Cardiacs defy context - you may as well try to put them in the context of today’s music as of the ‘90s. More Cardiacs? Popular opionion amongst ‘the Pond’ (fan fam) would direct you to ‘Dirty Boy’.
Cardiacs tracks: people have talked about Dirty Boy, but no-one's mentioned The Ever So Closely Guarded Line? Closer of their second album On Land and In The Sea, it's an eight-minute epic of disaffection with an ecstatic ending that defies belief. It just builds, and builds, and builds some more until there's nowhere left to go - and then it does. It's a masterpiece.
Don't forget that the lyrics in the Coda of Tarred and Feathered: "When they who to the sea go down and in the waters ply their toil..." actually comes from a 19th century hymnal from the Church Of England. True
@@randydoak6638 heck if I know. But in my delicioius misunderstanding of that lyric from the ALPH005 "Rude Bootleg" version... I had for years thought the lyric was "I'll take the key from the grave and unlock the cage that holds the ravens in." Such a dark, dark difference in meaning between a gravy spoon and a literal "key" to the death underworld... lol
@@randydoak6638 The Ravens bit, I have no idea, really. I only think of the Edgar Allen Poe story, because of it. Mind, Tim lived in England; there are probably a lot of old-timey English superstitions that I'm not aware of.
I adore Cardiacs. We recently lost frontman Tim Smith after over a decade of being paralysed following a stroke and heart attack combo (yes, we see the irony). This is what I would call a 'three chilis' Cardiacs number, they have done less 'out there' songs, but they were always incredibly inventive. I agree with another post that Fiery Gun Hand is a must to listen to. Other favourites are Will Bleed Amen, Manhoo, Hope Day, As Cold As Can Be In An English Sea and the legendary The Duck And Roger The Horse (another three chilis job!). If you want more mainstream, the closest you will get is their one minor 'hit', Is This The Life, an epic anthem for the disaffected. They count Steve Wilson of Porcupine Tree and Andy Partridge of XTC among their admirers.
Regarding the general sound. They kind of had an act where they played as sort of dim witted abused servants of a sinister company, the Alphabet Business Concern and the sinister consultant. They *never* break character. But within that weird setup theres this huge diversity of 'circusy' type songs like this or RES, indy pop stuff later in the career with stuff like dirty boy, and a lot of 80s britpop / psychedelic stuff in the 80s with the classic lineup. In many respects they are kind of like an 80s new-wave version of frank zappa , but they stay within the lines of rock/pop. Some of the side projects, where Tim etc doesnt need to 'keep up the act' do venture out into things lke english folk. and the like but within the rock/pop of the cardiacs they map out a huge tonal space. And yeah the early stuff is quite punky. They dont entirely abandon that although its all very prog imbued. I could rant about this forever, but to keep it short: Keep listening, and dont worry if you dont like a particular song. just skip it because the next song will be completely different
Oh man, your face is a picture after hearing that.. as was mine the first time I heard Cardiacs. I had to go and find everything they had done. Musical genius with utterly no limits. I'm obsessed by them and want to scream to the world just how magnificent they were. I'm just truly gutted to have discovered them after Tim Smith's passing.
This was started in 1977. It was a product of the punk and prog rock though Tim imagined it as a kaleidoscope that should be viewed through the lens of psychedelic and pop music. Cardiacs cover more spectrum than can be described. This video was made in 1986.
I love your reaction to this! I rememberseeing them in the telly & being left dumbstruck & speechless too, but knowing I had seen something great. It was love at first listen.
When asked, "If all musicians disappeared, who would you want left?" I would answer "Cardiacs". Rest in Peace Mr Smith, The Leader Of The Starry Skies.
Don’t start here! - Start with ‘is this the life’, move to ‘nurses singing verses’ then ‘big ship’. You will thence, be lost forever; a life long journey of heart aching musical majesty.
Had a blast looking at your face not know how to react hahaha. You should definitely listen to some of their other/better songs, Dirty Boy, Signs, Manhoo, R.E.S, The Everso Closely Guarded line and many more
Other Cardiacs songs you might check out are "Jibber and Twitch," "Visiting Hours," (listen to the 2003 Rotten Shed Rehearsal versions of those two,) their cover of "Suzannah's Still Alive," and "R.E.S.."
Love love love Cardiacs. This was a really honest review in that you watched the whole thing before commenting as opposed to stopping the video every ten seconds to talk without really taking it in. I wish that more people would do it like this as it's refreshing to see such a genuine reaction to something, even if the reaction is hard to articulate on (which absolutely isn't a bad thing). Nice work!
Loved your speechlessness!!! Nothing else sums up Cardiacs! Almost every song they ever did was a masterpiece in madness like "Tarred and Feathered". Check out "The Duck and Roger the Horse", "Fiery Gun Hand", The Everso Closely Guarded Line", "Come Back Clammy Lammy", "Jibber and Twitch" and pretty much any other song of theirs!! Just for the record though, Tarred and Feathered was released in 1986, they first started playing their genius/madness in 1977, and Mike Patton of Mr Bungle cites them as a big influence on him as do several other musicians. Oh, and once you get into Cardiacs be warned, music will never quite be the same again, many other bands will seem overly simplistic, and you will be in danger of becoming very evangelical about them - as you can see from my comment/essay!!
