Greatest Hits (Cardiacs album)

Greatest Hits
Greatest Hits
Greatest hits album by Cardiacs
Released	22 February 2002
Recorded	1985–2001
Length	57:15
Label	Alphabet Business Concern
Producer	Tim Smith
Cardiacs chronology

Greatest Hits (or Cardiacs Greatest Hits) is a compilation album by the English rock band Cardiacs, released on 22 February 2002.

The album is amusingly titled^[1] as it lacks many better-known songs including their biggest hit "Is This the Life".^[2]

Greatest Hits features one new and otherwise unavailable track, called "Faster Than Snakes With a Ball and a Chain". This is described as having been taken from the then-forthcoming and as-yet untitled album that was to follow Greatest Hits, the creation of which has evidently been abandoned by the band (not to be mistaken for LSD, a later album left in a similar incomplete state.)

Release[edit]

On 22 February 2002,^[3] the Alphabet Business Concern released Greatest Hits through CD, distributed by Plastic Head Distribution (PHD).^[4] The Cardiacs website announced its release on 2 April.^[5]

Critical reception[edit]

In a retrospective review of On Land and in the Sea (1989), Nick Reed of The Quietus highlighted the Greatest Hits track "Faster Than Snakes With a Ball and a Chain" as "excellent".^[6]

Track listing[edit]

All tracks are written by Tim Smith, except where noted

No.	Title	From the album	Length
1.	"There's Good Cud"	Guns 1999	2:22
2.	"Manhoo" (Jon Poole)	Sing to God (part one) 1995	3:22
3.	"Buds and Spawn"	On Land and in the Sea 1989	6:40
4.	"Core"	Heaven Born and Ever Bright 1991	2:32
5.	"Fairy Mary Mag"	Sing to God (part one) 1995	3:09
6.	"Odd Even"	Sing to God (part two) 1995	3:18
7.	"She Is Hiding Behind the Shed"	Heaven Born and Ever Bright 1991	4:09
8.	"The Breakfast Line"	A Little Man and a House and the Whole World Window 1988	4:55
9.	"Mares Nest" (William D. Drake, Smith)	On Land and in the Sea 1989	4:16
10.	"Wind and Rains Is Cold"	Guns 1999	3:20
11.	"Faster Than Snakes With a Ball and a Chain"	The forthcoming album with no title yet 2001	5:54
12.	"Victory Egg"	A Little Man and a House and the Whole World Window 1988	3:04
13.	"Dirty Boy"	Sing to God (part two) 1995	8:56
14.	"Plane Plane Against the Grain"	Songs for Ships and Irons 1988	1:18
Total length:			57:15

Personnel[edit]

Credits adapted from the liner notes of Greatest Hits.^[7]

The people who are in...or have once been in Cardiacs

Tim Smith
Jim Smith
Jon Poole
Bob Leith
Sarah Smith
William D. Drake
Tim Quy
Dominic Luckman
Christian Hayes
Mark Cawthra
Michael Pugh
Margurite Jonston
Peter Tagg
Colvin Mayers
Ralf Cade
Mr. Hiles
Graham Simmonds
The Consultant
Miss Swift

Photographers

Val Langmuir
Caroline and Lucy Cook
Steve Payne
Matt Anker
David Oliver
Marc Palmer
Simone Buddemeijer
Steve Randall
Dominic Search
Robin Francella
Des Berkensure
Loads more

"Faster Than Snakes With a Ball and a Chain"^[8]

Tim Smith – guitar, keyboards, vocals
Jon Poole – guitar, vocals
Bob Leith – drums
Jim Smith – bass, vocals, engineering

Guest:

Sarah Smith – saxophones, vocals

Notes[edit]

References[edit]

^ Phillips, Lance (2003). "The Cardiacs". In Buckley, Peter (ed.). The Rough Guide to Rock (3rd ed.). London: Rough Guides. ISBN 978-1-85828-457-6.
^ Sgrignoli, Marco (20 July 2022). "Cardiacs - biografia, recensioni, streaming, discografia, foto". Ondarock [it] (in Italian). Retrieved 27 May 2023.
^ "Greatest Hits [Explicit] by Cardiacs". Alphabet Business Concern. Retrieved 27 May 2023 – via Amazon Music.
^ "Greatest Hits". The Consultant's Memorabilia Collection. The Cardiacs. Archived from the original on 16 April 2002. Retrieved 27 May 2023.
^ "News". The Cardiacs. 2 April 2002. Archived from the original on 8 April 2002. Retrieved 25 May 2023.
^ Reed, Nick (20 May 2014). "Once In A Lifetime: On Land And In The Sea By Cardiacs Revisited". The Quietus. Retrieved 27 May 2023.
^ Greatest Hits (liner notes). Cardiacs. Alphabet Business Concern. 2001. ALPH CD029.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
^ Benac, Eric (27 August 2021). The Cardiacs: Every Album, Every Song. On Track. Sonicbond Publishing. p. 140. ISBN 9781789521313.

External links[edit]

Greatest Hits at Discogs (list of releases)

[1] Phillips, Lance (2003). "The Cardiacs". In Buckley, Peter (ed.). The Rough Guide to Rock (3rd ed.). London: Rough Guides. ISBN 978-1-85828-457-6.

[OndaRock-2] Sgrignoli, Marco (20 July 2022). "Cardiacs - biografia, recensioni, streaming, discografia, foto". Ondarock [it] (in Italian). Retrieved 27 May 2023.

[3] "Greatest Hits [Explicit] by Cardiacs". Alphabet Business Concern. Retrieved 27 May 2023 – via Amazon Music.

[4] "Greatest Hits". The Consultant's Memorabilia Collection. The Cardiacs. Archived from the original on 16 April 2002. Retrieved 27 May 2023.

[5] "News". The Cardiacs. 2 April 2002. Archived from the original on 8 April 2002. Retrieved 25 May 2023.

[6] Reed, Nick (20 May 2014). "Once In A Lifetime: On Land And In The Sea By Cardiacs Revisited". The Quietus. Retrieved 27 May 2023.

[7] Greatest Hits (liner notes). Cardiacs. Alphabet Business Concern. 2001. ALPH CD029.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)

[8] Benac, Eric (27 August 2021). The Cardiacs: Every Album, Every Song. On Track. Sonicbond Publishing. p. 140. ISBN 9781789521313.

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