Cardiacs--where to start?

**Udi Koomran** · 05-31-2013

Frankie I'm really trying ...
Two Bites Of Cherry is totally awesome !
somehow after a few songs I throw the towel..
dunno I guess I need to "crack " some code

**PeterG** · 05-31-2013

Udi, I really believe that Cardiacs are one of those bands you have to have experienced live before really "getting" it. I've heard the same thing said about Hawkwind. I like some Hawkind stuff but a lot of it just goes right over my head. I've never seen them live. A mate of mine went to some of the Hawkwind 24 hour gigs & he totally gets it.

**thedunno** · 05-31-2013

Originally Posted by chalkpie

thedunno, thanks for posting that! Dig that rawness! Gorgeous! This needs to be an official album released on disc.

Most of the songs of this album had some kind of official release. A couple appeared on archive, quite a few were played during the garage concerts.
I believe there is only 1 song (Bite 3/a) that never had an official release.

Their next cassete album 'Toy world' is more of a problem, since it has 4 songs that were never released on CD or vinyl. I believe the master tapes are lost so unfortunately this will never happen.

**Progmatic** · 05-31-2013

Originally Posted by chalkpie

The discs are being re-released. I have no idea the release history, but that has nothing to do with how good the music is. Tim could have never released anything and I would still consider him a genius. If you don't listen to them out of principle when the discs come out, that would be a real shame.

Well where are they? Amazon.com has no other CDs than Guns and Sampler that are $199 and $99 respectively. You may get some albums from Europe (legit?) but with their price and s&h cost you are running minimum of $50+...and this is not a new thing...this has been going on for years, since I disovered them...

**JAMOOL** · 05-31-2013

Originally Posted by PeterG

Udi, I really believe that Cardiacs are one of those bands you have to have experienced live before really "getting" it. I've heard the same thing said about Hawkwind. I like some Hawkind stuff but a lot of it just goes right over my head. I've never seen them live. A mate of mine went to some of the Hawkwind 24 hour gigs & he totally gets it.

Sadly there's no chance of this anymore, but either way I do firmly believe that Cardiacs are one of those "if they still get on your nerves after a few listens, maybe they're not for you". They have a reputation as being a love-em-or-hate-em type band and I can totally understand both sides of the fence!

**Joe F.** · 05-31-2013

Originally Posted by Progmatic

Well where are they? Amazon.com has no other CDs than Guns and Sampler that are $199 and $99 respectively. You may get some albums from Europe (legit?) but with their price and s&h cost you are running minimum of $50+...and this is not a new thing...this has been going on for years, since I disovered them...

Thery're not out yet.

I've only listened to a handful of songs from the band. I really enjoyed what I heard. I will be waiting partiently for the physical product to come out.

**thedunno** · 05-31-2013

All Cardiacs albums are available at I-tunes

**Joe F.** · 05-31-2013

Originally Posted by thedunno

All Cardiacs albums are available at I-tunes

I personally don't do downloads. I like to fondle a physical product.

I've waited years. I can still wait. I have plenty of other music to keep me busy.

**Morpheus** · 05-31-2013

Originally Posted by Progmatic

Well where are they? Amazon.com has no other CDs than Guns and Sampler that are $199 and $99 respectively. You may get some albums from Europe (legit?) but with their price and s&h cost you are running minimum of $50+...and this is not a new thing...this has been going on for years, since I disovered them...

It isn't really the band's fault the people have been attempting to charge an arm and a leg for used discs. They have had difficulties getting the catalog back in print and in that time made it available on Itunes. Kavus said in the other thread that the CDs are coming back in print "soon".

**The Twickerman** · 05-31-2013

Originally Posted by thedunno

All Cardiacs albums are available at I-tunes

Only the studio albuls.

**Tangento** · 06-01-2013

Originally Posted by PeterG

Tip: For those of you who have listened to all the main albums by "Cardiacs" & are looking for something more from the family, you're next step is to find a copy of the sublime, beautiful, pastoral almost churchlike album that is Mr & Mrs Smith & Mr Drake. I was lucky enough to get hold of it on CD at one of the last Astoria Christmas gigs , in the early 00s. You will not be disappointed.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P7biIld3RZY - perhaps my fav track on that album
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QA3a-QRB07g
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qzu45rZasds - Bill singing on this one.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PhTYgRaA60E - ditto
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JAZ_wJSuU20 - haunting

I would wholeheartedly second this recommendation, however I already firsted it on Pg. 1 of this thread.

Dergo is simply transcendent music to my ears, as is the second Drake tune you posted up there.
I am on the hunt for a better version of Dergo to share, however I must embed this in the hope that we get some new converts.