Think you got quite set there Bryan... Anyways, Cardiacs is a great love of mine - even if I don't belong to the actual core of cult followers who could tell 100 times more than I and probably correct me on some of what follows. Starting off in '77 they made their first release in '80. This song is actually from the mid 80's (at least it was originally released then) Ahead of their time? Yes! And unique in our time! One could argue that they were very off time...- doing some kind of mash of the claimed opposites prog and punk with numerous styles thrown in for good measure - when both these main "styles" mashed were long gone from main audience's attention. A true cult band with so much special talent and integrity hard to match. This song is to me an obvious pick for displaying (in three minutes!) the band's extremely unique and diverse style (although NOT the easiest one to digest in a bite....) As the music magazine Organ once put it: "...one Cardiacs song contains more ideas than most other musicians' entire careers." The band was partly a "family affair" with brothers Tim & Jim Smith on guitar/singing and bass. Tim's wife Sarah played the saxophone. Sadly, Tim (the mastermind behind it all) suffered a cardiac arrest (actually the band's original name...) in 2008 which led him to develop the rare neurological disorder dystonia - beeing almost completely paralysed with intellectual functions intact. He died this last summer. R.I.P. Tim ❤ (And, you'll find their albums @bandcamp and their own label store only! www.cardiacs.net/ )
Also, I think this is genuine mashuping of prog and punk all the time being multiple times more intricate than any punk band and multiple times more energetic and raw than any prog band!
Yeah, this was my reaction, too -- I'm just not the same after accidentally coming across a select few of their videos. Then I was down the proverbial rabbit hole before I could stop myself ... and it was all over. It was like they say happens when you have your first child -- it changed my brain. Now you'll start researching Tim Smith. Then you'll need a T-shirt. That feeling you're feeling? Yeah, everything else is over. Sorry, dude.
That was fun! I get why people might not like this, but it was dare I say catchy? In a demented way, of course, but I really enjoy it. I've heard very little about this band, time to correct that.
The double Sing to God I&II is an epic masterpiece imo. Maybe a bit more accessible but still so very diverse and... beautiful! alphabet-business-concern.bandcamp.com/album/sing-to-god-vol-i-ii
@@progperljungman8218 Just finished my first listen. It was a wild ride! Definitely can appreciate how influential they have been, I kept hearing their influence in modern bands, everyone from The Flaming Lips to The Dear Hunter to Arcade Fire, especially on the indie end of things. I have to take a lot more listens before I can even make up my mind about it, but I really enjoyed it. My faves on a first listen (I took notes) were: Dirty Boy , Odd Even, Fiery Gun Hand, Flap Off You Beak, Fairy Mary Mag, A Horse's Tail and Red Fire... Thanks a lot for the recommendation!
This actually came out in 1986. Songs for Ships and Irons compiled a couple of EPs and some b sides. I think all of their 1990 live video "All That Glitters is a Mares Nest" is on RUclips. That's good to check out, and a version of this song is on it.
Oh, and for a really good in-depth analysis of the compositional techniques they use and an intro to a lot of their different styles - have a look at Martin "Tantacrul" Keary's video: ruclips.net/video/gFKg09GBFQE/видео.html
I also was one of the few people recommending Cardiacs. Just so you know, this is probably their most whacked out moment and they actually have a range of releases, but all of them inventive. This video gets passed around as a kind of WTF moment to share with the unfamiliar. Definitely check out other tracks. I see someone mentioned Fiery Gun Hand in the comments. That's a great one to rock out to. (I also popped a few suggestions on your spreadsheet) Sadly the lead singer and Cardiacs mastermind Tim Smith died earlier this year. The bassist is his brother Jim (Who is him!?) This is from the 80's. The album it ended up on is a compilation from 1991. The band went through a number of eras with different line ups. Glad you mentioned the fun aspect and how you like it. Most of Cardiacs catalogue is joyous and fun in different ways!
Also worth checking out the work of ex-Cardiacs: William D. Drake (keyboards) has released 5 albums of quirky alternative traditional/folk tunes. Kavus Torabi (guitar) has been in a number of projects including his own psychedelic/prog band, Knifeworld, and becoming the new frontman of Gong. Jon Poole (guitar) has also been involved in various projects including a short-lived band called Dr Brighton (album on soundcloud) and fronting The God Damn Whores. Christian 'Bic' Hayes (guitar) was in the 90s band Levitiation and is currently half of Brighton band MUMMY with Jo Spratley (of Spratleys Japs - another Tim Smith project). Claire Lemon and Melanie Woods (vocals) were previously in 90s alt-pop band Sidi Bou Said (Melanie is currently in Knifeworld with Kavus).
wayyyyyyy ahead of their time dude . xxx . cardiacs are that cool , that good . goofy crazy genius . pure musicianship gone bat shit mental . why we love them so .
Also, Tarred and Feathered isn't from 1991... it's from a much earlier EP in the 1980s. So they were also way ahead of 1991. Very serious song... who sings lyrics such as "Time is of the essense. Should I put up some resistance? I'm cursed by the awareness of my own existence." Here is the big arrow pointing to Cardiacs direction that you've asked for: CARDIACS: WHY I LOVE THEM on the "Tantacrul" youtube channel: ruclips.net/video/gFKg09GBFQE/видео.html
"Tarred And Feathered" was the very first Cardiacs tune I heard and saw. My intro to them was Marc Riley on BBC 6 Music 11 years ago now. He's been playing them for years. I remember laughing out loud at the unhinged yet controlled chaos and restlessness of the mash up of styles and antics of the band. Hilarious and musically fulfilling. Music for people starved for something more daring. I love the fact their music irritates some people, like some of the ignorant critics of their music. I applaud Cardiacs for their individual, original music. It's not for people who are used to bland Top 40 shite or typical musical conventions ,but, if a few get converted, that's fine with me. Tim Smith ,prime mover of the band, sadly passed away in July last year. Thanks for giving it a listen. Oh, by the way, here's an insightful view into Cardiacs' music you might enjoy: ruclips.net/video/gFKg09GBFQE/видео.html
I love this band above any other. I did see a comment somewhere on RUclips about the Tarred and Feathered video having the same energy as being stuck in traffic, late for a job interview and you have explosive diahrroea. That stuck with me, it's scarily accurate.
