Cardiacs--where to start?

[chalkpie]

That's me! "Jitterbug (Junior is a)" transcription coming soon (finally).

Right on man! I haven't read the whole thing (I will tonight) but its truly great to see someone digging deep into these pieces - there is so much substance there.

Yes - the v - I cadence is pretty much Tim's at this point. As much as I would love to knick it myself, I'm not sure I could.

Really looking forward to what you have to say about "Jitterbug", especially the 'chordal shifting on Planet Tim in outer space' part.....

ps- - welcome to Progressive Beers

[soblivious]

here's a couple of links to Jon P playing live last week with Lifesigns
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v...type=2&theater
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v...type=2&theater

[chalkpie]

Our pal Ian pointed me to this article, which no doubt you will enjoy (featuring the one and only Sir Kavus):

http://prog.teamrock.com/features/20...de-to-cardiacs

[Lieto]

Such a great article. Did A Little Man and A House and The Whole World Window Friday. What a masterpiece of an album. I love the trombone in there too. The Whole World Window just might be the most beautiful Cardiacs tune. This version of R.E.S. NEVER ceases to knock me off my feet and floor me into oblivion. I must have listened to this R.E.S. almost 100 times this year

[zombywoof]

One night, I probably played RES 10 times in a row. I love it that much!!

[schlep]

Dude - its phenomenal. I sort of view Guns and Pony as sort of companion albums - they display a maturity and advanced palette that could have only came with experience. In other words, I don't think Tim could have made these albums when he was 16, as amazing as his material was even back then.

"Jitterbug (Junior is a)" is beyond a masterpiece....it goes into realms that usually I only reserve for classical music such as Mahler, Vaughan Williams, Sibelius, Schoenberg, etc etc. It doesn't sound like those guys per se, but it as deep as anything they wrote IMO. The otherwordly chordal shifting about halfway through until the end might be the best stuff he ever wrote, or at least up there.

A few other tracks like "Wind and Rain is Cold", "Will Bleed Amen", etc are also incredible pieces. A MUST!!

I also think of Guns and Pony as being part of a greater whole...1999 was a big year. Anyway Guns was the first Cardiacs album I bought and it still radiates excitement and new-ness, beyond anything. I couldn't believe my ears. Other Cardiacs albums may be arguably stronger but it's my favorite! My 2 cents...

[thedunno]

For no particular reason. Just because.


Hail majestic corporate light
Heaven born and ever bright
How our spirit like the waves
As the breath of thine awakes
And now the night of weeping shall be
The morn of song
Ah! We are those whose thunder shakes the skies
The thin spun life

Home of fadeless splendour
Of flowers that bear no thorn
Here may the blind and hungry come
And light and food receive
Here mighty springs of consolation rise
To cheer the fainting mind
And re-creation find

So overcome thy fear
And burst into sudden blaze
Come blind fury with abhorred shears
And slit the thin spun life
Ah! Sobbing with their human sort of wail
Thy justice fear

Walk in shadow, walk in dread
Loosefish walk as like one dead
One drop in a winter sea
No more to rise forever
Anything down there about your souls
Will smash the sun alight
Ah! Yield week in, weak out from morn to night
Feelers from across the sea
Come crawling over thee

One drop in a winter sea
No more to rise forever
One drop in a winter sea
No more to rise forever
Come blind fury with abhorred shearsAnd slit the thin spun life
Ah! Sobbing with their human sort of wail
The thin spun life
We are those whose thunder shakes the skies
Whose eyes this atom globe surveys
Thy justice fear
Hooray!

[thedunno]

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects...diacs-songbook

Anyone interested?

[Lieto]

I am! I think I will pledge this weekend

[zombywoof]

I think I get "Dirty Boy" now. It's all about tension and release and the irony is that it is not released at all at the very end - it just builds and builds for the final 4 minutes, then dissipates. Thoughts?

[Phlakaton]

So I'm a virgin with this band. No clue how I've missed them in the past! I am going to start with A Little Man and On Land and in the Sea. I can tell I'll get into this band - but it might take some breakthrough moment on some of it. I skimmed through a lot of the albums to get an idea of what is going to come at my ears. Zappa is still my favorite composer/band leader/guitarist. I think that background alone should put me at ease right away. Complexity and all the other qualities here we come!

