Cardiacs--where to start?

[chalkpie]

In a rash act of 'the great and good on PE can't be wrong' I added another Cardiacs cd to my collection 'A Little Man And a House etc' -that one's starting to click I think...

One of my fav albums by anybody...yeah I know we say that a lot re: Cardiacs albums. But this is just a phenomenal album, period. If they only made one record and this was it, they still would've been legendary. Congrats

[aith01]

In a rash act of 'the great and good on PE can't be wrong' I added another Cardiacs cd to my collection 'A Little Man And a House etc' -that one's starting to click I think...

That is an excellent choice. Has one of my favorite Cardiacs tunes on it -- "Dive".

I love that one.

[thedunno]

In a rash act of 'the great and good on PE can't be wrong' I added another Cardiacs cd to my collection 'A Little Man And a House etc' -that one's starting to click I think...

A little man was my introduction to Cardiacs back in 1988. I saw them live shortly after that. Such a good album with so many great memories attached to it. It will always have a special place in my heart.

[polmico]

https://www.theguardian.com/world/20...eral-elections

“The Italian screen legend Gina Lollobrigida has said she is running in general elections next month because she is ‘fed up with quarrelling politicians.’”

[thedunno]

Anyone seen this?

[chalkpie]

https://www.theguardian.com/world/20...eral-elections

“The Italian screen legend Gina Lollobrigida has said she is running in general elections next month because she is ‘fed up with quarrelling politicians.’”

Anyone seen this?

Yes, I saw this a while ago. Pretty amazing. I heard it on headphones one night even before this video appeared, its really some counterpoint melody that is there lurking. Sing to God is an album that Tim wrote with an extra secret hidden album lurking just below the surface of the one we hear . There are really tons of examples of this sort of thing throughout if you really listen. SOOOOOO many musical details - its truly beyond amazing.

[Hunchentootz]

Yes, I saw this a while ago. Pretty amazing. I heard it on headphones one night even before this video appeared, its really some counterpoint melody that is there lurking. Sing to God is an album that Tim wrote with an extra secret hidden album lurking just below the surface of the one we hear . There are really tons of examples of this sort of thing throughout if you really listen. SOOOOOO many musical details - its truly beyond amazing.

When I was digging through Tim's cds and dvds looking for 'Horsehead' DVD - we visited for a day and into the night at his facility - we found a good chunk of CDRs with hand labelled notes - Guns 'instrumentals' Jitterbug 'more bass mix' Sing to God 'vocals' Dirty Boy 'instrumental' - we were tossing around incredulous looks all day!

[polmico]

Anyone seen this?

“What a little gem.” Indeed!

Thanks for sharing.

[proggy_jazzer]

That's some nice work right there.

[Sterbus]

https://www.theguardian.com/world/20...eral-elections

“The Italian screen legend Gina Lollobrigida has said she is running in general elections next month because she is ‘fed up with quarrelling politicians.’”

And speaking of Gina, don't forget this!



And yes, she knows about the Cardiacs song, because a friend of mine once told her, here in Rome!

[thedunno]

And yes, she knows about the Cardiacs song, because a friend of mine once told her, here in Rome!

I think Timmy would have been extremely pleased to hear that!

[jake]

176 pages are too many to search - has this guy been talked about b4? His YouTube channel is called Into the Music. He didn’t really like Cardiacs on first listen but he persisted and is now a fervent fan. He even mentions his regrets about his comments in his first reaction. Anyway this is about his 3rd or 4th Cardiacs reaction and he has done a few more since - but this song clearly really gets to him - as I’m sure it does to most of us here. He even did another video imploring his viewers not to miss this vid. I think we should support people who support Cardiacs so here is the vid - give it a watch like, subscribe etc……

[unclemeat]

[Sterbus]

From Paolo Sala on Facebook:

"Hey Pondies, a few months ago I was thinking of Dirty Boy and wondered how it might sound with a fully orchestral arrangement. So I eventually decided to give it a try, despite the fact that I'm not a professional arranger and I don't have any connection to a real orchestra. But, hey, we have sequencers and orchestral samples these days!
If you're just wondering, the picture of this video was created by DALL-E-2 AI system by following this plain and simple instruction from myself: "dirty boy".
Although the instrumental version seems to work fine to me, I also was fantasising about making a version with vocals in it. The plan might be to make a montage of several takes from various singing Pondies all around the world, and to simulate a sort of theatrical performance.
If you like the idea, please get in touch with me and let's see what we can do."