Originally Posted by chalkpie

Hehe ha he haha. Hooo hooo hooo ha.

Chalk, your enthusiasm is contagious... I too am on a full on Cardio-binge of late.
Ten years now I've been a fanatic... that decade really f-ing flew by.

Originally Posted by chalkpie

Still on a huge binge. Seriously one of the greatest bands ever to my ears - the tunes are SO well written, clever, inventive, blah blah. Tim's sense of harmonic structure is masterful, as is his explorations of rhythms and grooves. Who needs a 20 minute prog tune when Tim "says" more in 4 minutes? Fucking hats off to this guy, I have an immense amount of respect and awe for his compositions which grows larger every day. I wish people on this list would stop listening to Yes and Asia for a minute and listen - I mean really listen - to what Tim is conveying in his music.

As my love for classical music grows bigger and bigger, I find myself growing bored with a lot of prog these days, unless it is really different, unique, and can hold my attention. Cardiacs do this and more. Plus this music has fucking balls of steel.

I swear, if I had only the Cardiacs 'family' music catalog + Mike Patton's lifetime body of (selected) works, I would be musically content for many moons.

OK... throw Zappa & Severed Heads in there, and I'm good until at least retirement age.

In closing (for now) I recently found this forlorn, moth-eaten old Angelfire Cardiacs fan page, (dead image links, front page gone) but there remains a great discography there and it contains some interesting info. For example, I never realized that Cardiacs & Napalm Death shared the same manager at one time, and that ND's Live Corruption was shot on the same day & at the same venue as Mare's Nest. What I would have given...

http://www.angelfire.com/wy/cardiacs...cog/discog.htm

**Tangento** · 06-01-2013

An archived version reveals much more of the old site:
(which I now realize I have linked to from my own Cardiacs page for ten years now

)

http://web.archive.org/web/200909011...ewcardiacs.htm

AND I might as well add a portal to my dear old Cardiacs feature, enjoying its 10 year anniversary, where hopefully many of the links still work:

**Tangento** · 06-01-2013

So much for "in closing"...

I have an active link to this bit of info, but the linked page has grown so much that it's impossible to find.
I will get my FTP up & running this weekend and fix everything I can on the Cardiacs pages.

So, this is a short entry regarding the use of mellotron on the Spratley's Japs Pony disc:

http://www.planetmellotron.com/revs17.htm#spratleys

**Chuck AzEee!** · 06-01-2013

Originally Posted by Karda Estra

Really enjoy all Cardiacs & related albums but if I had to pick one, it would be 'On Land And In The Sea' - especially the beautiful closing track 'The Everso Closely Guarded Line' which has some lovely chords.

I agree Richard, IMOF, I think this band has never made a bad album per say but this song always resonates well in my mind. Another great track from many other brilliant ones is the "little Man And A House".

I'm also quite happy that Cardiacs has made it to ITunes as I now was able to complete their catalog.

Charles

**mr sterile** · 06-02-2013

Can't believe no ones said Fiery Gun Hand, that was my introduction, and oh my lord...what an introduction!

**PeterG** · 06-02-2013

Originally Posted by The Twickerman

albuls.

Just that one word on the radio really highighted just how nervous and sensitive or uncomfortable Tim was during that interview.
Especially when yer man picked up on it and Tim's nervous speech and said in response "I wouldn't call it an albul"

**PeterG** · 06-02-2013

Originally Posted by Tangento

I would wholeheartedly second this recommendation, however I already firsted it on Pg. 1 of this thread.

Well excuse ME!!! Pardon me for breathing!

chalkpie · 06-04-2013

Originally Posted by PeterG

Just that one word on the radio really highighted just how nervous and sensitive or uncomfortable Tim was during that interview.
Especially when yer man picked up on it and Tim's nervous speech and said in response "I wouldn't call it an albul"

Why was he so nervous or uncomfortable?

**PeterG** · 06-04-2013

No idea.

chalkpie · 06-04-2013

My cardiacs-related random thought of the day today was:

Any dudes that do not listen to cardiacs on a regular basis smell like rancid beaver cheese. Would Tim approve of this message?

Is there any way we could post a PE message out to Tim and have him read it? Is that possible in 2013? I would love to compose a letter to him stating (amongst other tidbits) a most sincere gratitude for his gift of amazing music.

**Kavus Torabi** · 06-05-2013

Tim has a Facebook page onto which messages can be posted. They are read to him pretty frequently. There's a message link on Cardiacs.com too but I'm not sure how active it is.