You're a musician pal, you should dive into it, there's a lot of Cardiacs on RUclips go listen, it might be a turning point in your life. And one more thing, there's nothing chaotic about Cardiac's music on the contrary, it is very tight and precise, you'll realize that with a few more houres of listening.
Tip of a big ol' iceberg, here. If you want to hear Cardiacs in full-blown majestic wonderment mode then you really can't go wrong with Dirty Boy. If you're craving more of the hyperactive lunacy as exemplified on this track try The Duck and Roger the Horse. Or you could split the difference and check out Firey Gun Hand.
It is like, someone trying to understand the concept of Genius. Genius is as Genius DOES....This is something that is worth investigating....What a wonderful band.. RIP Tim...
You've already been put in the picture with the timeline of Cardiacs but I love your enthusiasm for oddball music. God knows, what you'll make of Stump from the same era.
Just like to echo the others in saying that you should definitely check out more of their stuff. Tim Smith was an unparalleled genius, in the true sense of the word, and their music deserves so much more recognition
For someone who does reaction videos you never seem to have much to say. You could start with the fact that they are pure genius. So much talent in one band.
Cardiacs were an amazing band. Tim Smith (the singer/guitarist/main composer) just passed away recently. Yes they tend to have a lot humor in their music but that's part of their charm. Some good tracks to check out would be "Dog-Like Sparky" which a very catchy little tune, and if you want to tackle the song everyone calls one of their masterpieces listen to "Dirty Boy." It is a staggeringly intense ride of a song.
Yeah, Dirty Boy is majestic! I chose Tarred and Feathered because it more typically displays the "pronk" (considering the mashup theme) and quick turns typical tor them.
@@progperljungman8218 For another short song that covers alot of ground - 'Bellyeye.' I've found 'some' success starting off new listeners with Bellyeye. And of course it's on the great 'Sing to God' album.
Hey, you probably checked this later, but this song was included in Songs for Ships an Irons, which is not an album but a compilation. The video is from 1985, I think. The song is not unserious, either musically or lyrically. It's just them. At least back then.
Check out the track Dog Like Sparky on the Sing to God album. Cardiacs were making just as amazing music in 1981, so they were way way ahead of their time.
I absolutely love Cardiacs. My favourite song of theirs is Jibber and Twitch. If you want a suggestion of something else that's completely chaotic and complex, but more metal, I suggest checking out Fisheye by Norwegian band Shining - there's a live performance from Norwegian TV. My friend called it "literal torture" but I love it, so I guess opinions are divided! (The singer/guitarist/sax player has played with Ihsahn and Emperor fyi)
1991? That might be the date attributed to this video. However, the track was first released as a recording in 1986 on a live collection called "Rude bootleg". I'm pretty sure I remember them playing it live in 1982? 1983? For years, Cardiacs was something that only really happened live, it took them years to start releasing recordings. As you say, way before their time, and about 10 years earlier than many think when you consider when many of the early tracks were first composed and performed. Oh yes, your reaction here is perfect! I've seen a first exposure to Cardiacs often do something like that to the recipient.
I would say at best their an acquired taste. In a recent reaction to Loosefish Scapegrace I said that Cardiacs is "a lot....all of the time." Their work is very dense and always moving. I think more and more people might be open to them now since I can hear their ideas in modern bands like System of a Down or The Mars Volta but I don't think they'll ever have mainstream appeal. And I agree that's a bit of a shame but it's also sadly the case for a lot of great music in all sorts of genres.
@@CriticalReactions You should check out the album "guns". For me, the beautiful thing about Cardiacs is that they aren't just being weird for the sake of being weird; the music comes from this bizarre inexplicable passion. Sometimes fans, (myself included) will try to show people there most out there stuff at first because its quite frankly its fun to see their reactions, but I think at times this really detracts from people being able to actually get into them, which takes some time and starting out listening to some stuff that's a little less jarring--and they really do have plenty of that! Check out the songs "sleep all eyes open", "signs", "no bright side", "core", "ocean shipwreck" (tim smith solo album), and "my trademark". Honestly, I just consider them to be a very colorful rock/pop band, at the end of the day. Psychedelic Rock/Pop, that is.
You found it annoying? I found it kinda hilarious actually. The music, and the video, continued to push that absurdist humor that I love. It was like watching something from Monty Python, or Tim and Eric, or The Mighty Boosh. Now I don't know how I would have felt without the video though. I'm fairly confident that it did color my initial impression.
@@moccles You might persieve it as annoying. It's "music to my ears" and there's no arguing in the musical complexity, musicians' and composer's (Tim Smith!) skills and imagination it took to accomplish this. It's a matter of taste whether you like the melodies, harmonies, structure and arrangements and Cardiacs are (in)famous for dividing listeners into lovers or haters...
It is their most head-hammering moment. Though this vid is totally genuine Cardiacs - this is what they did onstage every night at the time - they started to 'grow up' and lose the facepaint and evolve away from pure theater into just celebrating the music. It was broadcast on prime time UK music show The Tube and sadly put off a generation of po-faced music journos who went out of their way to keep them out of much of the all-powerful UK music press (aside from a few exceptions who 'got' it). That's why every day now brings another new fan and another review video like this one, and real anger/astonishment that people missed out. Soon as there was the internet and people could just get to the music themselves, their gigs began to fill to the brim again and it looked like it was all just on the cusp of really snowballing to something huge when Tim got ill.
Best band in the world. Not sure if you've tried Dirty Boy by Cardiacs. It's a universe onto itself. Mindblowing. Please treat yourself to it. Thank you so much for doing this video.