Ps, the guy already covered The Everso Closely Guarded Line and Tarred and Feathered, playing all instruments alone. Check them out!

[thedunno]

Absolutely wonderful!

[chalkpie]

Thanks for the heads-up Sterbus...I'm gonna wait until my brain is a bit more deep-fried and I have a dram in me before I spin that! Looking forward....

[Bob Drake]

From Paolo Sala on Facebook:

"Hey Pondies, a few months ago I was thinking of Dirty Boy and wondered how it might sound with a fully orchestral arrangement. So I eventually decided to give it a try, despite the fact that I'm not a professional arranger

It turned out great!

Since we're talking Dirty Boy covers, I wondered if any of you caught my Dirty Boy ending on a livestream I did in 2020. It's a show where I played bass and sang live along to backing tracks of myself. The Dirty Boy bit comes in here:
https://youtu.be/TMlaOqBzQLA?t=154
(sorry can't figure out how to "embed" and have it start at the desired time!)
x

[polmico]

^Very cool.

And very much looking forward to your new album.

[proggy_jazzer]

Question for the Cardiacs hive mind: Has there yet been any significant written material of a biographical nature about the band, or Tim and his musical endeavors? I'm talking about book-length stuff here, not the many shorter pieces you can find online from magazines, reviews, and the like. If there ever was a story waiting to be told, I would think it would be that one. I know I'd gobble it up in a trice.

[aith01]

Question for the Cardiacs hive mind: Has there yet been any significant written material of a biographical nature about the band, or Tim and his musical endeavors? I'm talking about book-length stuff here, not the many shorter pieces you can find online from magazines, reviews, and the like. If there ever was a story waiting to be told, I would think it would be that one. I know I'd gobble it up in a trice.

If there was ever a Tim Smith/Cardiacs biography, I would snap it up in an instant too. I'm not aware of any book-length biographical writings myself, but that's not to say that one doesn't exist.

Tim was a truly visionary musician. I struggle to think of anyone to place him alongside, but maybe the closest I could come up with is Prince -- they both essentially invented their own genres, were highly idiosyncratic, and steeped in the musical legacy of their home countries while drawing on influences from countless other places. There have been homages/imitations since then, and people who have followed in their footsteps, but no one has been able to surpass them IMO.

Tragic losses, both.

[proggy_jazzer]

Tim was a truly visionary musician. I struggle to think of anyone to place him alongside, but maybe the closest I could come up with is Prince -- they both essentially invented their own genres, were highly idiosyncratic, and steeped in the musical legacy of their home countries while drawing on influences from countless other places. There have been homages/imitations since then, and people who have followed in their footsteps, but no one has been able to surpass them IMO.

That's an interesting comparison, and one that hadn't occurred to me before. I think it holds a fair amount of water.

So the impetus for asking the question was weird: I woke up from a dream (unrelated, AFAIR) the other night with the strong thought that I needed to write a biography of Tim and Cardiacs. Problem is, I have no experience writing anything longer than a research paper or essay, plus the fact that beyond my intense love for the music (which is shared and exceeded by many here) I wouldn't have a clue where to begin. And even if I did, I know enough about the process to know that it's a huge commitment of time and resources that I simply couldn't tackle - at least not until I retire. So, here's hoping someone out there more suited has already started and that we'll be able to share the fruits of their labors!

[chalkpie]

If there was ever a Tim Smith/Cardiacs biography, I would snap it up in an instant too. I'm not aware of any book-length biographical writings myself, but that's not to say that one doesn't exist.

Tim was a truly visionary musician. I struggle to think of anyone to place him alongside, but maybe the closest I could come up with is Prince -- they both essentially invented their own genres, were highly idiosyncratic, and steeped in the musical legacy of their home countries while drawing on influences from countless other places. There have been homages/imitations since then, and people who have followed in their footsteps, but no one has been able to surpass them IMO.

Tragic losses, both.

presses "Like button"

[chalkpie]

Watched this entire gig last night (again). Simply amazing.

St Helens Citadel 1993
https://youtu.be/SYhjAWlRoeM

[proggy_jazzer]

Another question: I've been enjoying the William D. Drake catalog lately, and toward the end of the track 'Homesweet Homestead Hideaway' from The Rising of the Lights is a theme that I know I've heard before, and am pretty sure it was on a Cardiacs album. For the life of me, though, I can't locate it anywhere else. Am I imagining this? "It's driving me crazy, it's driving me nuts..." It begins around the 6' mark:

[smcfee]

That theme always reminded me of "On Broadway"