HEAVEN BORN AND EVER BRIGHT

The Cardiacs can do no wrong as far as I'm concerned. Other than the first two tape recordings as shown at the start of this discography, their albums are without parallel.

'The Alphabet Business Concern' which opens the album sounds like the drunken National Anthem to a completely blootered middle England, being really loud and bombastic throughout with big booming drums and massed vocals.

As other reviewers have hinted at, this is a bit more straightforward than all their other albums but blimey, it still rocks like a daddy and jumps about like a jack-in-the-box. If you took away the manic vocals of Tim Smith it may sound to some listeners like a more pumped up testosterone injected, 'Madness' starring Suggs circa 1981.

On hearing this again, I'm really surprised by the low score. 'Goodbye Grace' is pure bonkers - with all of what's best in the Cardiacs - manic drums, thrashing guitars, weird time signatures, old fashioned keyboards which now, in 2013 sound undated, and a crazy front man spitting bullets out of his mouth at 100mph.

'Anything I Can't Eat' is pretty much like above but doubled in intensity. Man - I love these guys! The more I hear this album the better it gets. I've never before heard a band that sounds so crazy to be able to hold a beat and tune together despite the random sudden changes in tempo.

If you've not heard the Cardiacs before - this is a good entry point as some of their later material - 'Sing to God' in particular, is completely off the wall and totally crazy. 'Heaven Born And Ever Bright ' isn't particularly easy on the ear - it thrashes about wildly, kicking, spitting and thrashing out at all who are willing to listen.

Great fun!