THE SEASIDE

Forget the preceding poor quality tape release (Toy World) by the Cardiacs - this is where things really kick off...

For 1984 this is completely out of place with regards to everything that was developing around them at that time. They were a band so completely out of synch with the mainstream that they were never going to be welcomed by anyone with open arms.

An uplifting and VERY unusual album with crazy stop start high speed madness all over the place, which is basically their trademark. A good intro point for those who haven't heard them before. This is easier to take and a fair bit more playful than their future releases which are a lot more intense and extreme. In fact this is probably the Cardiacs 'Pop' album if such a thing were possible.

I really can't think of any comparisons other than parts of Gentle Giant and certain parts of 'ska' band 'Madness'.

At the forefront as always are the enigmatic and wonky vocals of singer songwriter Tim Smith. The fact that he sings with his own dialect and accent makes this all the more authentic. He does sound completely mental though...