''Sing to God'' is the fourth

studio album An album is a collection of audio recordings issued on compact disc (CD), Phonograph record, vinyl, audio tape, or another medium such as Digital distribution#Music, digital distribution. Albums of recorded sound were developed in the early ...

by English rock band

Cardiacs Cardiacs are an English rock band formed in Kingston upon Thames by Tim Smith (lead guitar and vocals) and his brother Jim (bass, backing vocals) in 1977 under the name Cardiac Arrest. The band's sound fused circus, baroque pop and medieval mu ...

. Their first album with drummer Bob Leith and their second as a four-piece, it was recorded throughout 1995, breaking a hiatus by the band that had lasted since the band's previous album ''

Heaven Born and Ever Bright ''Heaven Born and Ever Bright'' is the third studio album by British rock band Cardiacs. It was produced by Tim Smith, engineered by David Murder and mixed by both. Due to Rough Trade going bankrupt soon after the album's release, it was scarce ...

'' (1992). During writing and recording,

Jon Poole Jonathan Charles Poole (born 16 October 1969), also known by his stage name Random Jon Poole, is an English multi-instrumentalist singer and songwriter. He is best known for his work as guitarist for Cardiacs and as bass player for the Wildhea ...

took a greater role than before, contributing to many songs written by band leader

Tim Smith Tim, Timothy or Timmy Smith may refer to: Musicians * T. V. Smith (born 1956), British singer and songwriter *Tim Smith (Cardiacs) (1961–2020), English singer-songwriter and frontman of Cardiacs *Timmy Trumpet (born 1982), Australian DJ and prod ...

, and writing some of his own. The band decided to create a

double album A double album (or double record) is an audio album that spans two units of the primary medium in which it is sold, typically either records or compact disc. A double album is usually, though not always, released as such because the recording i ...

to encompass the great wealth of material written after their previous album. As with the band's previous albums, it presents a unique sound, and is seen as more eclectic than the band's previous albums, with one reviewer describing the record as "essentially akingeverything Cardiacs had always been and ampingit up to maximum," and another saying the album was where "Smith's ability to express the music inside his head really began to transcend any sort of identifiable genre and turned Cardiacs into something truly unique." The album was released in June 1996 by the band's own record label Alphabet Business Concern, originally as a limited edition double-disc CD set, before being re-released as two separate albums. Three singles were released from the album; "Bellyeye", " Manhoo" and "

Odd Even ''Sing to God'' is the fourth studio album by English rock band Cardiacs. Their first album with drummer Bob Leith and their second as a four-piece, it was recorded throughout 1995, breaking a hiatus by the band that had lasted since the ban ...

". Upon release, the music press mostly overlooked the album with the exception of some hostile reviews, reflecting the band's unpopularity with the music press at the time. However, over time it has gained a reputation as a masterpiece and the band's

magnum opus A masterpiece, ''magnum opus'' (), or ''chef-d’œuvre'' (; ; ) in modern use is a creation that has been given much critical praise, especially one that is considered the greatest work of a person's career or a work of outstanding creativity, ...

. Sam Shepherd of ''

MusicOMH MusicOMH (stylized as musicOMH) is a London-based online music magazine which publishes independent reviews, features and interviews from across all genres including classical, metal, rock and R&B. History MusicOMH was founded and launched by ...

'' said the album is "quite possibly one of the greatest albums ever made." The album was re-released in 2014 as a double LP set, the first time it had been released on vinyl.

Background

After Cardiacs released their fifth album ''

On Land and in the Sea ''On Land and in the Sea'' is the second studio album proper by the English rock band Cardiacs. Produced by band leader Tim Smith, it was recorded and mixed in 1988 at The Slaughterhouse studios in Yorkshire and released in May 1989 by the band ...

'' (1989), the group's line up drastically change; percussionist Tim Quy, keyboardist

William D. Drake William Derek Drake (born 7 February 1962) is an English musician, keyboardist, pianist, composer and singer-songwriter. He is best known as a former member of the cult English rock band Cardiacs, whom he played with for nine years between 1983 ...