@@progperljungman8218 thanks , that one I enjoyed more for sure, not saying this one is bad, just a little short for my liking 😂 Kinda sounds like a mix of the white stripes/my chemical romance/mr bungle and maybe a few others . I'd say it semi fits into the 90's lol
@@samgowans3311 ha you can't tell me listening to the song he linked some of the vocals/instrumentation don't sound like MCR, and I'm not even a huge fan lol, my dumb brain just threw that at me 😂
Cardiacs rule. Some ppl call it progpunk or pronk? I can't remember. Dive in and you will see how brilliant the singer guitarist songwriter Tim Smith is. His brother plays bass and his gf(wife?) played sax. Later they stripped down to a 4 piece straight rock band. Check out Sing to God. One of the best albums ever made. Dive down the rabbit hole. You won't be disappointed. Tim Smith passd away recently and the world lost a genius. Look at his music and you will see lots of legit music theory.
Try this one: The Breakfast Line - ruclips.net/video/gZ47K6GjYJM/видео.html Starts off with typical Cardiacs manic disjointedness, which is enjoyable enough as it flits between tempos and moods, but then at around 2 minutes 20 it suddenly takes a hard left into a majestic nightmarish descent, like a car trip to Disneyworld that suddenly takes the wrong turn into Innsmouth.
I kinda wanna know what you'd think of The Residents now. I feel like you'd have an interesting reaction to something like Laughing Song or Elvis And His Boss from Duck Stab. (I'd suggest maybe avoiding Constantinople as your intro)
THE greatest band of all time.
No one like them!❤
Yep!
THE BEST UNDERGROUND PROGRESSIVE ROCK BAND OF ALL TIME THAT NO ONE KNOWS ABOUT!! NOBODY SOUNDS LIKE CARDIACS!!
THE absolute best band of all time. Tim Smith (RIP) was a genius!!!
@@Michael_JL93 I’m a big fan but keeping it real, a good bit of it sounds like Oingo Boingo. But these guys are way more to my taste
Careful. Cardiacs are a life sentence. They make most other music feel pale for a while.
Absolute truth!
@@BlueCrayon77 I'm 33 years into my sentence :)
pond GANG
Cardiacs defy context - you may as well try to put them in the context of today’s music as of the ‘90s. More Cardiacs? Popular opionion amongst ‘the Pond’ (fan fam) would direct you to ‘Dirty Boy’.
It's so true...only got into them a few weeks ago and I listen to Odd Even every day!
Cardiacs tracks: people have talked about Dirty Boy, but no-one's mentioned The Ever So Closely Guarded Line? Closer of their second album On Land and In The Sea, it's an eight-minute epic of disaffection with an ecstatic ending that defies belief. It just builds, and builds, and builds some more until there's nowhere left to go - and then it does. It's a masterpiece.
So true!❤
Everso's one of my favorites!
"On the Land and In The Sea" could very well be a reference to a lyric out of a 1977/78 XTC song named "Cross Wires." Tim _was_ an XTC fan.
Greatest song ever. That is not an opinion.
Wow! Those are the exact tunes I was about to mention. Recently I come to love Whole World Window.
Unmatched creativity and flow. Rest in Peace, brilliant Tim Smith!
❤
I miss him so much, every day. It doesn't get easier.
Here here mate.
"A lot of bands don't have enough fun." SO TRUE and exactly why CARDIACS are my favorite band.
Don't forget that the lyrics in the Coda of Tarred and Feathered: "When they who to the sea go down and in the waters ply their toil..." actually comes from a 19th century hymnal from the Church Of England. True
Thanks for representing here ❤
What about the part about taking the key from the gravy and unlocking the ravens? Where did that come from?
@@randydoak6638 heck if I know. But in my delicioius misunderstanding of that lyric from the ALPH005 "Rude Bootleg" version... I had for years thought the lyric was "I'll take the key from the grave and unlock the cage that holds the ravens in." Such a dark, dark difference in meaning between a gravy spoon and a literal "key" to the death underworld... lol
@@randydoak6638 😂
@@randydoak6638 The Ravens bit, I have no idea, really. I only think of the Edgar Allen Poe story, because of it. Mind, Tim lived in England; there are probably a lot of old-timey English superstitions that I'm not aware of.
Loved seeing you utterly perplexed, the band did their job :)
However thought you'd like to know the song came out in 1986, not 1991.
You looked shook by the end of that. Genuinely life changing music.
I adore Cardiacs. We recently lost frontman Tim Smith after over a decade of being paralysed following a stroke and heart attack combo (yes, we see the irony). This is what I would call a 'three chilis' Cardiacs number, they have done less 'out there' songs, but they were always incredibly inventive. I agree with another post that Fiery Gun Hand is a must to listen to. Other favourites are Will Bleed Amen, Manhoo, Hope Day, As Cold As Can Be In An English Sea and the legendary The Duck And Roger The Horse (another three chilis job!). If you want more mainstream, the closest you will get is their one minor 'hit', Is This The Life, an epic anthem for the disaffected. They count Steve Wilson of Porcupine Tree and Andy Partridge of XTC among their admirers.
Superb track suggestions! I salute you from the pond!
Hail to thee my hardcore friend! ❤
Me, I'm just a lawnmower... with a great love for Cardiacs!
And Mike Keneally (Zappa guitarist) is another huge fan. Heard his initiated praising at a podcast interview.
