Albums · Studio album

On Land and in the Sea

Cardiacs

Release date2 May 1989

Year1989

LabelAlphabet Business Concern / Torso

Formats & catalogue

CDALPH CD012

LPALPH LP012

LPTORSO 33120

CassetteALPH MC012

Overview

On Land and in the Sea is Cardiacs’ second studio album proper and one of the clearest expressions of the band’s classic six-piece sound. Across a tightly packed sequence of songs, rapid changes of tempo, key and texture collide with bright pop melodies, elaborate ensemble writing and moments of theatrical absurdity. The result is both more intricate and more confident than A Little Man and a House and the Whole World Window, balancing formal complexity with an unusually direct sense of momentum.

Tracklist

47:19

01
Two Bites of Cherry3:19
Side AWritten by Tim Smith
02
Baby Heart Dirt3:32
Side AWritten by Tim Smith
03
The Leader of the Starry Skies3:52
Side AWritten by Tim Smith
04
I Hold My Love in My Arms1:10
Side AWritten by Tim Smith, William D. Drake
05
The Duck and Roger the Horse3:56
Side AWritten by Tim Smith
06
Arnald2:49
Side AWritten by Tim Smith
07
Horse Head1:20
Side AWritten by Tim SmithThe original sleeve describes the recording location as ‘in the hand’.
08
Fast Robert3:59
Side BWritten by Tim Smith
09
Mare's Nest4:15
Side BWritten by Tim Smith, William D. Drake
10
The Stench of Honey3:34
Side BWritten by Tim Smith
11
Buds and Spawn6:46
Side BWritten by Tim Smith
12
The Safety Bowl1:45
Side BWritten by Tim SmithThe original sleeve describes the recording location as ‘in the bush’.
13
The Everso Closely Guarded Line8:23
Side BWritten by Tim Smith, William D. Drake

Line-up

6 credited

Tim Smith

lead vocals · guitar · keyboards

Jim Smith

bass · vocals

Sarah Smith

saxophones · vocals

Her final Cardiacs studio album as a regular member of the band.

William D. Drake

keyboards · vocals

His final Cardiacs studio album as a regular member of the band.

Tim Quy

percussion · marimba · synthesiser

His final Cardiacs studio album.

Dominic Luckman

drums

Archive notes

The album was released on 2 May 1989 by the Alphabet Business Concern, with Torso handling editions in continental Europe.
‘Baby Heart Dirt’ was issued as the album’s only official single on 10 April 1989.
The CD edition added ‘ABC Chimes’, ‘Baby Heart Dirt’, ‘I Hold My Love in My Arms’, ‘Horse Head’, ‘The Safety Bowl’ and ‘Tarred and Feathered’ as additional material.
The front cover features a tree and the full six-piece line-up, imagery that also appeared on Cardiacs merchandise.
The album received mixed reviews on release but was reviewed more favourably than its predecessor and later became one of the most highly regarded records among Cardiacs listeners.
Future Cardiacs member Kavus Torabi has cited the album as the record that introduced him to the band.
The album was reissued in 1995 and 2007 after becoming difficult to obtain, and was added to Cardiacs’ Bandcamp page on 25 February 2018.

Recording & credits

Recording

Recorded at: The Slaughterhouse, Yorkshire
Recording dates: Summer–autumn 1988

Production

Produced by: Tim Smith
Mixed by: Tim Smith
Mastered by: Tim Smith

Artwork

Photography: Steve Payne