, saxophonist Sarah Smith and guitarist Bic Hayes all left the band. For the band's subsequent album ''

'' (1992), the band became a four-piece, with

replacing Bic Hayes' place on guitar during the sessions, and the results gave the album a more direct, heavier direction than the band's previous albums. The album was initially released on Rough Trade instead of the band's own label Alphabet Business Concern, who usually release the band's albums. However, as soon as the album was released, Rough Trade "went under" and closed, ceasing to exist, which put the band "in a bit of a financial trap". Following its release, their drummer Dominic Luckman left the band and was replaced by Bob "Babba" Leith, and the band subsequently became their second "classic" line-up, sometimes referred to as "Cardiacs Mark II". During this period, the members of the band "all got up to other things." Band leader

"produced some other bands albums and things like that." In doing this, the band got the money to re-release their own, older material and carry on, "so it was kind of a blessing in disguise in a funny kind of way." As a four-piece, their next album would utilise the studio to flesh out the band's sound. Due to the sheer amount of material that group leader

had written over a number of years with little or no Cardiacs live performances, they decided the new album would be a

Recording

The band recorded the album between Spring and Winter 1995 at the

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

studio Apollo 8 Studios in

Merritt Island Merritt Island is a peninsula, commonly referred to as an island, in Brevard County, Florida, United States, located on the eastern Floridian coast, along the Atlantic Ocean. It is also the name of an unincorporated town in the central and sout ...

and Sally Birthday House Studios, a studio of an unknown location described as simply being "somewhere." Jon Poole recalled that "

Jim Jim or JIM may refer to: * Jim (given name), a given name * Jim, a diminutive form of the given name James * Jim, a short form of the given name Jimmy * OPCW-UN Joint Investigative Mechanism * ''Jim'' (comics), a series by Jim Woodring * ''Jim ...

and Jane's" house was a location for recording." Although the band have a status as a

cult band A cult following refers to a group of fans who are highly dedicated to some person, idea, object, movement, or work, often an artist, in particular a performing artist, or an artwork in some medium. The lattermost is often called a cult classic. A ...

, during recording, the band opened for Blur at

Mile End Stadium Mile End Stadium, also known as the East London Stadium, is a multi-sports stadium in Mile End and situated in the park of the same name, East London, England. The stadium comprises an athletics stadium and a number of floodlit Astroturf footb ...

and recorded a

Radio 1 Radio 1 or Radio One most commonly refers to: *BBC Radio 1, a music radio station from the BBC ** BBC Radio 1Xtra, a digital radio station broadcasting black music *CBC Radio One, a talk radio station operated by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporatio ...

live session with Mark Radcliffe, which aired 24 April 1995, and a ''Lunchtime Acoustic Session'' broadcast live on GLR Radio on 16 May 1995. To fill the increasing gap between Cardiacs releases as ''Sing to God'' was not yet finished, a live album recorded in

Salisbury Salisbury ( ) is a cathedral city in Wiltshire, England with a population of 41,820, at the confluence of the rivers Avon, Nadder and Bourne. The city is approximately from Southampton and from Bath. Salisbury is in the southeast of Wil ...

in 1990, ''

All That Glitters Is a Mares Nest ''All That Glitters Is a Mares Nest'' (also known simply as ''Maresnest'') is a live album and concert film by the English Rock music, rock band Cardiacs. It is their third live album, and was originally recorded in the afternoon in the Salisbu ...

'', was released in 1995 to satisfy fans. The album sessions presented a change in Cardiacs' working methods. Whereas most previous material had been written and arranged by band leader

, ''Sing to God'' features extensive contributions from

, who played a strong role in orchestrating Smith's basic material with detailed riffs and keyboard parts and contributed several songs entirely written by himself, whilst drummer Bob Leith also made significant contributions to the album's lyrics, marking the first time that Smith was not the only songwriter for the band. In a 1996 interview, Smith said "I really like the stuff ooles written, we all do. We're really dead lucky to have someone like him. He's written some great stuff for the new album." Poole recalled that "this was a joyous and creative time and easily the best time I had in the band which is strange as I was going through upheaval in my personal life and had to keep walking off into the fields to have a good old blub but maybe this added to it all! We took the studio to Jim and Jane's place in the country. When I arrived there Jim and Jane were adding snipping sounds with garden tools to 'Wireless'. To this day I think it's one of Jane's proudest moments and I love hearing her tell other people about how surreal it was." During recording there, Tim Smith would create drums and rough keyboard chords on tape and would ask Poole to come up with guitar and bass riffs. Poole recalled "I was literally allowed to do pretty much anything I wanted." Tim would then "do the production bit" and "get the best out of" Poole. The two sometimes contributed to the writing of each other's tracks, including Smith contributing the string arrangement to Poole's "Manhoo". During this phase of recording, Jim and Jane invited all the band's friends over "every so often for parties that have now gone down in history as being nothing short of legendary." In 2009, Poole recalled that "I still can't listen to

Mr Bungle Mr. Bungle is an American experimental rock band formed in Eureka, California in 1985. Having gone through many incarnations throughout their career, the band is best known for music created during their most experimental era. During this time, ...

Mercury Rev Mercury Rev is an American indie rock band formed in 1989 in Buffalo, New York.
Original personnel were

Music

''Sing to God'' presents a unique sound that critics found hard to classify, and is seen as "a record that is scarcely comparable to anything else by anyone else." A journalist from ''PIEmag'' said the album was "more original and dynamic than ever before; they mix their classic Cardiacesque, ''huge'' orchestral harmonies with delicate pop, fast rocking and furious, at times almost Naked City-ish jazz structures. To add yet another dimension to their music, they experiment with sound and production in a way we haven't heard since the heyday of Psychic TV, or even the old '

kraut ''Kraut'' is a German word recorded in English from 1918 onwards as an ethnic slur for a German, particularly a German soldier during World War I and World War II. Its earlier meaning in English was as a synonym for sauerkraut, a traditional Cen ...

' bands like

Faust Faust is the protagonist of a classic German legend based on the historical Johann Georg Faust ( 1480–1540). The erudite Faust is highly successful yet dissatisfied with his life, which leads him to make a pact with the Devil at a crossroads ...

Neu! Neu! (; German for "New!"; styled in block capitals) were a West German krautrock band formed in Düsseldorf in 1971 by Klaus Dinger and Michael Rother following their departure from Kraftwerk. The group's albums were produced by Conny Plank, w ...

Can Can may refer to: Containers * Aluminum can * Drink can * Oil can * Steel and tin cans * Trash can * Petrol can * Metal can (disambiguation) Music * Can (band), West Germany, 1968 ** ''Can'' (album), 1979 * Can (South Korean band) Other * C ...

etc.." Benjamin Bland of

Drowned in Sound ''Drowned in Sound'', sometimes abbreviated to ''DiS'', is a UK-based music webzine financed by artist management company Silentway. Founded by editor Sean Adams, the site features reviews, news, interviews, and discussion forums. History ''D ...

said that "somewhat approximate to the notion of Cardiacs squared, ''Sing to God'' essentially takes everything Cardiacs had always been and ramps it up to maximum." He noted that "this is a record drenched in deranged pomposity, from the massive riffs to the expansive keyboards and theatrical vocals. That's without even mentioning the bits that sound something like ''

Sgt Pepper ''Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band'' is the eighth studio album by the English rock band the Beatles. Released on 26May 1967, ''Sgt. Pepper'' is regarded by musicologists as an early concept album that advanced the roles of sound composi ...

'' being performed by a

Frank Zappa Frank Vincent Zappa (December 21, 1940 – December 4, 1993) was an American musician, composer, and bandleader. His work is characterized by wikt:nonconformity, nonconformity, Free improvisation, free-form improvisation, sound experimen ...

conducted

London Symphony Orchestra The London Symphony Orchestra (LSO) is a British symphony orchestra based in London. Founded in 1904, the LSO is the oldest of London's orchestras, symphony orchestras. The LSO was created by a group of players who left Henry Wood's Queen's ...

speed In everyday use and in kinematics, the speed (commonly referred to as ''v'') of an object is the magnitude of the change of its position over time or the magnitude of the change of its position per unit of time; it is thus a scalar quanti ...

." Sean Kitching of ''

The Quietus ''The Quietus'' is a British online music and pop culture magazine founded by John Doran and Luke Turner. The site is an editorially independent publication led by Doran with a group of freelance journalists and critics. Content ''The Quiet ...