I'll check back later with some thoughts.

[chalkpie]

So I'm a virgin with this band. No clue how I've missed them in the past! I am going to start with A Little Man and On Land and in the Sea. I can tell I'll get into this band - but it might take some breakthrough moment on some of it. I skimmed through a lot of the albums to get an idea of what is going to come at my ears. Zappa is still my favorite composer/band leader/guitarist. I think that background alone should put me at ease right away. Complexity and all the other qualities here we come!

I'll check back later with some thoughts.

Enjoy the ride bro!

Lots of FZ fanatics (yours truly included) dig Cardiacs, so you're not alone. One of the greatest musical discoveries (in the prog/rock world) for me personally in the last many years, so they are quite special indeed. I'm sure you have read that Tim is a musical genius, and I truly think that his not hyperbole one bit. You are starting with two amazing works so keep us posted man. Cheers.

PS - don't feel bad that you missed them - a lot of us did as well. I had never heard of them before PE some years ago, and even then it was a thread I almost skipped over. I think living in the UK would be an advantage to at least knowing they exist, although it probably just boils down to hanging with the right folks.

[Phlakaton]

Enjoy the ride bro!

Lots of FZ fanatics (yours truly included) dig Cardiacs, so you're not alone. One of the greatest musical discoveries (in the prog/rock world) for me personally in the last many years, so they are quite special indeed. I'm sure you have read that Tim is a musical genius, and I truly think that his not hyperbole one bit. You are starting with two amazing works so keep us posted man. Cheers.

PS - don't feel bad that you missed them - a lot of us did as well. I had never heard of them before PE some years ago, and even then it was a thread I almost skipped over. I think living in the UK would be an advantage to at least knowing they exist, although it probably just boils down to hanging with the right folks.

Cool man! My biggest discovery in the last year or so has been Cheer-Accident. They aren't super refined or anything like that but damn do they hit a chord with my brain. Dissonance is my friend. They fill the complexity bill just fine though. Anyway --- I'll be throwin' the Cardiacs on at work tomorrow. Until then!

[zombywoof]

Got Garage Concerts for my birthday.

Awesome.

[chalkpie]

Got Garage Concerts for my birthday.

Awesome.

First off, happy BDAY lad!

Secondly, congrats on that! The BEST. I can listen to those discs every day and never get sick of them. Beautiful and engaging live production as well. All badass motherfuckers, especially Leith's drumming. A master.

[zombywoof]

Thanks Frankie!

[smcfee]

Got Garage Concerts for my birthday.

Awesome.

That's kind of funny to me, because back when they came out I got them for Christmas.

[NogbadTheBad]

They're sitting on my to buy list.

[Phlakaton]

First impression... it's like highly advanced British Ska - with some slick composed portions woven in. So far - so good! lol. I hear a lot of things - but Moving Gelatine Plates comes to mind on parts.

[neuroticdog]

Check out the trading post...I'm selling a lot of 10 Cardiacs discs for $30...must buy whole lot.

Hope I dont get into trouble for posting this here.

best
Michael

[Adrian]

I saw this thread pop up and decided to watch some YouTube clips, as this wasn't the first time I've seen people raving about them here. I love the manic energy. I can definitely hear the Zappa and Residents influences, and in turn I can see how Cardiacs influenced Mike Patton and/or Mr. Bungle.

Good stuff! Looking forward to discovering more.

[Steve F.]

Photo on 2014-09-10 at 12.10.jpg

[NogbadTheBad]

Photo on 2014-09-10 at 12.10.jpg

Sweet!!

[Gazoinks]

Got Garage Concerts for my birthday.

Awesome.

Garage Concerts is fantastic. It's crazy how young Tim was when he wrote most of those songs.

[zombywoof]

Thanks to my friends and fellow pondies Steve Wilson (not that one - the other one) and Moe Staiano (drummer for the great Sleepytime Gorilla Museum).

little man van.jpg