Cardiacs - Guns

[Sunhillow]

For years I've tried to get into Cardiacs. I've always considered "A Little Man And A House..." a masterpiece from beginning to end, but I. Can't. Get. Into. Anything. Else. Which is weird, because I adore pretty much all the music that was partially, or highly, or related to this band (I own all 3 North Sea Radio Orchestra-albums, a few Scaramanga Six-albums, one William D. Drake-album).

I often hear praises for "Sing To God" but my ears start to bleed after two tracks.

But since last week I've listening to "Guns" a lot. I never hear praise about this album, why is that?



So, where should I go next? And which side-projects or bands/artists influenced by Cardiacs should I check out.

[NogbadTheBad]

Spratleys Japs & Mr & Mrs Smith have just been reissued, I'm waiting on them landing Stateside.

[AdventAlan]

Greetings,

I definitely have a preference for particular Cardiacs albums, but have to admit that Guns is not really one that I tend to go back to all that often. Have you tried On Land and In the Sea by any chance?

Cheers,


Alan

[thedunno]

. I never hear praise about this album, why is that?

So, where should I go next? And which side-projects or bands/artists influenced by Cardiacs should I check out.

This is the album 'after'. Everything pales compared to the masterpiece that Sing to God is and so does this one. Still; I think it is a fine album. The songs 'signs' I would rate as a Cardiacs classic. A couple of songs don't quite do it for me though.

There is this brilliant video made by a fan of "wind and rains is cold", using images of the classic horror flick Night of the hunter. Check it out:



In a fair world this would have been a massive hit

Where to go next? Spratleys Japs has just been re-released. I often call it the secret extra cardiacs albums but it is a little less punky. I prefer this one over Guns to be honest.

[PeterG]

For years I've tried to get into Cardiacs. I've always considered "A Little Man And A House..." a masterpiece from beginning to end, but I. Can't. Get. Into. Anything. Else. [/video]

I hear ya. If the old punky 7-piece Cardiacs is your bag then, if you haven't already, you should listen to "The Seaside" and "On Land and on Sea" Those were the first 3 lps, quite similar in style. Then "Songs for Ships & Irons" put together al oad of 12" singles. Also very good.

I remember the first time I heard Heaven Born & ever Bright iwht the new 4-piece Cardiacs, it took me ages to first get over the shock of the new sound and secondly to start to like it.

Sing to God and Guns are still however bottom of my list, as much as I love them for their atmosphere & fantastic music, I just really never felt any stronger connexion to them as I did with the earlier albums.

[PeterG]

This is the album 'after'. Everything pales compared to the masterpiece that Sing to God is

Wow, hold on there a minute mijn vriend, are you saying you prefer STG over OLAITS and ALMAAHATWWW?
A bold statement indeed

Where to go next? Spratleys Japs has just been re-released. I often call it the secret extra cardiacs albums but it is a little less punky. I prefer this one over Guns to be honest.

Absolutely, a forgotten and great album. I too prefer it over Guns.

It's difficult to advise people on Cardiacs though as regards next steps because some prefer the fast, angry, punkier style, others prefer the whimsical, fairgorund, piano style, and yet others prefer the big bangs and chords of the anthemic pop songs.

[PeterG]

My ranking of all the studio albums


1. SFS & I (inter alia: Big Ship, All Spectacular, All his Geese Are Swans, Stoneage Dinosaurs, Everything is Easy)
2. The Seaside (inter alis :Wooden Fish on Wheels, Nurses Whispering Verses, Is This The Life, Hope Day, IASAADOTG, R.E.S, To Go Off & Things )
3. HB & EB (inter alia: Day is Gone, Goodbye Grace, March, Helen & Heaven)
4. OLAITS
5. ALMAAHATWWW
6. Sea Nymphs
7. Mr & Mrs Smith & Mr Drake
8. STG I & II
9. Tim Smith's Extra Special OceanLandWorld
10. Guns
11. Toy World
12. The Obvious Identity (Cardiac Arrest)