'' said the album is "the pinnacle of Tim Smith's studio mastery and exhibits elements of the gentler side of his Sea Nymphs project alongside the full-on helter skelter, breakneck velocity more usually associated with the band. It is also, despite the richness of its orchestration and more experimental tendencies, decidedly a pop record–one as quintessentially English sounding as

Pink Floyd Pink Floyd are an English rock band formed in London in 1965. Gaining an early following as one of the first British psychedelic music, psychedelic groups, they were distinguished by their extended compositions, sonic experimentation, philo ...

's seminal '' Piper at the Gates of Dawn'' or

XTC XTC were an English rock band formed in Swindon in 1972. Fronted by songwriters Andy Partridge (guitars, vocals) and Colin Moulding (bass, vocals), the band gained popularity during the rise of punk and new wave in the 1970s, later playing in ...

's classic ''

English Settlement ''English Settlement'' is the fifth studio album and first double album by the English rock band XTC, released 12 February 1982 on Virgin Records. It marked a turn towards the more pastoral pop songs that would dominate later XTC releases, wit ...

''." He also commented that the album marked the point where "Smith's ability to express the music inside his head really began to transcend any sort of identifiable genre and turned Cardiacs into something truly unique." Philip Whitehead of

Sputnikmusic Sputnikmusic is an American music community website offering music criticism and music news alongside features commonly associated with wiki-style websites. The format of the website is unusual in that it includes both professional and amateur c ...

said "there is a wide range of styles on display here with the album spinning off in all sorts of directions at unexpected times but it's never 'too much' for the listener, with the softer tracks coming in at perfect times to provide a break after the chaos of Tim Smith let loose, and the closers on each disc do their part perfectly to end proceedings." The album also features material originally written for various other Cardiacs related projects. The track "Nurses Whispering Verses" had been recorded twice before, once on the band's 1981 cassette album ''

Toy World ''Toy World'' is the second demo album by the English rock band Cardiacs (including ''The Obvious Identity'', released on cassette the previous year under the band name "Cardiac Arrest"). The cassette is a mixture of older songs by the earlier ...

'' and once on the original cassette release of the band's 1984 album '' The Seaside'' (it was removed from the 1995 CD reissue, but reinstated on the 2015 CD and Vinyl reissue in remastered form). "Bell Stinks", "Bell Clinks" and "Angleworm Angel", all written by Poole, were all taken from the repertoire of the

thrash Thrash may refer to: *Thrashing (computer science), where increasing resources are used to do a decreasing amount of work *Thrash (surname) *Thrash, mascot of the Atlanta Thrashers *''Thrash Rally'', a top-down perspective rally racing video game ...

band Panixsphere, which featured Smith and Poole alongside Bic Hayes and

David Francolini David Thomas Giuseppe Francolini (born 13 September 1969) is an English rock drummer, songwriter and record producer, best known as the drummer in Dark Star and Levitation. Career Prior to forming Levitation, Francolini played with several ban ...

Levitation Levitation (from Latin ''levitas'' "lightness") is the process by which an object is held aloft in a stable position, without mechanical support via any physical contact. Levitation is accomplished by providing an upward force that counteracts ...

. "Billion" is allegedly the first song which Tim Smith ever wrote, resurrected and recorded many years after its composition, whilst "Wireless" features Tim Smith reading from a children's story called "Peril on the Sea" written by Dawn Staple, who would join the band in 2004 as a percussionist and backing singer.''Sing to God'' liner notes. Sam Shepherd opined that "if you were to take a guess at what Smith was suggesting with this album it would simply be that the world is a magical, wondrous place, and that it is still possible to see it through a child's eyes. To that end, any religious themes that can be detected are swamped in childlike word play or muted understanding. Creation is covered in the beautifully grotesque "Insect Hooves on Lassie", which finds Tim indulging in a little re-designing and making his own kind of hero. dog."

