History Music / Cardiacs

They've had a rather large number of releases, although some were not released in large quantities and have never been re-released. Some discographies leave out all the recordings before ''A Little Man and a House''.

* EpicRocking: Several of their songs get quite long. The longest is probably "Nurses Whispering Verses", which runs for 9:54.

* TheSmurfettePrinciple: Sarah was the only woman in some lineups. However, at times this trope has been averted either because there weren't any women in the lineup, or there were more than one. The current lineup on Wiki/{{ThatOtherWiki}} lists Cathy Harabaras and Melanie Woods as part of the band.

[[caption-width-right:350:L-R: [[PsychopathicManchild Timmy]], [[CloudCuckoolander Bill]], [[TheSmurfettePrinciple Sarah]], [[TheEeyore JIM]], [[ButtMonkey Dom]]. At the back; [[SixthRanger Tim Q]] ]]

You want a band that complains about [[{{Suburbia}} Suburban Life]]? Come to Cardiacs. You want a band that combines ProgressiveRock and Punk. Come to Cardiacs. You want a band that preempted the Emo genre by about 10 years? Come to Cardiacs.

The lineup went through a series of changes, but through all of it Tim and Jim Smith remained. In 2008, Tim Smith had a [[AuthorExistenceFailure stroke]] and [[HarsherInHindsight cardiac arrest]], leaving the band without a frontman. He's still around, but may never recover.

You want a band that complains about [[{{Suburbia}} Suburban Life]]? Come to Cardiacs. You want a band that combines ProgressiveRock and Punk. Come to Cardiacs. You want a band that preempted the Emo genre by about 10 years. Come to Cardiacs.

** During Gloomy News Colvin Mayers would often play a short part of Enter the Gladiators riff. Colvin appears to like Shout Outs since Rock Around the Clock (itself being a pun on the Bill Haley song) was often introduced as "Real Rock and Roll!"

* NotChristianRock: Tim Smith has stated that the album 'Sing To God' is in no way a religious work, despite references to Jesus in the song 'Fiery Gun Hand'.

[[caption-width-right:350:L-R: Timmy, Bill, Sarah, JIM, Dom. At the back; Tim Q]]

* Bob Leith

The lineup went through a series of changes, but through all of it Tim and Jim Smith remained.
In 2008, Tim Smith had a [[AuthorExistenceFailure stroke]] and [[HarsherInHindsight cardiac arrest]], leaving the band without a frontman. He's still around, but may never recover.

Cardiacs are that perfect band you've been looking for all your life but couldn't find because they're so damn obscure. Frontman Tim Smith is pretty much the only songwriter of the band. However, older brother Jim Smith is as much of a key character as Tim, bassist, batter-head, bully-bait, he's been "there" since Tim was a baby. Then there's Sarah, Tim's sister, saxophonist, pre-Seaside synth player, skirt wearer supreme, she's been "there" too.

The "Classic 6-Piece"
* Tim Smith: Vox, Guitar,

The Cardiac Arrest Lineup
* Mick Pugh: Vox
* Tim Smith: Guitar

* Colvin Mayers: Keyboards
* Peter Tagg: Drums

* OffscreenMomentOfAwesome. Most of Cardiacs' early material (As Cardiac Arrest) was either not recorded or recorded poorly (and [[ItGotWorse to make matters worse]] only released once and in ''extremely'' limited quantities).

* ArtistExistenceFailure. Tim Smith suffered a stroke on the night of a Music/MyBloodyValentine gig. ItGotWorse, Tim had a further stroke and Cardiac Arrest and is thus unable to even talk, let alone perform.

* AdultChild. Tim Smith [[PlayedForLaughs plays this for laughs]] and would often be really immature on stage and make commentary that someone 20 years his junior would have felt uncomfortable.

* ShoutOut. During Gloomy News Colvin Mayers would often play a short part of Enter the Gladiators riff. Colvin appears to like Shout Outs since Rock Around the Clock (itself being a pun on the Bill Haley song) was often introduced as "Real Rock and Roll!"

* UncommonTime: Often, such as on the intro to [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sLtMwrjF8TM / Will Bleed Amen]], which is in 13/8.

* ArtistExistenceFailure. Tim Smith suffered a stroke on the night of a MyBloodyValentine gig. ItGotWorse, Tim had a further stroke and Cardiac Arrest and is thus unable to even talk, let alone perform.