It’s a blessed relief, of course, but such a shame that Tim Smith has died. The band that could have been so much bigger, and I never quite worked out why not. Probably too clever and just getting big when girl-power and boy-bands were the thing the kids want. I saw them in the mid-80s when in torpor due to girl troubles, a bevvy n’ whizz fuelled gig with them lived me up considerably. I had no idea what they were like, so it was … CRIKEY!
RIP: Tim Smith (the Cardiacs)
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Is This The Life was what first caught my attention, playing over the PA at a gig. I went to ask the soundman what it was.
I dearly love this song. It is an absolute work of genius. Sad day.
Goodness that is rather good. Great guitar. As @nick-l alludes to below, I imagine a whole portion might be a bit much but I did enjoy that.
Just heard this, very sad news. The first album is a favourite, and Dirty Boy, from Sing to God, is an absolute belter.
I saw this news this morning and even though I wasn’t really what you’d call a fan it made me very sad. Tim Smith’s illness was heartbreaking to read about. As a band, they certainly did deserve more success, and if it was down to simple things like musicianship, genuinely inventive songwriting and apparently being very nice people then they could have been. Unfortunately, as we know, pop music since the eighties isn’t like that. I saw them a few times from about 86-90, being as they were a regular support band to often lesser talents, and they really could delight and infuriate even during a short space at the same gig. If they’d toned down the theatrics and overwrought angle they could have been Radiohead or something. But then they wouldn’t have been The Cardiacs.
Sad news but I’m glad that “spiteful armoured bollock” (Copyright Taylor Parkes) Covid didn’t get him. I’d long been aware of Cardiacs but I think I’d mentally written them off as whacky knockabout nonsense having seen the video for Tarred and Feathered in the 80s. In fact it took a thread on this very website much later and someone posted ‘Sing to God’ and it knocked me for six in a way that only a very small, select list of music can. I then hoovered up their CDs, DVDs and and regretted not getting into them sooner as this was all long after Tim’s illness so couldn’t see them live.
There’s a bunch of bands that various Cardiacs have spun off so I’ve seen the brilliant Dowling Poole and I went to a Cardiacs benefit gig for Tim and saw Spratleys and the amazing Knifeworld as well as various Cardiacs doing some tunes with the great Mike Vennart singing ‘Sing to God’ – and Tim was there so at least I got to see him enjoy his own tribute gig.
Here’s another banger from them: