In the early to mid 80’s, bands in the UK were sorted into nice little slots-punk, metal, ska, Northern Soul, pop, the occasional anorak progger, but these guys defied description.

Gone were the rougher punk edges, arrangements became more musically spastic, and the insanity quotient was upped considerably.Īt first they had a decidedly limited appeal, mainly because they were so utterly unclassifiable. With Tim on lead guitar and lead vocals, brother Jim on bass and vocals, William on keyboards, Sarah Cutts (later Smith) on saxophone, Tim Quy on percussion and Dominic Luckman on drums the band took on a new life. But it wasn’t until the arrival in 1983 of the gifted William Drake on keyboards that the classic lineup of the band took form.

Tim wrote nearly all of the music and lyrics, diabolically complex on both fronts, (sometimes surpassing Frank Zappa’s level of genius in composition). Founding brothers Tim and Jim Smith were the mainstays. The band had its origins in 1977 as Cardiac Arrest, a punky and choppy rhythmed burst of maniacal energy. Stir in with their self created mythology a theatrical stage show, make up and costumes, heart stopping rhythms, and a whimsical carnival atmosphere and you begin to get close to the edge of their peculiar brand of madness. Sounding like a an unholy mating of Gentle Giant, Madness, Frank Zappa, Van der Graaf Generator, Marillion, Dexy’s Midnight Runners, The Stranglers, Devo, the Damned and King Crimson, the Cardiacs created their own mythology and ran with it.

Too decidedly ‘British’ for most ears on this side of the pond, Cardiacs are hands down one of the best but most unknown bands for most music fans in America– that they deserve large accolades for a career of unending achievement, creativity and downright absurdity is a huge understatement. (technically just ‘Cardiacs’ for those in the know-though many casual fans, even Brits, still refer to the band as ‘the’). If there is one band that needs translating for Americans, it is the Cardiacs.

Frank zappa ship arriving too late rar