audio system to be found therein, and upon pressing play of both volumes of Sing to God on CD, the production on the aforementioned album really shines and exhibits many, many, many amazing qualities. I can only surmise that the amount of detail that went into this album is pretty fuckin' mammoth - and I'm only talking about the post-production stuff. The mix alone is just blissfully masterful - this album just bites you in just the right way. Absolute genius imo. Do I like it? Probably.

[Phlakaton]

Another random thought #364747363.......I just recently acquired a pretty nice German automobile with a pretty nice audio system to be found therein, and upon pressing play of both volumes of Sing to God on CD, the production on the aforementioned album really shines and exhibits many, many, many amazing qualities. I can only surmise that the amount of detail that went into this album is pretty fuckin' mammoth - and I'm only talking about the post-production stuff. The mix alone is just blissfully masterful - this album just bites you in just the right way. Absolute genius imo. Do I like it? Probably.

This is where I find Timmy similar to Zappa - the textures - man... subtle and so massive in the music - take one little bit away and its not the same anymore.

[thedunno]

This is where I find Timmy similar to Zappa - the textures - man... subtle and so massive in the music - take one little bit away and its not the same anymore.

Exactly. Funny enough a lot of first time listeners perceive Cardiacs as 'chaotic'. For me they are not. Every sound seems to be there for a reason. Thoroughly composed music. The opposite of chaotic.

[aith01]

Another random thought #364747363.......I just recently acquired a pretty nice German automobile with a pretty nice audio system to be found therein, and upon pressing play of both volumes of Sing to God on CD, the production on the aforementioned album really shines and exhibits many, many, many amazing qualities. [...]

Totally agree with you on the production aspect here. For about two weeks solid in 2015, I listened to almost nothing but StG (first disc 1, then 2) when I first got it. There was so much to absorb, and I was constantly hearing new things in the mix every run through. It was such a good time.

[...] this album just bites you in just the right way. Absolute genius imo. Do I like it? Probably.

^ This. Your humor is one of the things I love about you, Frank.

[aith01]

Exactly. Funny enough a lot of first time listeners perceive Cardiacs as 'chaotic'. For me they are not. Every sound seems to be there for a reason. Thoroughly composed music. The opposite of chaotic.

Yeah, that's something I've noticed as well. And I agree with you; to my ears they are not chaotic. But I suppose to someone who is not accustomed to it, Cardiacs can seem rather cacophonous. But that crazy exuberance is part of their charm.

[thedunno]

A tip for the pondies:
recently two albums of Sleepy People were uploaded on bandcamp
https://sleepypeople.bandcamp.com/

The first album was originally released in 1994 on casette (where have we heared that before). The Cardiacs influences on this album are pretty obvious. A very charming and fun album.
On the second album (band was officially called 'blue apple boy' by then) the Cardiacs influences are less obvious and the band operates more in an own style. Probably a better album alltogether.

Both recommended to check out!

[loosefish]

Thanks, i've never listened to Sleepy People.

Bic Hayes Mikrokosmos project is something else you need to wrap your ears round if you haven't already. I think it's all mostly Bic with occasional voice interference from 'er indoors Jo Spratley.

You should have already checked out Levitation's storming Timmy produced Need For Not album.

[auxfnx]

Obsessively waiting for the store to re-open so I can purchase Sing To God, Guns and Heaven Born on vinyl over the course of a few weeks...

[chalkpie]

Enjoying Mr & Mrs Smith & Mr Drake on this almost autumn-feeling lazy overcast Saturday. What a beautiful and creative work this is, such a unique album within a huge stack of unique albums. I did the complete Sibelius symphonies in order this morning prior, and this album is just what the Dr ordered.

[iguana]

a young persons’ guide:

[auxfnx]

Sing to God 2xLP on the way to me now Just discovered Tim Smith's Extra Special OceanLandWorld through the Bandcamp and it's fantastic! I love their Bandcamp, right on!

[noni]

Do all Cardiacs albums sound punkish ?

[Phlakaton]

Do all Cardiacs albums sound punkish ?

No. That's the beauty of Tim and Bill - they could write some amazingly beautiful music and not even in the ballpark of 'punkish' - although that side of the band is certainly one of the reasons I love them

Tim's Oceanland World - dude --- that album is just so damn good - and pop - and fun - and Swimming With The Snake - holy shit. England's is my favorite pop tunes from Tim.

[chalkpie]

Do all Cardiacs albums sound punkish ?

Nope. Well imo. Way more diverse than you could possibly imagine. Especially if you thrown in the Cardiacs-related family projects (OceanLandWorld, Spratleys Japs, Sea Nymphs, Mr and Mrs Smith...). That is not to say that they have a punkish aesthetic running through their veins because its there, but Tim is so over the map compositionally its staggering. Its worth listening to all of it - like a million times each.

[chalkpie]

England's is my favorite pop tunes from Tim.

Amen brother.

[polmico]

Do all Cardiacs albums sound punkish ?

It was the punkishness that originally attracted me to them, so it's definitely there. My solid foundation of Wire and Melvins (I love having conversations with myself in those threads!) brought me into the band. But they (like those other "punk" bands I mentioned) transcend the (or any) genre.

[auxfnx]

Tim's Oceanland World - dude --- that album is just so damn good - and pop - and fun - and Swimming With The Snake - holy shit. England's is my favorite pop tunes from Tim.

oh god yeah Swimming With The Snake is a standout for sure! Tim does his very best Kate Bush for us all, and knocks it out of the park!

[noni]

Thnks for the replies folks!!

[iguana]

Do all Cardiacs albums sound punkish ?

“punkish” by ideology only (deviant DiYism, post-modernist deconstruction, low-fi aesthetics). there are several neckbreaker punk blowouts but they are far more clever than your average detroit/london punk record. try “eat it up worms hero”, “a horse’s tail”, the “bell clinks/bell stinks” combo or “angleworm angel” from “sing to god” for size.

the other end of the spectrum is “the whole world window” which gives “starless” a good run for its money … or “the ever so closely-guarded line”, no less than an “awaken” for the late80s/early90s. i kid you not.

nestled inbetween are some of the most beautifully-jarring pop songs to be experienced.

[Sterbus]

Do all Cardiacs albums sound punkish ?

Also, here's some words from Tim Smith himself:

I’ve listened to bands like Gentle Giant and Yes as much as I’ve listened to music by just about anyone. If this interview were for a Country and Western magazine they would be asking me if I was influenced by Johnny Cash or whoever. As I have already said, we are a ‘pop’ group. We play pop music. We have a drum set and electric guitars and play very loud. It is however a kind of pop music that, apparently , is not very easily definable. Maybe the progressive flavour raises its strange head in the moments when we use great big church organs, or an occasional lump of Melotron or something, we use these instruments because they sound beautiful, not because ‘progressive’ bands have used them in the past, and as for ‘punky’, we play sometimes at stupidly fast speeds if the tune sounds better that way. We are as punky as nothing. God forbid if anyone thought that we were a crazy ‘fusion’ of punk and prog. If a word is needed then I would use “psychedelic” if anything.

From this interview
https://www.cardiacs.net/harmonie-ma...ance-may-2000/

[NogbadTheBad]

psychedelic pronk!

[noni]

If I offended anyone by using the phrase punkish, I apologize....