Devin Townsend and Mike Patton were also fans.
and blur
Regarding the general sound. They kind of had an act where they played as sort of dim witted abused servants of a sinister company, the Alphabet Business Concern and the sinister consultant. They *never* break character. But within that weird setup theres this huge diversity of 'circusy' type songs like this or RES, indy pop stuff later in the career with stuff like dirty boy, and a lot of 80s britpop / psychedelic stuff in the 80s with the classic lineup. In many respects they are kind of like an 80s new-wave version of frank zappa , but they stay within the lines of rock/pop. Some of the side projects, where Tim etc doesnt need to 'keep up the act' do venture out into things lke english folk. and the like but within the rock/pop of the cardiacs they map out a huge tonal space. And yeah the early stuff is quite punky. They dont entirely abandon that although its all very prog imbued. I could rant about this forever, but to keep it short: Keep listening, and dont worry if you dont like a particular song. just skip it because the next song will be completely different
christ almighty I type like a drunkard when on my phone lol
Oh man, your face is a picture after hearing that.. as was mine the first time I heard Cardiacs. I had to go and find everything they had done. Musical genius with utterly no limits. I'm obsessed by them and want to scream to the world just how magnificent they were. I'm just truly gutted to have discovered them after Tim Smith's passing.
You're not alone.
🌼 C A R D I A C S 🌼
My experience exactly.
This was started in 1977. It was a product of the punk and prog rock though Tim imagined it as a kaleidoscope that should be viewed through the lens of psychedelic and pop music. Cardiacs cover more spectrum than can be described. This video was made in 1986.
Tim Smith obviously loved Captain Beefheart and Frank Zappa too.
I love your reaction to this! I rememberseeing them in the telly & being left dumbstruck & speechless too, but knowing I had seen something great. It was love at first listen.
When asked, "If all musicians disappeared, who would you want left?" I would answer "Cardiacs". Rest in Peace Mr Smith, The Leader Of The Starry Skies.
Cardiacs are a band where everyone is an exceptional musician. Anything other than their own music would be too easy for them
Don’t start here! - Start with ‘is this the life’, move to ‘nurses singing verses’ then ‘big ship’. You will thence, be lost forever; a life long journey of heart aching musical majesty.
Had a blast looking at your face not know how to react hahaha. You should definitely listen to some of their other/better songs, Dirty Boy, Signs, Manhoo, R.E.S, The Everso Closely Guarded line and many more
Tim taught himself to read music as a teenager with a "Quadrophenia" songbook. That was Tim. Unique.
Worthy of Laudation.
*RIP Tim, you are missed fondly, but missed very much you are.*
Not the best introduction to Cardiacs but I honestly believe they don't have a bad song in their oeuvre so that's ok
Other Cardiacs songs you might check out are "Jibber and Twitch," "Visiting Hours," (listen to the 2003 Rotten Shed Rehearsal versions of those two,) their cover of "Suzannah's Still Alive," and "R.E.S.."
Love love love Cardiacs. This was a really honest review in that you watched the whole thing before commenting as opposed to stopping the video every ten seconds to talk without really taking it in. I wish that more people would do it like this as it's refreshing to see such a genuine reaction to something, even if the reaction is hard to articulate on (which absolutely isn't a bad thing). Nice work!
Tarred and Feathered actually came out 1987 but was reprised for ships and irons in 91
They are the greatest band ever. Please listen to "Sing to God."
Yes pleeeease! 😍
Their magnum opus and one of the great records of all time
I actually prefer The Seaside and Songs for Ships and Irons but that’s just me. I like the original Cardiacs line-up.
Second... third chord. (There's sweating in the room.) Chorus starts...
*Rick Beato has left this room*
Loved your speechlessness!!! Nothing else sums up Cardiacs! Almost every song they ever did was a masterpiece in madness like "Tarred and Feathered". Check out "The Duck and Roger the Horse", "Fiery Gun Hand", The Everso Closely Guarded Line", "Come Back Clammy Lammy", "Jibber and Twitch" and pretty much any other song of theirs!!
Just for the record though,
Tarred and Feathered was released in 1986, they first started playing their genius/madness in 1977, and Mike Patton of Mr Bungle cites them as a big influence on him as do several other musicians. Oh, and once you get into Cardiacs be warned, music will never quite be the same again, many other bands will seem overly simplistic, and you will be in danger of becoming very evangelical about them - as you can see from my comment/essay!!
Woah...never heard of this group. I feel like I just went to wonderland!! WILD STUFF. Thanks for the rec!
Dive in! There’s plenty more where that came from.
Think you got quite set there Bryan...
Anyways, Cardiacs is a great love of mine - even if I don't belong to the actual core of cult followers who could tell 100 times more than I and probably correct me on some of what follows.
Starting off in '77 they made their first release in '80. This song is actually from the mid 80's (at least it was originally released then)
Ahead of their time? Yes! And unique in our time! One could argue that they were very off time...- doing some kind of mash of the claimed opposites prog and punk with numerous styles thrown in for good measure - when both these main "styles" mashed were long gone from main audience's attention. A true cult band with so much special talent and integrity hard to match.
This song is to me an obvious pick for displaying (in three minutes!) the band's extremely unique and diverse style (although NOT the easiest one to digest in a bite....)
As the music magazine Organ once put it: "...one Cardiacs song contains more ideas than most other musicians' entire careers."
The band was partly a "family affair" with brothers Tim & Jim Smith on guitar/singing and bass. Tim's wife Sarah played the saxophone. Sadly, Tim (the mastermind behind it all) suffered a cardiac arrest (actually the band's original name...) in 2008 which led him to develop the rare neurological disorder dystonia - beeing almost completely paralysed with intellectual functions intact. He died this last summer. R.I.P. Tim ❤
(And, you'll find their albums @bandcamp and their own label store only!
www.cardiacs.net/ )
Also, I think this is genuine mashuping of prog and punk all the time being multiple times more intricate than any punk band and multiple times more energetic and raw than any prog band!
Yeah, this was my reaction, too -- I'm just not the same after accidentally coming across a select few of their videos. Then I was down the proverbial rabbit hole before I could stop myself ... and it was all over. It was like they say happens when you have your first child -- it changed my brain. Now you'll start researching Tim Smith. Then you'll need a T-shirt. That feeling you're feeling? Yeah, everything else is over. Sorry, dude.
