Big Ship (EP)

Big Ship
Big Ship
EP by Cardiacs
Released	27 January 1987
Recorded	1986
Studio	Raven (New Cross); Soft Option;
Length	18:36
Label	Alphabet Business Concern
Producer	Tim Smith; Graham Simmonds;
Cardiacs chronology

Big Ship is the second extended play (EP) by the English band Cardiacs, released in January 1987 by the Alphabet Business Concern.^[3] It is an album-sized vinyl record played at the speed of a single (45rpm)^[4] and was issued with a lyric insert. It was the first Cardiacs release to exclusively feature the so-called classic 1980s line-up of the band (Tim Smith on lead vocals and guitar, Jim Smith on bass guitar and backing vocals, William D. Drake on keyboards and backing vocals, Sarah Smith on saxophones and backing vocals, Tim Quy on percussion and Dominic Luckman on drums).

The anthemic title track has become a key Cardiacs song, played at nearly every concert and appearing on most of their live albums. "Tarred and Feathered" and "Burn Your House Brown" were also played by the band into the 1990s and 2000s.

Trivia

The song "Tarred and Feathered" incorporates, as its final lyric segment, the third verse of the hymn "O God, who metest in thine hand" by Richard Frederick Littledale.

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
Underground	^[4]

In Melody Maker, Mick Mercer reviewed Big Ship in skeptical tones. While praising the "impressively restrained operation" of "Stoneage Dinosaurs", he also noted that "the title track sounds like those ancient monsters Procol Harum, trapped in some horrendous storm. Memories of Gruppo Sportivo even come sneaking through, but The Cardiacs hold their own ridiculous heads high, only wreaking their vocals, the heavy keyboards and thumping bass refusing to crumble. Unfortunately "Tarred and Feathered" sounds like spotty kids running round a piano, while the dustbin drums of "Burn Your House Down" reminds me only of dreamy Saturday afternoons when the Play Away band would do their thing." Mercer also commented that "with Cardiacs everything is accidental, especially good taste. Arrest these peasants before they get another chance."^[5]

The mini-album was given a similarly lukewarm review by Julian Henry in Underground. In his view the album didn't "live up to (the band's) visual appearance", although he went on to call it "clever" and "humorous in a jolly titter-titter way".^[4]

Availability and reissuing

Big Ship has been reissued from the Alphabet Business Concern label and is available on CD.[1]. All of the tracks from the mini-album were reissued on the Songs for Ships and Irons compilation (originally released in 1991 and reissued on CD in 1995).

Track listing

All tracks are written by Tim Smith, except "Tarred and Feathered" co-written by William D. Drake

Side one
No.	Title	Length
1.	"Big Ship"	5:47
2.	"Tarred and Feathered"	3:31
Total length:		9:18

Side two
No.	Title	Length
1.	"Burn Your House Brown"	2:37
2.	"Stoneage Dinosaurs"	5:22
3.	"Plane Plane Against the Grain"	1:21
Total length:		9:20

Personnel

Credits adapted from Big Ship EP liner notes.^[6]

Locations

Recorded at Raven Studios; except "Plane Plane Against the Grain" recorded at Soft Option Studios

Cardiacs

Tim Quy – marimba, synthesizer, curious percussives
Tim Smith – electric guitar, main voice
Jim Smith – electric bass, voice
Sarah Smith – saxophones, clarinets, voice
William D. Drake – electric and acoustic keyboards, voice
Dominic Luckman – drum, voice

Technical

Tim Smith – production, mixing
Graham Simmonds – production, mixing^[a]
Nigel Gilroy – engineer at Raven Studios
Roger Tebbutt – engineer at Soft Option Studios

Artwork

Cardiacs – compiling
Reg Ganz – front cover lettering
Tony Stringer – front cover photograph
Mike Tate – final artwork photography

Notes

^ ^a ^b Simmonds is credited as a producer in the liner notes but credited only for mixing on the record itself.

References

^ ^a ^b Belcher, David (17 January 1987). "Instant arrest by the Cardiacs". The Glasgow Herald. p. 8. Retrieved 19 January 2023 – via Google Books.
^ Kitching, Sean (3 July 2022). "The Strange (Parallel) World of… Tim Smith Of Cardiacs". The Quietus. Retrieved 14 April 2023.
^ Strong, Martin C. (2003) The Great Indie Discography, Canongate, ISBN 1-84195-335-0, p. 254
^ ^a ^b ^c Henry, Julian (1987) "Cardiacs Big Ship", Underground, April 1987, p. 13
^ Mercer, Mick (March 1987). "Album Reviews – Songs for Ships and Irons". Melody Maker. Archived from the original on 26 February 2006.
^ Big Ship (liner notes). Cardiacs. Alphabet Business Concern. 1987. ALPH 004.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)

[credit-3] Simmonds is credited as a producer in the liner notes but credited only for mixing on the record itself.

[Kitching-1] Belcher, David (17 January 1987). "Instant arrest by the Cardiacs". The Glasgow Herald. p. 8. Retrieved 19 January 2023 – via Google Books.

[2] Kitching, Sean (3 July 2022). "The Strange (Parallel) World of… Tim Smith Of Cardiacs". The Quietus. Retrieved 14 April 2023.

[Strong-4] Strong, Martin C. (2003) The Great Indie Discography, Canongate, ISBN 1-84195-335-0, p. 254

[Henry-5] Henry, Julian (1987) "Cardiacs Big Ship", Underground, April 1987, p. 13

[bigshipmmreview-6] Mercer, Mick (March 1987). "Album Reviews – Songs for Ships and Irons". Melody Maker. Archived from the original on 26 February 2006.

[liner_notes-7] Big Ship (liner notes). Cardiacs. Alphabet Business Concern. 1987. ALPH 004.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)

[1]

[2]

[a]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]