ARCHIVE CARDIACS 1977-1979

I have been a Cardiacs fan for a few years, and was excited to pick up some of the recent CD reissues. However, I was a bit on the fence about Archive, simply because little has been written about it (the sparse notes in the album itself likely don't help in this regard), and some opinions online seemed to regard it as an inessential compilation for completists only. How wrong they were! Archive is a spectacular compilation that showcases some of the best of what Cardiacs have to offer.

Anyone going in expecting the prologue to A Little Man and a House, or Sing to God, will need to temper their expectations slightly---these are early recordings, done on very low budgets, and showcase an embryonic version of the band. On the once hand, this is Cardiacs as the most straight-ahead "punk" band that they would ever be, with some songs that might not sound out of place on an early Buzzcocks B-side (albeit with Tim Smith's trademark wonky lyrics). On the other hand, this is where Tim Smith's prog-era influences are truly laid bare, with the spectacular "Piffol" songs showcasing King Crimsonesque guitar lines, and "T.V.T.V" sounding like a Gentle Giant tribute. On the third hand (of course there's a third hand!), this also showcases Cardiacs' earliest epics, with the wonderful "As Cold as Can Be in an English Sea" and "A Game for Bertie's Party" giving small previews of what the band would accomplish on future songs like "R.E.S."

Some fans may end up skipping the punkier tracks on future listens (fair enough), but for me, the songs come together as a whole that exceeds the sum of its (admittedly marvelous) parts.