Songs

Kitching, describing opening track "Eden on the Air", said "a sound like a

wind chime Wind chimes are a type of percussion instrument constructed from suspended tubes, rods, bells or other objects that are often made of metal or wood. The tubes or rods are suspended along with some type of weight or surface which the tubes or rods ...

being struck followed by some seconds silence proceeds from the initial drop of the needle as 'Eden on the Air' swells, imperceptibly at first, to coalesce like early morning mist, beautiful but only briefly there." Sam Shepherd of ''

'' said that the "gently tinkling wind chime and then short passage" sound like "the twinkling of the stars that grace the cover of the album." "Eat It Up Worms Hero" has been described as coming "something of a shock, shaking the listener rudely out of their reverie" and as "easily the album's most abrasive and chaotic sounding track." It is a product of Smith using the studio as instrument, conducting a mass of choral voices against buzzsaw guitars and manic electronic pulses. The "singalong craziness" of "Dog Like Sparky" combines "a tale of everyday pet disablement to a wonky oompah knees up". Kitching called it a "stupidly, almost overwhelmingly happy song with a playful blasphemy hidden in its heart ("Put your hands on the Holy Bible and scream wank") and an utterly demented keyboard refrain that sounds like a fleet of ice-cream vans chiming simultaneously." Shepherd noted that "three songs in, and already there's been enough ideas thrown into the mix to fill most bands entire careers." "Fiery Gun Hand" keeps the pace of the album up and then "floors the accelerator. In anybody else's hands it's a song that could be described as

metal A metal (from Greek μέταλλον ''métallon'', "mine, quarry, metal") is a material that, when freshly prepared, polished, or fractured, shows a lustrous appearance, and conducts electricity and heat relatively well. Metals are typicall ...

punk Punk or punks may refer to: Genres, subculture, and related aspects * Punk rock, a music genre originating in the 1970s associated with various subgenres * Punk subculture, a subculture associated with punk rock, or aspects of the subculture s ...

, but there are so many flourishes, so many deviations and any number of ridiculous fuck yous to convention that it can't be labelled. Which is of course exactly how it should be." Kitching called it "an electrifying piece of

avant-pop Avant-pop is popular music that is experimental music, experimental, new, and distinct from previous styles while retaining an immediate accessibility for the listener. The term implies a combination of avant-garde sensibilities with existing ele ...

orchestration with Jon Poole's guitar solo (spliced together by Smith from several Poole solos) redefining the term 'incendiary'." "Bellyeye" and " Manhoo" have both been compared to Blur, a band influenced by Cardiacs. The latter, written by Poole, "has a skip in its step and a rumbling and forceful bassline that somehow couldn't be poppier if it was covered in glitter," and features a string arrangement written by Tim Smith. "Wireless" was described as one of the "most beautiful" tracks on the album, is Smith's re-imagining of

's song "Psalter", also known as 'Lauft... Heisst Das es Lauft Oder es Kommt Bald... Lauft', but performed primarily on piano and scissor-wielding percussive ensemble that ends with Smith reading a "bizarre aquatic-themed children's story." Jim and Jane Smith added snipping sounds with garden tools to the song. "Dirty Boy", which opens the second disc, is "perhaps the album's crowning achievement" according to Kitching, beginning with a guitar riff and alchemically transmuting that song over the course of its nearly nine minutes duration with "celestially ringing sounds" constructed by "innumerably overlaid strata of acoustic guitar and incredibly drawn out sustained vocals that when performed live had an undeniably consciousness-altering effect on all those present." "Quiet as a Mouse", described as a "weird piece", was described by Tim Smith as the sound of "just somebody who left the tape running when we were doing these orchestral bits." The band came across it "kind of accidentally" and enjoyed it enough to include it on the album. "

" is "an airy dip into baroque pop incorporating lush string arrangements." "Red Fire Coming Out Of His Gills" returns to the "aquatic fairy tale theme" of the end of "Wireless" and "turns it into a classically infused anthem that wouldn't be out of place as the soundtrack to a really strange animated children's TV show." "Foundling" was described as having "subdued beauty," and alongside "No Gold", return the album "once more to gentler Sea Nymphs territory, whilst "Nurses Whispering Verses", which takes its title from the

Slapp Happy Slapp Happy was a German/English avant-garde pop, avant-pop group, formed in Germany in 1972. Their lineup consisted of Anthony Moore (keyboards), Peter Blegvad (guitar) and Dagmar Krause (vocals). The band members moved to England in 1974 wh ...

and

Henry Cow Henry Cow were an English experimental rock group, founded at the University of Cambridge in 1968 by multi-instrumentalists Fred Frith and Tim Hodgkinson. Henry Cow's personnel fluctuated over their decade together, but drummer Chris Cutler, b ...

song "In the Sickbay" from their album ''

Desperate Straights ''Desperate Straights'' is a collaborative studio album by United Kingdom, British avant-rock Musical ensemble, groups Slapp Happy and Henry Cow. It was recorded at Virgin Records' The Manor Studio, Manor Studio and Nova Sound Studios in Novembe ...