Check out "Fiery Gun Hand" from the Sing To God album. Those guitar solos are wild beyond anything :)
absolutely the most inspiring band of all time.
You should also listen to RES by Cardiacs, that is a real chaotic fun song.
When hearing Cardiacs for the first time, you feel two things. One, immediate confused reverence, and two, absolute fandom
So true! I saw them in 1988 and couldn't believe what I was hearing!
That was fun! I get why people might not like this, but it was dare I say catchy? In a demented way, of course, but I really enjoy it. I've heard very little about this band, time to correct that.
Agreed. It's oddly catchy, like an infectious fever dream.
The double Sing to God I&II is an epic masterpiece imo. Maybe a bit more accessible but still so very diverse and... beautiful!
alphabet-business-concern.bandcamp.com/album/sing-to-god-vol-i-ii
@@progperljungman8218 that's the one I've seen popping up in several music blogs. I'll have to check it
@@StringHead92 Please give a review when you have
@@progperljungman8218 Just finished my first listen. It was a wild ride! Definitely can appreciate how influential they have been, I kept hearing their influence in modern bands, everyone from The Flaming Lips to The Dear Hunter to Arcade Fire, especially on the indie end of things. I have to take a lot more listens before I can even make up my mind about it, but I really enjoyed it. My faves on a first listen (I took notes) were: Dirty Boy
, Odd Even, Fiery Gun Hand, Flap Off You Beak, Fairy Mary Mag, A Horse's Tail and Red Fire... Thanks a lot for the recommendation!
This has a lot in common with Madness but all sorts of extra stuff on top.
as with so many brilliant minds... Tim Smith was one of the greatest!
This actually came out in 1986. Songs for Ships and Irons compiled a couple of EPs and some b sides.
I think all of their 1990 live video "All That Glitters is a Mares Nest" is on RUclips. That's good to check out, and a version of this song is on it.
It is on RUclips. Such a magic concert film!😍
Oh, and for a really good in-depth analysis of the compositional techniques they use and an intro to a lot of their different styles - have a look at Martin "Tantacrul" Keary's video: ruclips.net/video/gFKg09GBFQE/видео.html
I also was one of the few people recommending Cardiacs. Just so you know, this is probably their most whacked out moment and they actually have a range of releases, but all of them inventive.
This video gets passed around as a kind of WTF moment to share with the unfamiliar. Definitely check out other tracks. I see someone mentioned Fiery Gun Hand in the comments. That's a great one to rock out to. (I also popped a few suggestions on your spreadsheet)
Sadly the lead singer and Cardiacs mastermind Tim Smith died earlier this year. The bassist is his brother Jim (Who is him!?)
This is from the 80's. The album it ended up on is a compilation from 1991.
The band went through a number of eras with different line ups.
Glad you mentioned the fun aspect and how you like it. Most of Cardiacs catalogue is joyous and fun in different ways!
Also worth checking out the work of ex-Cardiacs: William D. Drake (keyboards) has released 5 albums of quirky alternative traditional/folk tunes. Kavus Torabi (guitar) has been in a number of projects including his own psychedelic/prog band, Knifeworld, and becoming the new frontman of Gong. Jon Poole (guitar) has also been involved in various projects including a short-lived band called Dr Brighton (album on soundcloud) and fronting The God Damn Whores. Christian 'Bic' Hayes (guitar) was in the 90s band Levitiation and is currently half of Brighton band MUMMY with Jo Spratley (of Spratleys Japs - another Tim Smith project). Claire Lemon and Melanie Woods (vocals) were previously in 90s alt-pop band Sidi Bou Said (Melanie is currently in Knifeworld with Kavus).
@@jameswarner5809Nice to see you here o hard core fan!❤
I'm an amateur but with an honest heart for our Cardiacs (no pun intended...)
Is this the greatest pop video of all time?
wayyyyyyy ahead of their time dude . xxx . cardiacs are that cool , that good . goofy crazy genius . pure musicianship gone bat shit mental . why we love them so .
The Cardiacs.... I cannot praise them enough. Simply excellent.
Also, Tarred and Feathered isn't from 1991... it's from a much earlier EP in the 1980s. So they were also way ahead of 1991. Very serious song... who sings lyrics such as "Time is of the essense. Should I put up some resistance? I'm cursed by the awareness of my own existence." Here is the big arrow pointing to Cardiacs direction that you've asked for: CARDIACS: WHY I LOVE THEM on the "Tantacrul" youtube channel: ruclips.net/video/gFKg09GBFQE/видео.html
And now the night of weeping shall be
The morn of song
Ah! We are those whose thunder shakes the skies
The thin spun life...
"Tarred And Feathered" was the very first Cardiacs tune I heard and saw. My intro to them was Marc Riley on BBC 6 Music 11 years ago now. He's been playing them for years. I remember laughing out loud at the unhinged yet controlled chaos and restlessness of the mash up of styles and antics of the band. Hilarious and musically fulfilling. Music for people starved for something more daring. I love the fact their music irritates some people, like some of the ignorant critics of their music. I applaud Cardiacs for their individual, original music. It's not for people who are used to bland Top 40 shite or typical musical conventions ,but, if a few get converted, that's fine with me. Tim Smith ,prime mover of the band, sadly passed away in July last year. Thanks for giving it a listen. Oh, by the way, here's an insightful view into Cardiacs' music you might enjoy: ruclips.net/video/gFKg09GBFQE/видео.html
Mike Patton’s favourite UK band!
I am a fan of the band for more than 10 years and your video gave me a wide smile. Thank you.
Yes, that's what I thought the first time I heard it...