[thedunno]

Wow, hold on there a minute mijn vriend, are you saying you prefer STG over OLAITS and ALMAAHATWWW?
A bold statement indeed

Bold statement? I thought it was general concensus among Cardiacs fans

[PeterG]

Bold statement? I thought it was general concensus among Cardiacs fans

Is it? I'm not sure. I know that many still consider the first 3 classic albums as the best. But I'll bow to your greater knoweldge as I rarely get to meet any other Cardiacs fans in person nowadays. So I confess I may easily be out of touch with the views of the wider Cardiacs community.

[thedunno]

Is it? I'm not sure. I know that many still consider the first 3 classic albums as the best. But I'll bow to your greater knoweldge as I rarely get to meet any other Cardiacs fans in person nowadays. So I confess I may easily be out of touch with the views of the wider Cardiacs community.

Well, all Cardiacs areas have their charm to be honest. The classic line up certainly had the best 'live' sound. But STG is special.
Didn't you forget Spratleys Japs in your list btw?

I'd rate them

1 STG
2 OLAITS
3 ALMAHATWWW
4 The sea nymphs
5 SFS&I
6 Spratleys Japs
7 The Seaside
8 Mr& Mrs Smith and Mr drake
9 HB &EB
10 Guns
11 Oceanlandworld

I don't officially own toyworld and the obvious identity so no ratings. I still wet myself at the thought that I now have REAL copies of Japs and Mr&mr smith and mr Drake

[PeterG]

Oh yea, oops, I'd probably put Spratleys between STG and OLW:

1. SFS & I (inter alia: Big Ship, All Spectacular, All his Geese Are Swans, Stoneage Dinosaurs, Everything is Easy)
2. The Seaside (inter alis :Wooden Fish on Wheels, Nurses Whispering Verses, Is This The Life, Hope Day, IASAADOTG, R.E.S, To Go Off & Things )
3. HB & EB (inter alia: Day is Gone, Goodbye Grace, March, Helen & Heaven)
4. OLAITS
5. ALMAAHATWWW
6. Sea Nymphs
7. Mr & Mrs Smith & Mr Drake
8. STG I & II
9. Spratley's Japs
10. Tim Smith's Extra Special OceanLandWorld
11. Guns
12. Toy World
13. The Obvious Identity (Cardiac Arrest)

As regards Mr & Mrs & Mr, I too was overcome with joy about 10 years ago when I found it on sale at one of the November Astoria gigs!

[spacewaltzer]

I tend to think of the septet and quartet Cardiacs as two separate bands, both of which I like, but quite different. I'm not sure I could produce a merged list of albums in order of preference. I'd just say that On Land And In The Sea is my favourite (probably my favourite album by anyone, currently), and that if forced to choose between them, I'd have to go for the septet. Just a bit more variety, a bit more colour, and it's a bit easier to hear the words! Having said that, the succession of three tracks on the first disc of Sing To God: Dog Like Sparky, Fiery Gun Hand, Insect Hoofs on Lassie, is just breathtaking.

As for Guns, I've never go too excited about it, compared with what went before, and now I've heard Spratley's Japs, that definitely beats Guns. Can someone tell me how those two sit chronologically, by the way? Were they conveived around the same time?

[zombywoof]

I liked A Little Man almost immediately, On Land took a few listens, and Sing to God took about 20! Finally coming around to that one, though, and beginning to believe it's as brilliant as everyone says it is.

[PeterG]

and that if forced to choose between them, I'd have to go for the septet. Just a bit more variety, a bit more colour, and it's a bit easier to hear the words! Having said that, the succession of three tracks on the first disc of Sing To God: Dog Like Sparky, Fiery Gun Hand, Insect Hoofs on Lassie, is just breathtaking.

Get out of my head you! I agree with every single word there.