'' (1975), is a "definitive" re-recording of one of the band's earliest songs, having originally been recorded and released twice for the band's first two albums, ''

'' (1981) and '' The Seaside'' (1984), when it had become a firm favourite in the band's live performances at the time. Philip Whitehead of

said it adds "an extra sense of urgency to the original and adding a whole new element to just lift it to pure majesty." After thirty seconds at the end of the album, a brief bell jingle plays as a

hidden track In the field of recorded music, a hidden track (sometimes called a ghost track, secret track or unlisted track) is a song or a piece of audio that has been placed on a CD, audio cassette, LP record, or other recorded medium, in such a way as t ...

, bringing the album to a peaceful close.

Promotion and release

Tim Smith denied that the album title, ''Sing to God'', was a reference to faith. He said that the album was named it "merely because ormer Cardiacs keyboardist

Bill Drake Bill Drake (January 14, 1937 – November 29, 2008), born Philip Yarbrough, was an American radio programmer who co-developed the Boss Radio format with Gene Chenault via their company Drake-Chenault.Douglas, Susan, "Listening In: Radio and the Am ...

had this little kid-hymn book and it was called ''Sing to God'' and we thought it was a nice title." He said that "it's just if the word "Jesus" appears n the album's lyrics it's just because it mentions Jesus in the same way that anyone's name would appear." The album cover, featuring the band's disembodied heads floating against a dark night sky dotted with stars, was inspired by ''

Night of the Hunter Night (also described as night time, unconventionally spelled as "nite") is the period of ambient darkness from sunset to sunrise during each 24-hour day, when the Sun is below the horizon. The exact time when night begins and ends depends o ...

''. Sean Kitching of ''

'' said that "the creepy fairytale atmosphere" of the film "makes it an entirely appropriate image that resonates perfectly with the album's overall vibe. The fact that the band members' eyes are all rendered artificially larger, suggesting wide-eyed children, or perhaps adults returned to that beatific state by the administration of some pharmaceutical philtre, also attests to the truly psychedelic nature of the sounds contained within." The album was released in the UK on 11 June 1996 by the band's long-running own label Alphabet Business Concern, alongside re-releases of all their previous albums. Originally a limited edition 2CD

set, limited to 3,000 copies, ''Sing to God'' was subsequently re-released as two separate albums, ''Sing to God – Part One'' and ''Sing to God – Part Two''. The band's website explained this, saying the album "was later split into two separate albums due to a mistake". "Bellyeye" was released as the album's first single several months ahead of the album on Org Records, the record-releasing wing of long-term Cardiacs' supporters '' Organ Magazine''. It was one of the band's few releases on a label other than Alphabet Business Concern. Tim Smith said the single was "only a small release made by some friends who run a fanzine over here. Since we hadn't released anything for a couple of years they offered to put that out for us. That was a part of the new album that we were recording at the time anyway." A comment about not disturbing commercial sensibilities was slightly edited in the "Manhoo" single because "it was too long and when it's too long it won't be played on the radio." The part in question was "that middle bit where it goes off the wall a little bit, it comes off the rail and then lands back where it was in the first place.

he band He or HE may refer to: Language * He (pronoun), an English pronoun * He (kana), the romanization of the Japanese kana へ * He (letter), the fifth letter of many Semitic alphabets * He (Cyrillic), a letter of the Cyrillic script called ''He'' ...

thought hey'djust keep it on the rail. im Smithlikes both versions." Two further singles were released from the album, " Manhoo" and "