It grows on you.
I saw it. The many stages of Cardiacs acceptance.
Love this video. One of the best reaction videos ever.
Cardiacs is a genre
It's Not Only About The Music, It's The Performance 🎵🎶 Long Live The Cardiacs 🎶🎵💖 And There AWESOME LIVE 🎵🎶
Cardiacs! Yes! Amazing band, you should check out their song Fiery Gun Hand.
respect for not cutting pauses
I love this band above any other. I did see a comment somewhere on RUclips about the Tarred and Feathered video having the same energy as being stuck in traffic, late for a job interview and you have explosive diahrroea. That stuck with me, it's scarily accurate.
You're a musician pal, you should dive into it, there's a lot of Cardiacs on RUclips go listen, it might be a turning point in your life.
And one more thing, there's nothing chaotic about Cardiac's music on the contrary, it is very tight and precise, you'll realize that with a few more houres of listening.
😆 You're damn right in a sence! But still, there's certainty what Bryan usually referres to as "controlled chaos"
Loved the reactions as the song went on. Great tune RIP Cardiacs.
Tip of a big ol' iceberg, here. If you want to hear Cardiacs in full-blown majestic wonderment mode then you really can't go wrong with Dirty Boy. If you're craving more of the hyperactive lunacy as exemplified on this track try The Duck and Roger the Horse. Or you could split the difference and check out Firey Gun Hand.
Yes, yes and yes! ha
Brian, check out the Cardiacs track Fairy Mary Mag, it's a treat for the ears and very different
Fuckin'A!
This was actually released in 1987 on The Big Ship EP. I own the original vinyl.
It is like, someone trying to understand the concept of Genius. Genius is as Genius DOES....This is something that is worth investigating....What a wonderful band.. RIP Tim...
MORE CARDIACS!
Loosefish Scrapgrace is a cool tune too. R.E.S is cool. And all the other songs really. Duck and Roger the Horse...
One of the most important avant rock bands in history. You should react Zappa too :)
Sure should!!!
Which Zappa song would you recommend? I am barely familiar with his output and I'm really curious.
@@nolimit6377 All Hot Rats album.
@@nolimit6377 For a song - try Inca Roads
@@nolimit6377 and for an album side - try side two of Roxy & Elsewhere!
You've already been put in the picture with the timeline of Cardiacs but I love your enthusiasm for oddball music. God knows, what you'll make of Stump from the same era.
Just like to echo the others in saying that you should definitely check out more of their stuff. Tim Smith was an unparalleled genius, in the true sense of the word, and their music deserves so much more recognition
For someone who does reaction videos you never seem to have much to say. You could start with the fact that they are pure genius. So much talent in one band.
Cardiacs were an amazing band. Tim Smith (the singer/guitarist/main composer) just passed away recently. Yes they tend to have a lot humor in their music but that's part of their charm. Some good tracks to check out would be "Dog-Like Sparky" which a very catchy little tune, and if you want to tackle the song everyone calls one of their masterpieces listen to "Dirty Boy." It is a staggeringly intense ride of a song.
Yeah, Dirty Boy is majestic! I chose Tarred and Feathered because it more typically displays the "pronk" (considering the mashup theme) and quick turns typical tor them.
@@progperljungman8218 For another short song that covers alot of ground - 'Bellyeye.' I've found 'some' success starting off new listeners with Bellyeye. And of course it's on the great 'Sing to God' album.
@@vdggmouse9512 Great song of course! Btw, did you hear this spectacular full album cover?
davidminnick1.bandcamp.com/album/singin-to-god
Hey, you probably checked this later, but this song was included in Songs for Ships an Irons, which is not an album but a compilation. The video is from 1985, I think. The song is not unserious, either musically or lyrically. It's just them. At least back then.
Loved the fake ending! Totally had me fooled for a second.
The most emotional Avant-Garde band
You should try out Dirty Boy, it's their epic track
Check out the track Dog Like Sparky on the Sing to God album. Cardiacs were making just as amazing music in 1981, so they were way way ahead of their time.
Lucky man hearing this for the first time. You've live BC, now comes AC, after Cardiacs.
The video is so mad! I farkin luv it so much. Cardiacs 4 ever💜
"It's weird and I loved that. Now all I have to do is hide my body in the ground."
Words cannot express how much I love Cardiacs, but FYI , I first heard this song on the Big Ship EP way back in 1987 not 1991.
I absolutely love Cardiacs. My favourite song of theirs is Jibber and Twitch.
If you want a suggestion of something else that's completely chaotic and complex, but more metal, I suggest checking out Fisheye by Norwegian band Shining - there's a live performance from Norwegian TV. My friend called it "literal torture" but I love it, so I guess opinions are divided! (The singer/guitarist/sax player has played with Ihsahn and Emperor fyi)
Hey Brian.
Mastodon - Oblivion is another request of mine.
You should check out "This Sporting Life" by Godley and Creme.
Welp. Uh. There... weren’t any growls? So... neat? I think? I’m sort of lost... that was a thing! Yeah!
A fantastic track. Just wonderful. What a band. RIP Tim.
Brilliant mate. I love your reactions. We love Cardiacs....
❤
fun to watch/hear
1991? That might be the date attributed to this video. However, the track was first released as a recording in 1986 on a live collection called "Rude bootleg".
I'm pretty sure I remember them playing it live in 1982? 1983?
For years, Cardiacs was something that only really happened live, it took them years to start releasing recordings.
As you say, way before their time, and about 10 years earlier than many think when you consider when many of the early tracks were first composed and performed.
Oh yes, your reaction here is perfect! I've seen a first exposure to Cardiacs often do something like that to the recipient.
Nah, that's the date attributed to an album re-release. The video had to have been shot in 1986, they didn't keep the same stage decor to 1989.