[PeterG]

As for Guns, I've never go too excited about it, compared with what went before, and now I've heard Spratley's Japs, that definitely beats Guns. Can someone tell me how those two sit chronologically, by the way? Were they conveived around the same time?

Again, my views exactly.

As for release-chronology, well Guns came out in 99 and Pony came out in 98.

A lot of people just write Spratley's Japs but their debut & only lp did have a name, it was called Pony.
Then in 99, they released Hazel, which can either be referred to nowadays as a mini-lp or a 4-track EP
I have both on CD.

[battema]

I have Guns at home (I'm an American, after all ), but beyond the initial pass, I haven't gotten around to a more careful listen yet. I'm working my way through the albums one at a time and trying to give each one a fair dose of attention before moving on. Working on Sing to God now; after that it will probably be either Heaven Born or Guns.

[PeterG]

John, do yourself a favour and go to Heaven Born next. Anyone really wanting to comprehend the 4-piece band of Sing to God and Guns should really listen to Heaven Born first as it was their first studio lp as a 4-piece with keyboard parts, percussion and other bits on tape, which was always very obvious when they played live, except when Sarah made a guest appearance on stage blowing and banging stuff.

[battema]

John, do yourself a favour and go to Heaven Born next. Anyone really wanting to comprehend the 4-piece band of Sing to God and Guns should really listen to Heaven Born first as it was their first studio lp as a 4-piece with keyboard parts, percussion and other bits on tape, which was always very obvious when they played live, except when Sarah made a guest appearance on stage blowing and banging stuff.

For whatever reason, Heaven Born has been one of the hardest for me to dig into (Sing to God actually connected with me a bit more easily). But yeah...I'm working on that one as well given that it feels like of like a bridge between the two "forms" of the band. Played it while out driving yesterday, in fact.

Also had the Mares Nest DVD playing as I did chores yesterday...it was a zany sort of day apparently

[Matt Stevens]

For whatever reason, Heaven Born has been one of the hardest for me to dig into (Sing to God actually connected with me a bit more easily). But yeah...I'm working on that one as well given that it feels like of like a bridge between the two "forms" of the band. Played it while out driving yesterday, in fact.

Also had the Mares Nest DVD playing as I did chores yesterday...it was a zany sort of day apparently

Mares Nest is one of the best live things I've seen but that footage of the band at The Garage with Kavus etc is cracking. What a band

[iguana]

“guns” is a bit poppier and adheres more to the (by then passed) brit-pop tag – which CARDiACS, unbeknownst to many, nurtured with their earlier material. ask damon albarn and jarvis cocker. it does lose steam a bit towards the end but “spell with a shell”, “there’s good cud”, “cry wet smile dry” and “will bleed amen” are just as uncannily infectious as their most celebrated stuff. and that closing drone of “(junior is a) jitterbug” is nothing short of celestial.

[JAMOOL]

Heaven Born and Ever Bright features a lot of real great material, but I dont like the production much. Cardiacs are always very treble-heavy but HB&EB seems to have almost no low end whatsoever.

[Romerovm]

Heaven Born and Ever Bright features a lot of real great material, but I dont like the production much. Cardiacs are always very treble-heavy but HB&EB seems to have almost no low end whatsoever.

The opening song of "Heaven Born.." is a monster. One of their best songs IMO. I like the album, but I agree it sounds like a transitional period to their masterpiece "Sing to God".

[battema]

For those of you who have it all....are the two non-album tracks on the Odd Even single worth it? Just curious...thanks in advance.

[chalkpie]

"Will Bleed Amen" is a f***ing MONSTER! That thing will rip your balls off and then melt them.

[Karda Estra]

I have a soft spot for 'Guns' as 'There's Good Cud' was the first song I heard by Cardiacs and therefore got me into them. Admittedly, I bought 'Greatest Hits' and 'Affectionate Friends' first but then got 'Guns' which I thought was great.