ON LAND AND IN THE SEA

My first taste of the Cardiacs, so I have no idea if this album is really representative of their style, but my guess is yes. I had always thought of The Cardiacs as a punkish group that was a cross of The Jam and The Clash and had sort of of left it at that, since at first glance, this group brought nothing new to what had been said in the late 70's.

So I picked up this album at the library, and I was rather taken aback with surprise and a sort of awe. I did remember correctly the sound of the band (see the groups mentionned in the previous paragraph), but the structure of the songs were rather much more complicated than those very groups. Actually, Cardiacs are probably closer to The Stranglers's best and most progressive works (and if Cardiacs arein... then Stranglers might as well be) and sometimes approaching The Resident's rockier (and saner) moments (ie: Third Reich And Roll).

However impressive the music structures may be, I am not sure they serve much purpose for the songs themselves. Yes, the work is impressive, but it seems a bit lost on the unwarned (and non-worrying) listener that probably does not expect (or want or even search ) for these complex arrangements. Somehow with the exhuberant and overpowering nature of the music, there is something rather awkward about Cardiacs' rather useless (IMHO) complex time sigs and other prog trademark. The overall feeling on such an album might just sound like The Jam or Stranglers stepping all over Miriodor or X- Legged Sally (sometimes, though)

Still much worth discovering, if not to love and cherish, just to know that such a music cross-overis possible, (prungk anybody? ;-),but I would definitely not classify the Cardiacs as RIO/Avant-prog, though.