From the Top Drawer XXI - Cardiacs

'A bit like Zappa...' was the answer I received when I asked a friend how he would describe the music of the Cardiacs just before we climbed the stairs to watch them at the Hammersmith Clarendon sometime in December 1985. I think they may have been supporting Inner City Unit, I'm not sure. My memories of their performance that night are a bit hazy, but I seem to remember not thinking that much of them, a bit too hectic to take in all at once. I didn't know the songs, was a bit thrown by the madcap approach and the weird make-up, thought it was all a bit disturbing, even a bit pretentious...

I didn't really think about them much afterwards either, sorta filed them away in the 'mmm, not too sure' wardrobe of my brain, but after getting hold of this tape sometime later, gave it a listen or two (or three...) and found that the little cartoon light bulb went on in my head and before I knew it I was recognising the tunes and even knowing 'what bit comes next', etc.

Various influences became evident - Zappa yes, VDGG yes, maybe a bit of Gong & Genesis, a dose of punk and no doubt loads of other stuff that I'd never even heard of at that stage. I liked it.

I rode the rollercoaster for a couple of years, went to quite a few of their gigs, but after a while (heresy for die-hard fans I know) sorta lost interest as they started to get more well-known and even got a video or two on TV. My musical tastes wandered elsewhere and after buying some of their vinyl found that I didn't dig them as much as I had on 'The Seaside'. For me this is still the 'one', IMHO probably the best thing they've ever done. But what do I know, they are the undisputed originators and champions of Pronk and I doubt that anyone will surpass them. (Get well soon, Tim.)

Side One: Jibber and Twitch/Gina Lollabrigida/Hello Mr Sparrow/It's a Lovely Day/A Wooden Fish on Wheels/Nurses Whispering Verses
Side Two: Is This the Life?/A Little Man and a House/Hope Day/Dinner Time/Ice a Spot and a Dot on the Dog/R.E.S./To Go Off and Things

This tape contains the original (now lost) versions of "Nurses Whispering Verses", "Is This the Life?", "A Little Man and a House" and "Dinner Time" which don't appear on the CD re-issue.     (so there...)

Ripped from an original cassette as two side-long tracks @320kbps

Take the train to the Seaside HERE

Some pictures from Croydon Underground club on 5th of May 1987

Getting under way...

Jim

    Tim Q & Jim

 

 Sarah

 

Getting near the end...

 

 ...and the finale with the Consultant et al.

From the Top Drawer XV - Ring

Not to be confused with the last uploaded band Ring Of Roses, Ring were a pretty different kettle of fish, as they say. This South London/Croydon based band even has its own Wikipedia page here, probably due to their connections to more well-known bands that ex-members migrated to, notably Cardiacs, Levitation and Dark Star (yeah, but why shouldn't they have their own page anyway?).

The music on this tape 'O De Dun Dun' (their second self-issued effort after 'Demo Tape No. 1 October 1984') bears little resemblance to the output of those other bands, and whilst I do like early Cardiacs music (and Ring's third tape 'Nervous Recreations' is patently/blatantly influenced by them), I have to say that I prefer the more original direction and style that the band followed here in 1986.
And it's the only tape of theirs that I have as an original cassette.

Sharp guitar playing, a tight rhythm section, colourful synths and punky vocals unite "blending all manner of riffs and noises" together in sometimes complex songs that sound much better than they should if this was recorded on a limited portastudio-level budget (??).

The live shows that I witnessed were pretty anarchic circus-type affairs and didn't always come together but the energy was there in buckets as was the sweat and effort they put into it.
Anyway, here's the tape cover where you can get the running order. Click on the scan to enlarge...

 

As usual the tape has been ripped as two side-long tracks @320kbps
Grab a download HERE

 

More info