", both released like the album on the band's own Alphabet Business Concern label. Additional singles for “Bell Clinks” and “Dirty Boy” were planned but never released. None of the singles charted. The album was re-released as a 2x LP set on 7 July 2014, the first time it was released on vinyl. This re-release was a 180g "heavyweight" vinyl set, described by ''

'' as being "always deserved" and "beautiful". The set features previously unseen band photographs inside the sleeve and the individual band members' faces from the album cover now adorning a side each of the centre labels. Sam Shepherd of ''MusicOMH'' called it "the latest in a series of re-issues of albums that have long been unavailable, except to those with exceedingly deep pockets on

eBay eBay Inc. ( ) is an American multinational e-commerce company based in San Jose, California, that facilitates consumer-to-consumer and business-to-consumer sales through its website. eBay was founded by Pierre Omidyar in 1995 and became a ...

Critical reception

Initial reaction

The album was an instant hit with fans, but due to the ongoing neglect and disdain of the band by the British music press, one of the only original reviews was an infamous review in '' Vox'', who rated the album a score of 0/10. When asked by upon release by ''PIE Mag'' how the album had been received by fans and the media, Tim Smith replied "oh, the media? No, we don't get received at all in the media over here. We did a couple of live radio sessions on

over here. Luckily we've got this DJ, Mark Radcliffe, who's on our side, which is nice. I reckon he must be the only person in the media that sticks his neck out for us. I think we've seen review of it so far and it got nought out of ten." When asked about the media's treatment of the band, Smith said "you can't rock the boat in this country! It's really not allowed to play anything that might go against the grain of the current fashion. I think it's because we've been around for a long time and we refuse to go away. We really, genuinely do love what we do and there's a bunch of people over here who like it enough to make us carry on. But you know, British media... I mean, every other country in the world know about the British media and how thick they are. We're just a prime target for their dartboard. The fact that we're not good looking, the fact that we're probably getting on a bit now, that kind of thing." One British journalist in a later review of ''Sing to God'' said that "such negative feelings bout the bandmust be discouraged, given the joys contained within their kaleidoscopic world."

Retrospective assessment

Over time, music critics have re-evaluated Cardiacs and their albums, and today ''Sing to God'' is considered a masterpiece, and is often regarded as the band's

. Original copies for the album command high prices in second hand retail. A reviewer for ''PIEmag'' said the album was considered by "many (myself included)" to be "one of the finest moments in Cardiac history. Benjamin Bland of

said that "to say it's highly regarded amongst Cardiacs fans everywhere would be the understatement of the century." Sam Shepherd of ''MusicOMH'' was very favourable, called the album "the band's crowning glory" and "quite possibly one of the greatest albums ever made." He said "it would be possible to write about ''Sing to God'' and the sheer brilliance of Cardiacs for ever, but the truth is, words will never be able to describe just how incredible the band and this album is. The only way to find out is to hear it, and once you do, things will never be quite the same again. This really is an album worthy of laudation." He also noted that "It is an incorrect received wisdom that double-albums are fundamentally flawed. Prior to ''Sing to God'', it's an argument that may have held some water, but over the course of two discs (or four sides of vinyl) there is not an ounce of fat or mindless folly. This is an album of unmitigated genius from start to finish." Sean Kitching of ''

'' said "this is a wonderful album for those whose hearts lack the cynicism to ridicule its often delirious flights of fancy, a cornucopia of synaesthetically rendered technicolor delights for those who have not yet lost the innocence required to be receptive its psychedelic splendour." Michael Rodham-Heaps of ''Freq.org.uk'' called it "an absolute joy from start to finish". Alex Wisgard of ''

The Line of Best Fit ''The Line of Best Fit'' is an independent online magazine based in London, concentrating on new music. It publishes independent music reviews, features, interview, and media. Founded by Richard Thane in February 2007 and currently edited by P ...

'' gave the album a score of 8.5/10, saying "no one was writing music like this in the Nineties – okay,

Mansun Mansun were an English alternative rock band, formed in Chester in 1995. The band comprised vocalist/rhythm guitarist Paul Draper, bassist Stove King, lead guitarist/backing vocalist Dominic Chad, and drummer Andie Rathbone. It was announc ...

came close with ''

Six 6 is a number, numeral, and glyph. 6 or six may also refer to: * AD 6, the sixth year of the AD era * 6 BC, the sixth year before the AD era * The month of June Science * Carbon, the element with atomic number 6 * 6 Hebe, an asteroid People ...

