Cardiacs

[gloria]

I've only got the Big Ship EP and A Little Man and a House.... love them both, but where should I go next?

It really doesn't matter.  Plentiful moments of brilliance on everything.  If you want to go chronologically, On Land and in the Sea would be the next stage in their musical development.

[Don_Preston]

I do have to take exception to £24 pound for a double album though!

[boki]

I do have to take exception to £24 pound for a double album though!

I think the 2CD version of STG has been going for much sillier money, though, hasn't it?

[Don_Preston]

I expect so. But previously, if I wanted to buy Sing to God in its entirety, I'd still have to pay the same amount for two CDs. I do think the ABC do need a new business model.

[Neville Chamberlain]

Who do you think you are?!? Lord bladdy Sugar?!?

[Don_Preston]

Nick and Margaret pay for Tim Smith's disability allowance.

[Phil_A]

I'm seriously coveting the vinyl of Heaven Born & Ever Bright as it's probably the only way to get it with a half decent mix(the 1995 reissue was completely fucked by over-compression). 25 quid, though? Eek.

[Don_Preston]

Cheers for introducing me to Wizards of Twiddly. I've been having a bit of a new discovery dearth lately. They also were Kevin Ayers backing band for a while, fact fans. A better attempt than Shack backing Arthur Lee.

[Famous Mortimer]

There's some benefit for Tim Smith tonight? My mate Alan is at it. Anyone else go along?

[garbed_attic]

These are obscenely, blinding good a-cappella covers of tracks from 'Sing to God'. And I hate a-cappella. Reason shattering, frankly.

https://soundcloud.com/david-minnick/sets/the-180-gs-cardiacs-covers

[Snobbish Puerile Wanker]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PWYqV4zxjkA

Napalm Death covering "To Go Off and Things"

Unbelievably, it's actually less heavy than I was expecting.

[Brundle-Fly]

These are obscenely, blinding good a-cappella covers of tracks from 'Sing to God'. And I hate a-cappella. Reason shattering, frankly.

https://soundcloud.com/david-minnick/sets/the-180-gs-cardiacs-covers

I love their Negativland covers album so I'm bowled over to hear they've done Cardiacs too! The Residents next please!

Cheers gouty

[garbed_attic]

I love their Negativland covers album so I'm bowled over to hear they've done Cardiacs too! The Residents next please!

Cheers gouty

Residents would be ace! I love to hear them do Not Available

[Egyptian Feast]

Some new reissues available later today:

Finally, The Alphabet Business Concern has released its grip on some of the AME recordings. So, I am pleased to announce that Spratley's Japs and Mr. and Mrs. Smith and Mr. Drake will be going on sale later today. Should we set a time? Alright, let's say 6 pm sharp, shall we? Spring has sprung and then this happens...it's as if there's something in the air that's saying 'yes'.

[Neville Chamberlain]

Saw that on the old Facebook earlier. Finally I can get my horrible hands on Mr. and Mrs. Smith and Mr. Drake!

[Don_Preston]

What's Spratley's Japs all about then?

[Neville Chamberlain]

That was an album Tim Smith recorded with some snails in a forest.

[Don_Preston]

That's no way to talk about Tim's then missus!!!

[Stoneage Dinosaurs]

Hooray! This is great news. Lots of nice tunes on that Spratley's Japs thing, it'll be nice to finally own that. I bloody love this one: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MS44cZNo66M

I suppose a CD release of the OceanLandWorld stuff would be nice next.

[Egyptian Feast]

I've only got into Cardiacs in the last couple of months (I'd been meaning to check them out for years, due to their ubiquity in Oscillations), but have been bingeing on their 80s albums and devouring every scrap of information about the band ever since. One story about the group that's frequently repeated is that an NME deputy editor loathed them so much they were effectively banned from the paper. I wasn't sure if it was a myth, but Tim confirms it in one of the archive interviews on the website. Who was this mysterious hack with shite taste, though? Any ideas?

[KLG-7DD]

I'd like to know why fucking Spotify hates them.

