CARDIACS

Would you believe me if I told you that this is a mixture of Voivod, Gentle Giant, Supertramp, Frank Zappa, Genesis, Van der Graaf Generator and many more bands and sounds absolutely extraordinary? I would understand that you wouldn't, because this crazy statement seems very difficult to put into practice, with so many ideas and revolutions. And if I add influences from classical music, punk and psychedelic rock to this compendium on top of that? It would already seem impossible. But there is one band that had the ability to make such a wild recapitulation work: Cardiacs. "On Land and in the Sea" doesn't make use of ambition, it makes use of the album. Even with Zappa's superb discography, it is not unreasonable to question the peak of the avant-progressive sub-genre if one brings to the table this masterpiece, which might well be the quintessential avant-progressive were it not for albums as foundational as Hot Rats or The Grand Wazoo were long before. But, even with any album you can think of, none is a tough enough rival to topple this Cardiacs work; an album as fierce as it is vigorous.

It is very difficult to do justice to the theoretical and creative level of this album in a couple of words. The amount of strange things that happen in the course of the album is outlandish. The band sweeps away many of the general tenets of making rock music - such as regular tempo or major/minor tonalities - so that what is left is a hyper-avant-garde barbarism, as if constantly complaining, but complaining at everything; the only thing that is right is their sound. In lyrics and harmony there is a very intelligent irony that has to do with the order of things, and this is where art comes in to make magic (it does exist within musical creation): this album doesn't stop being catchy for a second, there is no intention of pausing. Everything is incredibly complex but enjoyable, the instruments shine everywhere in all their volumes (the guitar strength that Tim Smith achieves is something that science could not explain) and what in theory is impossible to hear can be heard. Even riffs that seem like they would be normal, then get distorted in some way.

It's a tricky task to make a structured and harmonious conjunction out of a showy sonority, especially if you're going to defy dozens of music rules, but these guys don't seem to be afraid of anything. Category is, in Argentinian slang, that which makes the difficult seem easy, and the musicians of Cardiacs get away with 100% of these risky decisions. It's really impressive that the album doesn't falter for a single moment, considering that they vehemently follow the twisted formula of excessive avant-gardism; that area in which so many bands fail because they don't have the necessary hierarchy so that these projects -which in theory sound so beautiful and promising- don't fall apart completely. Many will agree with me that, because of their very rare framework, this is a band you either love or loathe. The juggling they constantly attempt could also be seen as a succession of stubborn reversals, methods that attempt to separate each song into several parts and fail. And I think this is the key moment of the album's reception: these structural elements are the ones that receive the viewer's emotionality. And, as I just said, they either fascinate or repulse you. There is a conscious and rational construction of instrumental vigour that I find marvellous and that was very important for the time, since we should not forget that this album is released in the late 1980s (and that, apart from personal opinions, it competes for being the most complex pop album of the year).

Each track can be thought of as a Lennon-McCartneyan super-pop of many songs in one, so if there is any difficulty that can be complained about the band, it is the sustaining of the longer songs, out of this assembled machine that does so well with the 3 or 4 minute vaudeville to attach the multiple ideas that want to be carried out. Whether it suits the listener's tastes or not, it is undeniable that Cardiacs have come to revolutionise punk-pop, and they have done so within the confines of progressive rock. In my opinion, it is one of the most extraordinary masterpieces of the 80s and of all avant-progressive. Certainly, an album that could never be overlooked.

Not sure how this album ended up on the Progarchives site. But here I am reviewing the double CD release called "Sing to God ". The progressive elements are far and few between. To the contrary, most of the songs are short and agressive, sounding more like the great anti-progressive movement: punk. Short tracks, obnoxious singing, grating production... all I could do is grit my teeth and hope the sonic torture would eventually end. Don't get me wrong, I gave it many a spin on many different occasions, in different moods, waiting for the inner truth and beauty to reveal itself. Alas it remained a snarling gnome. Yes, there are some delightfully unusual chord changes on some of the short-lived instrumental passages. Perhaps these rare instances led people to believe this deserves the progressive moniker. For those wishing to enjoy truly contrarian creative music (the true meaning of progressive) I would recommend listening to bands such as Lost Crowns (with ex-Cardiac member included!), ni and Poil. Or one of the many permutations thereof.

This is a truly unique and fantastic album. Over the last 10 years, since I discovered the album, it has grown to become my favorite progressive album.