'', but they never made a career out of songs like that, did they? And you can't imagine Cardiacs ever having an "

I Can Only Disappoint U "I Can Only Disappoint U" is a song by the English alternative rock band Mansun. The song was written by band-leader Paul Draper with lead guitarist Dominic Chad. It was recorded and produced by Hugh Padgham and co-producer Michael Hunter during ...

" moment - and I doubt anyone has really ever tried since. With Tim Smith still recovering from a life-threatening heart-attack-and-stroke combination which befell him in 2008, sadly the man himself is in no position either. But with their work slowly coming back into circulation, now is as good a time as any to try and unravel their mystery before anyone else catches up." Andrew "Tiny" Wood, singer of the band

Ultrasound Ultrasound is sound waves with frequency, frequencies higher than the upper audible limit of human hearing range, hearing. Ultrasound is not different from "normal" (audible) sound in its physical properties, except that humans cannot hea ...

, reviewed the album as an "Under Rated Album" for ''Crackle Feedback'' as part of an article about his record collection. Wood said that ''Sing To God'' was released "right in the middle of the so called

Britpop Britpop was a mid-1990s British-based music culture movement that emphasised Britishness. It produced brighter, catchier alternative rock, partly in reaction to the popularity of the darker lyrical themes of the US-led grunge music and to the ...

thing, and if anyone can lay claim to the Britpop crown it is the Cardiacs, largely ignored in a period which was desperately in need of a nostalgia for something that never really happened in the first place, instead of a celebration of what we Brits can achieve when we really put our minds and imaginations to it. The Cardiacs were probably the greatest band ever to come out of Britain, and one day they will be recognised." He commented that "It sprawls over two discs like a many-tendrilled beast, taking in influences from

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the Kinks The Kinks were an English rock band formed in Muswell Hill, north London, in 1963 by brothers Ray and Dave Davies. They are regarded as one of the most influential rock bands of the 1960s. The band emerged during the height of British rhythm ...

in a lysergic soup like a scorpion sting to the head, sharp yet soporific, making me dizzy with intense spins and swirls of sound and colour." When asked in a 2001 interview with ''Margen Magazine'', whether he thinks ''Sing to God'' is the band's best album due to it being their "more known album", Tim Smith replied "no… I sort of like them all in one way or another." The band followed ''Sing to God'' with ''

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'' (1999), their final album, which shocked fans due to its less restless sound. In an interview with ''

Prog Prog may refer to: Music * Progressive music ** Progressive music (disambiguation) ** Progressive rock, a subgenre of rock music also known as “prog” *** Progressive rock (radio format) * Prog (magazine), a magazine dedicated to progressive ...

'',

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said ''Sing to God'' is the prog album he plays to "get imin a good mood": "It's uplifting and intense. Some of the chord changes are so unconventional and hilarious." In a 2014 list entitled "The Arresting Sound of Cardiacs", written by Ben Saunders for ''The Hooded Utilitarian'', "Fiery Gun Hand" and "Dirty Boy" from ''Sing to God'' featured as the seventh and eighth tracks. In a 2015 list for ''Team Rock'', musician Mike Vennart included "Eat it Up Worms Hero", "Dog Like Sparky" and "Dirty Boy" in his list of "The 10 Best Cardiacs Songs".

Track listing

All songs written by Tim Smith unless otherwise indicated. A

of a seconds-long, quiet bell jingle closes the album after a short silence.

Personnel

– vocals, guitar, keyboard * Jim Smith – bass, vocals *

– guitar, keyboard, vocals * Bob Leith – drums and vocals

Additional personnel

* Sarah Smith – vocals and saxophone * Claire Lemmon – vocals * Natalie Box – violin * Jane Kypriandis – scissors * Mark Barratt – trumpets * David Murder – orchestral arrangements * String quartet: ** Chris Brierly ** Catherine Morgan ** Mark Pharaoh ** Robert Woollard

References

External links

Official Cardiacs website
{{Authority control Cardiacs albums 1996 albums