![]() The production job is so shiny, in fact, you can see your reflection in it. Each drum hit (the new part fits the song much better) sounds like a gunshot, Smith’s guitar sounds Robert Fripp-esque, and the keyboards are gigantic. Tim Smith’s guitar solo carries a lot more emotion, however.īA-BOOM-BOOM-BOOM! The third version of Is This the Life? wants to make it very clear that it was released in the ’80s. Other than this, the song is essentially the same, with very few changes made to any of the parts- even with a change of drummer the part is kept almost the same. With the lead melody transferred to the guitar, and better production, Is This the Life? sounds spacious and epic, unlike the previous version which felt constrained (though still powerful). The lead melody is carried by the keyboards, with the guitar outburst being constrained to its solo. Unfortunately, the master tape that this version of Nurses… was on was damaged (according to the Alphabet Business Concern) and so the track was not re-released on the CD edition of The Seaside (three other tracks also met this fate) Is This the Life?Ī thunderous anthem even in its original form, Is This the Life? is one of the best tracks (as it will always be, whatever album its placed on) on Toy World. It still remains one of the most memorable tracks on its album, even when up against stiffer competition than that of Toy World’s songs. The excellent lyrics are clear, and the brilliance of the composition can shine through with the murk removed. Based around a flanged guitar riff, with a sliding bass part underpinning it, Nurses… is very memorable and a very good example of how much Tim Smith had developed as a songwriter since the début single.Ī huge improvement from the original recording, not just sonically, but musically, Nurses… is played slightly faster and much more tightly on The Seaside. Just like the previous track on Toy World, Is This the Life?, Nurses Whispering Verses manages to impress even in its rather primitive original form. ![]() It was later included on The Special Garage Concerts Vol I.Ī rehearsal video can be found here. Handwritten lyrics in the Seaside Treats book can be found here. Jibber and Twitch was the first song released for the Alphabet Business Concern. The flashes of genius across The Obvious Identity and Toy World had finally become a fire, one which would hardly ever go out. The production sounds excellent, the band’s performance is incredibly tight. In fact, Jibber and Twitch feels like a completely new start for the band. Not only had Tim Smith’s composition abilities improved in those three years- his singing had undergone a huge improvement. Cawthra’s move to keys also makes itself very evident- Domonic Luckman’s drumming style is very different, being much less punky and more precise, his complex yet steady rhythms underpinning the maelstrom around them. The band then launch into a sudden thrash-out, humorously broken up by the sound of a phone ringing. Quy’s chimes begin the song alongside a big guitar chord, and are soon joined by burbling keyboards. The last of these new members makes his presence felt almost immediately on Jibber and Twitch. There was a new line-up, with Mark Cawthra being on keyboards and backing vocals (most of the time), Sarah Smith now on tenor sax and joined by Marguerite Johnston on alto, Dominic Luckman on drums, Graham Simmonds as a second guitarist and Tim Quy on percussion. ![]() Jibber and Twitch (reason for misspelling unknown) displays these in only one song. The Seaside was released three years after the previous album, Toy World, and there had been huge steps forward in those years. Handwritten lyrics in the Seaside Treats book can be found here. Gina Lollobrigida was later included on the Cardiacs Live LP and the Special Garage Concerts Vol I CD. Tim Quy’s marimba is also put to good use in the intro. Drake was playing with before joining the Cardiacs). Towards the end there are also female backing vocals- this is likely to be Wendy Collins and/or Lanze Lorrens (the latter was the singer who William D. Of particular interest is the performance- Jim Smith pulls of his melodic runs fluidly (one of the most prominent Cardiacs basslines) and trumpets and trombones seem to be used (though buried quite deep in the mix). The structure is pretty standard, and the music very ‘straight’, but this just proves that Tim Smith’s songs don’t need to have hundreds of tempo and time changes to be great. A very catchy pop song, with great potential- if Gina Lollobrigida (the band have consistently misspelt her last name as Lollabrigida, but I’m sticking to the correct spelling) had been released as a single, there would have been a chance that it would have been a chart hit.
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