The foundation of the genius within the music, is the truly special chord changes and melodies that Tim Smith comes up with. The funny thing is that initially I was thrown off by the tonality! I soon understood that Tim is not just picking weird chords for the reason of being weird. It is rather how he think music should be. There's a huge depth to his compositions. It takes time to get used to Tim Smith's way of picking chords and melodies, but once you get used to it, you will be rewarded.

I would also like to note that Jon Poole also contributed a lot to the compositions on this album.

The music is full of surprises and unexpected turns. When such things are powered by an incredible hi-speed energy, it creates a dangerously pleasing combination for people who demand constant stimuli and changes in their music.

I never listen to the whole album in its entirety, since it's too much to take in. Rather it's ingested in smaller doses. My favorite span of disc 1, is from track 1 to track 5. The highlight of disc 1, "Fiery Gun Hand", makes a much bigger impact when being followed by the three first tracks of the album. "Insect Hoofs on Lassie" is a "coming down" track for me, after the intensity of "Fiery Gun Hand". After "Lassie" I usually need a break though, and after some time all is set for "Dirty Boy" on disc 2.

Each time I play "Dirty Boy", I can not put on any other song afterwards, because there's simply no song that can match it. It always leaves me speechless, if I give it my full attention. Even the best of prog tunes sounds boring, so I need a time buffer of a few hours before listening to anything else. The track is on another level of music. It lifts you higher and higher, and ends up in rock heaven.

Besides the mentioned tracks, there are other great tracks on the album. Really, there are no filler tracks, something which is a standard feature of all Cardiacs albums.

Duke Ellington said that there are two types of music- good music and the other kind. I concur but for myself would go even further and say there are two types of music-music I like and music I don't like. I really like Cardiacs. Why? Their music is incredibly well crafted, extremely melodic, sometimes exhilarating, sometimes a bit silly (humour does belong in music as Frank Zappa would suggest) sometimes quite moving, challenging in the best possible way and most importantly just plain fun. Sing To God is effectively a summation of their music going back at least to their debut A Little Man but cranks things up a notch which is no doubt why many fans rate this as their best album. Even so the album actually starts with the gentle if slightly weird "Eden In The Air". Then they are off-Track 2 "Eat It Up Worm's Hero" is where the shear lunacy begins. Its mash up of styles sudden stops and starts and what for all intents sounds like a bit of Gregorian chants all in the first minute is surely one of those "Marmite" songs which will either leave you grinning with delight or leave you screaming from the room or huddling in the corner a gibbering wreck clutching your precious "Close To The Edge" LP close to your chest for comfort. Yes my friends- welcome to the wonderful world of Cardiacs. Most of the songs are actually quite short and some are even quite poppy such as "Bellyeye" and "Dog Like Sparky" (which for some reason reminds me of Kate Bush mainly because of the female vocals) but with enough twists and turns to get your teeth into."Manhoo" actually remind me a lot of XTC for some reason and is such a joyful and playful track.Then there is the short but exhilerating instrumental "Bellstinks" which recalls Frank Zappa circa his Uncle Meat period. I particularly love the medieval flavoured "Fairy Mary Mag" with its heavenly mellotron choir and some beautifully detailed instrumentation especially at the end which really could have been Uncle Frank .Particularly affecting is the final track on the first album "Wireless" about a girl on her deathbed. The scissors snips in the background are presumably representing the mortal coil being cut off so she can move on and when the snipping finally does end she is lifted off to heaven accompanied by exquisite keyboard instrumental section, This song is so beautiful and deeply moving. The track which gets the most attention is of course the monumental "Dirty Boy". This song about a messianic figure just sounds HUGE -it just builds and builds with massive chords and continually shifting key signature moving ever higher until the song shifts gear at the five minute mark-well my hair just stands in edge. Genius

A Modern Prog Rock masterpiece

More musical mayhem from those crazy Cardiacs. If anything they ramped up the sound and overall intensity make this album initially harder to appreciate.However repeated listens ultimately reveals the shear brilliance of the music.The opening track "Two Bites Of The Cherry" is a great Prog Rocker and fairly conventional for them which still means head spinningly complex with a myriad of tempo changes. "The "Duck and Roger The Horse" (I'm fairly sure that is a naughty pun) is one of those tracks that delights fans and draws disgust from their many detractors.Its rapid-fire cut-n-paste collage of musical themes instrumentation is probably the best example.I can actually understand why many listeners simply cannot cope with this aural madness.I also like music to flow and settle into some kind of groove.Cardiacs simply do not allow you to do that. I find it strangely exhilarating to have what seems like a whole album worth of music whizz past in a space of a few seconds.The music is not true chaos rather than intensely complex which is why repeated listens are required at least by slowcoaches like me to "get it". "Leader Of the Starry Skies"is another great anthemic rocker although still with plenty of key and tempo changes to keep things interesting. "I hold My Love In My Arms" is pure Music Hall but shot through with their usual madness.It actually reminds me of Queen's similarly cod-music hall inspired "Lazy On a Sunday Afternoon" or "Seaside Rendezvous".Just a bit more aggressive and intense. Robert Smith's lyrics are as dense as the music and equally as obscure though not meaningless.He appears to be inspired by the Irish Poet George Darley and even paraphrases him occasionally as in "Mare's Nest".Punk inspired they may be but these musicians were far from lowbrow. The closing track "The Everso Closely Guarded Line" is another epic similar in terms of its sheer grandeur to the previous albums's close "The Whole World Window" and is frankly brilliant and a contender for the best Cardiacs song ever.Another highly complex amalgam of styles -Symphonic Prog,Punk, Medieval,(yes you read that correctly) Music Hall and Music Concrete. An absolute masterpiece from beginning to end.Pure genius.5 stars

Was really looking forward to listening to this, especially after hearing A Little Man and a House and the Whole World Window & Songs for Ships and Irons, but it didn't quite live up to my expectations.

A large part of that may be due to the line-up changes. This is really not bad music, I'm still giving it 4 stars, but for me this does not compare to the completeness and clearer sound of their second album. I'm always very reluctant to listen to double albums, because I find there's either too much filler material, or it's the other extreme with no room to breathe and take a step back. I think for this album it's the latter. I'm sure that if I heard these songs in isolation I'd think they were great, but in the context of this huge album it's all a bit too much.

Perhaps in a few months time when I'm used to this album I'll change my mind and it'll grow on me. But for now, 4 generous stars.

This is the album The Cardiacs went off the grid. A record that features their trademark avant-grade and a far better combination of silliness with eccentricity. This album features the classic R.E.S. a song so memorable with its over-the-top chorus and a brilliant instrumental breakdown where the band goes absolutely crazy with the time changes. It also features demo versions of songs that would later be remastered in upcoming albums like Is This The Life & A Little Man And A House from A Little Man And A House And The Whole World Window or Nurses Whispering Verses from Sing To God.

It might sound bold, but for me this is a masterpiece.

Obviously a masterpiece. After many years it's still my favorite avant-garde album of all time. It has twenty two tracks that flow very well, they're split into two CDs. This record sounds like a combination of the heavy metal aspects of Dream Theater and the raw avant-garde of Frank Zappa. Tim Smith provides an iconic performance and the other musicians did some very tight playing. Some favorites are Fiery Gun Hand, Angleworm Angel, Manhoo, Bellyeye and Nurses Whispering Verses.

Recommended not only to Avant-Garde fans, but prog fans in general. A masterpiece of its genre and yet another proof that Tim Smith was a genius.

An underrated gem of avant-garde and the Cardiacs discography. It's undeniably a masterpiece, and a follow-up to the masterful A Little Man And A House And The Whole World Window which defined their signature pompous sound. The album features the classic line-up which included Tim Smith's saxophonist sister Sarah Smith, so you'll hear a much more prominent saxophone than in albums like Heaven Born And Ever Bright and Sing To God.

Standouts would be The Duck And Roger The Horse, Arnald, Mare's Nest, Stench Of Honey and one of their best tracks to date, Buds And Spawn. One of my favorite Cardiacs albums, five stars.

- Review #31 -

A slightly more obscure (than usual) Cardiacs release, The Seaside was the first CD by the Cardiacs, featuring their classic avant-garde style combined with some sweet and heavy punk. Best songs from this album are Jibber And Twitch, Hello Mr. Sparrow, A Wooden Fish On Wheels and Hope Day. The last one mentioned is the most quintessential song from the album. This is a pretty accessible album and it works as a great starting point if you want to start listening to Cardiacs' music.

I definitely recommend this album, it's pretty underrated and works very well despite being one of their early works. Five Stars.