[Don_Preston]

Speaking of Japs (sorry), the latest Sax Ruins album, Blimmguass, has some very Cardiacs sounding moments.

[Stoneage Dinosaurs]

I'd like to know why fucking Spotify hates them.

I guess it's cause Cardiacs' music is released through the ABC rather than any proper record label?

Also, given that Spotify apparently rips off artists a fair bit, and given Tim's current state, I don't think it'd be the best idea anyway.

[Ignatius_S]

... One story about the group that's frequently repeated is that an NME deputy editor loathed them so much they were effectively banned from the paper. I wasn't sure if it was a myth, but Tim confirms it in one of the archive interviews on the website. Who was this mysterious hack with shite taste, though? Any ideas?

I've a feeling that that was meant to have happened in the early-ish 1990s, which would make it Steve Sutherland (the claim is about the editor, not deputy editor). Prior to that, the editor for over ten years was Danny Kelly and I would be surprised if he would have enforced such a ban.

However, I would say – if someone knows better, then I'll happily stand corrected! - that before prior to any The Cardiacs were one of those acts that it was standard practice to put the boot into. Personally, I would say it's an example of a band/artist committing the heinous crime of establishing a strong fanbase without the support of the music press (or more seriously, when the press have given them the thumbs down) – the knives come out even more. That's only my little theory but based on observation... to a degree,

I guess it's cause Cardiacs' music is released through the ABC rather than any proper record label?

Also, given that Spotify apparently rips off artists a fair bit, and given Tim's current state, I don't think it'd be the best idea anyway.

With Spotify that's a matter of a lot of debate and fine details are thin on the ground – although, from what I gather, financial return varies a fair bit for different artists (it's not always the case that the biggest acts have the best deal). However, even if they were on there, it's not the best way of supporting them financially, as you say!

[Egyptian Feast]

I've a feeling that that was meant to have happened in the early-ish 1990s, which would make it Steve Sutherland (the claim is about the editor, not deputy editor). Prior to that, the editor for over ten years was Danny Kelly and I would be surprised if he would have enforced such a ban.

Thanks for that. I had a feeling it might be him. It sounded very much like the kind of thing he would do. Arsehole.

[Brundle-Fly]

I don't remember Steve Sutherland banning anything,

[sproggy]

Some Sea Nymphs releaseage would be wonderful too.

I'm curious as to what is going to happen to the unreleased album Tim & Co were working on before the incident, especially now Kavus seems busy touring with Gong.  I heard there was quite a lot of material recorded and almost ready for mixing.

[Phil_A]

Some Sea Nymphs releaseage would be wonderful too.

I'm curious as to what is going to happen to the unreleased album Tim & Co were working on before the incident, especially now Kavus seems busy touring with Gong.  I heard there was quite a lot of material recorded and almost ready for mixing.

I think the issue they just really don't want to release anything new without Tim's direct involvement, so unless he makes enough of a recovery to be able to work again, they'd rather just leave any unreleased material where it is for the time being.

Sadly, we definitely won't be getting L.S.D(the unreleased album) any time soon, as Tim never got around to putting his final vocals on it. There is other stuff that could potentially be released - a second Sea Nymphs album does apparently exist, and enough songs for a third - but again, it's a question of Tim being in a position to have creative control over his own stuff.

I know it's not quite the same, but those lovely lads Stars In Battledress finally have another album coming out, after nearly eleven years!  They've got an official youtube channel now as well - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3GCZltUuBZU

For historical interest, here's the most staggeringly idiotic and point-missing review of Sing To God, courtesy of Vox and some twat with a silly name.

[Brundle-Fly]

For historical interest, here's the most staggeringly idiotic and point-missing review of Sing To God, courtesy of Vox and some twat with a silly name.

He's Johnny Sharp these days, If you link to his CV page, he bizarrely gives out his full home address and mobile number.

http://www.johnnysharp.net

[Stoneage Dinosaurs]

I would listen the hell out of a song called "Farty Applefish Blinks".