That's a very common reaction to Cardiacs.
...except lots of people can't stand them.
Sadly. They're wonderful.
I would say at best their an acquired taste. In a recent reaction to Loosefish Scapegrace I said that Cardiacs is "a lot....all of the time." Their work is very dense and always moving. I think more and more people might be open to them now since I can hear their ideas in modern bands like System of a Down or The Mars Volta but I don't think they'll ever have mainstream appeal. And I agree that's a bit of a shame but it's also sadly the case for a lot of great music in all sorts of genres.
@@CriticalReactions You should check out the album "guns". For me, the beautiful thing about Cardiacs is that they aren't just being weird for the sake of being weird; the music comes from this bizarre inexplicable passion. Sometimes fans, (myself included) will try to show people there most out there stuff at first because its quite frankly its fun to see their reactions, but I think at times this really detracts from people being able to actually get into them, which takes some time and starting out listening to some stuff that's a little less jarring--and they really do have plenty of that! Check out the songs "sleep all eyes open", "signs", "no bright side", "core", "ocean shipwreck" (tim smith solo album), and "my trademark". Honestly, I just consider them to be a very colorful rock/pop band, at the end of the day. Psychedelic Rock/Pop, that is.
Man, just discovered your channel and I love it! You gotta check out Language (Rediscovered), by The Contortionist.
Seeing the bassist smile begins to feel wrong, when he"s seen in earlier videos. Lol.
That fake out was perfect.
Also, in what way was this song *not* annoying?
You found it annoying? I found it kinda hilarious actually. The music, and the video, continued to push that absurdist humor that I love. It was like watching something from Monty Python, or Tim and Eric, or The Mighty Boosh.
Now I don't know how I would have felt without the video though. I'm fairly confident that it did color my initial impression.
@@CriticalReactions yeah, I found it quite obnoxious from all aspects. Like that was what they were trying to accomplish.
@@moccles You might persieve it as annoying. It's "music to my ears" and there's no arguing in the musical complexity, musicians' and composer's (Tim Smith!) skills and imagination it took to accomplish this. It's a matter of taste whether you like the melodies, harmonies, structure and arrangements and Cardiacs are (in)famous for dividing listeners into lovers or haters...
It is their most head-hammering moment. Though this vid is totally genuine Cardiacs - this is what they did onstage every night at the time - they started to 'grow up' and lose the facepaint and evolve away from pure theater into just celebrating the music. It was broadcast on prime time UK music show The Tube and sadly put off a generation of po-faced music journos who went out of their way to keep them out of much of the all-powerful UK music press (aside from a few exceptions who 'got' it). That's why every day now brings another new fan and another review video like this one, and real anger/astonishment that people missed out. Soon as there was the internet and people could just get to the music themselves, their gigs began to fill to the brim again and it looked like it was all just on the cusp of really snowballing to something huge when Tim got ill.
@@marinaorgan589 Welcome you core fan!❤
I'm just an ordinary lover... 😍
Frank Zappa goes punk.
Best band in the world.
Not sure if you've tried Dirty Boy by Cardiacs.
It's a universe onto itself.
Mindblowing.
Please treat yourself to it.
Thank you so much for doing this video.
It sounds like these guys listened to a bunch of 60's Mothers of Invention and Oingo Boingo.
igorrr houmous is a great example of genre mashup
They couldn't afford to make a video so used a live performance on a Saturday morning regional kid's TV show as the promo instead.
RES … ITS THE GATEWAY SONG.
Speechlessness is entirely appropriate
Dirty Boy: Who's this? I love that intro riff stumbling, tripping forward eventually into a song that has rubbery walls.
ruclips.net/video/d-dd4fMUhAY/видео.html
And Igorrr ruclips.net/video/jwZPZ3KDEus/видео.html
I like them.
Not sure if this is a meme band or serious, sounds like a damn carnival 😂😂
nice early outro haha
Judge for yourself... Here's another (a bit more epic) one from the same time
ruclips.net/video/xaLI5XVeOow/видео.html
@@progperljungman8218 thanks , that one I enjoyed more for sure, not saying this one is bad, just a little short for my liking 😂
Kinda sounds like a mix of the white stripes/my chemical romance/mr bungle and maybe a few others . I'd say it semi fits into the 90's lol
My chemical romance lol.
This is Cardiacs man.
CAAAARDIACS
@@samgowans3311 ha you can't tell me listening to the song he linked some of the vocals/instrumentation don't sound like MCR, and I'm not even a huge fan lol, my dumb brain just threw that at me 😂
@@deminybs oh, they were probably all influenced by Cardiacs 😊
Cardiacs rule. Some ppl call it progpunk or pronk? I can't remember.
Dive in and you will see how brilliant the singer guitarist songwriter Tim Smith is. His brother plays bass and his gf(wife?) played sax.
Later they stripped down to a 4 piece straight rock band. Check out Sing to God. One of the best albums ever made. Dive down the rabbit hole. You won't be disappointed.
Tim Smith passd away recently and the world lost a genius. Look at his music and you will see lots of legit music theory.
Try this one: The Breakfast Line - ruclips.net/video/gZ47K6GjYJM/видео.html
Starts off with typical Cardiacs manic disjointedness, which is enjoyable enough as it flits between tempos and moods, but then at around 2 minutes 20 it suddenly takes a hard left into a majestic nightmarish descent, like a car trip to Disneyworld that suddenly takes the wrong turn into Innsmouth.
I kinda wanna know what you'd think of The Residents now. I feel like you'd have an interesting reaction to something like Laughing Song or Elvis And His Boss from Duck Stab. (I'd suggest maybe avoiding Constantinople as your intro)
The whole album is an entire weird, beautiful and amazing trip