A couple weeks back, we were met with the truly awful news of the passing of musical genius and absolute hero, Tim Smith of the band Cardiacs.
Adam:
“I learned about Cardiacs whilst at The BRIT School where one of my teachers there, Chris McInnes introduced me to them knowing that I was into checking out all sorts of weird and wonderful progressive music. He showed me the absolute insanity that is their song, ‘Tarred and Feathered’. I recall the sensation of my jaw dropping to the ground in disbelief over what magic I was hearing. The absurdity of it all. The bombastic energy of punk fused with the harmonic and melodic creativity and technical nature of prog plus a whole load of additional magic thrown in.
Once I got home, I went straight down the rabbit hole of finding more Cardiacs music to listen to. I just had to find more to satiate this musical appetite for a style of writing that I had never heard before. It was like seeing a new colour for the first time.”
Joey:
“A little over two years ago, Adam and I were making a long drive from Nashville to Fort Lauderdale. On this drive, he decided to show me pretty much the entire discography of Cardiacs – frankly it was life changing.
I don’t think I had ever related as strongly to another composer’s musical tastes so deeply and completely. I remember specifically getting to this track, ‘Dive’ off the ‘A Little Man and a House and the Whole World Window’album and thinking “How is this dude in my actual brain?” It felt like every twist and turn might as well have been my own decision, because it’s exactly what I would have done anyway. It was freaky.”
They’re a bizarre bunch, and Tim Smith is a one of a kind composer. His music will forever live on. Rest easy, Tim.
Watch the full cover of ‘Dive’ from Joey and Adam here: