LSD (Cardiacs album)

1999-2007: Post-Guns aborted recordings and lineup changes At some point between 1999 and 2003, Cardiacs began work on a new studio album, which would have included unreleased songs from the Sing to God and Guns sessions like "Faster Than Snakes with a Ball and a Chain", (which would appear on Greatest Hits (2002)), live favourite "Silvery", "Shiprot", and others, as well as new songs like "Vermin Mangle" (performed by Tim Smith in solo live shows, with a studio recording released after Smith's passing). Some elements of these sessions remain on or were considered for LSD. In October 2005, Smith told questioner Rob Aird that the band had been working on a follow-up album to Guns (1999) from "about 1999–2000". Smith went on to say that "things got broken and we couldn't finish the album", explaining: "I won't re-record things once they have been started because too much of the atmosphere and god knows what else is lost." Following the release of Greatest Hits, several changes occurred within the Cardiacs lineup. Guitarist Jon Poole was replaced in 2003 by former guitar technician Kavus Torabi, previously known as a founding member of the Cardiacs-influenced The Monsoon Bassoon. In 2004, the band's lineup expanded further to include vocalists Claire Lemmon and Melanie Woods of Sidi Bou Said, Sharron Fortnam of the North Sea Radio Orchestra, and percussionists Cathy Harabaras and Dawn Staple. with Lemmon subsequently providing backing vocals for the song "Dog Like Sparky" on Cardiacs' album Sing to God (1996). During this period, Cardiacs continued to tour, recorded The Special Garage Concerts live album, and filmed Some Fairytales from the Rotten Shed. 2007-2008: First phase of activity; initial recording and Ditzy Scene EP Work on the album started proper in 2007 when Tim Smith sent Kavus Torabi three CDs worth of compositional material and asked him to pick his favorites to start recording. The first track Torabi picked was "Ditzy Scene", which became the first song written by the band's new lineup. Both Torabi and Smith expressed excitement for the material, but were "not mad" on the EP's rushed mix, The EP coincided with a tour. On the tour, Torabi recalled that "The crowds were getting bigger and younger and something was definitely happening", adding that Tim's brother and bass player Jim Smith said "something was in the air, that this might be our time." Cardiacs began further work on LSD following the 2007 tour. Tracks "The May" and "Spelled All Wrong" were finalised and had Tim's vocals fully recorded: these are used in the final album. The composition and lyrics for "Skating", a collaboration with Jo Spratley that was inspired by Mr Bungle's California originated from the early 2000s and was finalised in 2008, with the band preparing to perform it live for their planned tour later that year. In summer 2008, LSD was almost ready and due to be released in October. On 23 June, Cardiacs performed three songs live on Marc Riley's BBC 6 Music radio show. Lemmon, Staple and Sharron Fortnam were no longer in the Cardiacs lineup by then. 2008-2015: Tim Smith's paralysis and band hiatus All work on LSD abruptly stopped when Tim Smith was hospitalised on 25 June 2008. Having attended the last night of My Bloody Valentine's comeback residency at the Roundhouse in London, Smith had gone for a drink with former Cardiacs guitarist Bic Hayes before heading off in the early hours to meet friends, subsequently suffering a heart attack and an episode of cerebral anoxia in a north London street, which in turn triggered a major stroke. Denied movement and speech, Smith was forced to retire from live performances and LSD remained unfinished. In a 2009 interview, Torabi said that LSD would eventually release, but it was "the last thing on [their] minds". On 13 December 2010, the tribute album Leader of the Starry Skies: A Tribute to Tim Smith, Songbook 1 was released, compiling covers made by artists close to Smith, members of Cardiacs, and those inspired by the band. Other fundraising initiatives were formed, including gigs—above all the charity concert "The Alphabet Business Convention" held on three occasions between 2013 and 2017. 2016-2020: Second phase of activity and Tim's final tasks Due to Smith's illness, it was thought that LSD would remain a famous lost album. However, Smith was able to oversee the completion of another of his musical projects, the Sea Nymphs' second album, On the Dry Land (2016), after significant progress with recovery. Torabi stated in an interview that LSD was "nearly done but needs vocals and eyebrows", adding that there were talks of people who Smith would approve of adding vocals under his direction. The effort was supported by Faith No More founder and bassist Billy Gould, Shane Embury of Napalm Death, Voivod guitarist Dan Mongrain, and Ginger Wildheart. Quickly exceeding the original goal, the JustGiving campaign updated to raise £100,000—enough to provide Smith a year of home care and a chance of recuperation. Later that year, Smith was awarded an honorary degree as Doctor of Music from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. There was talk of him moving back to his home full-time and being able to oversee the completion of LSD, which was eventually realised. 2020-2025: Death of Tim Smith; third phase of activity and return to recording On 22 July 2020, Jim Smith announced in a statement on Cardiacs' website that Tim had died the previous night. The news was confirmed by Torabi, Mary Wren from the Alphabet Business Concern, and another band representative. The same day, the song "Vermin Mangle", originally planned as the final track on LSD—was released as a free download on the band's Bandcamp page. It was only played live a few times during Smith's solo performances in 2000 and 2006, with the studio version first shared publicly during Steve Davis' tribute show on Phoenix FM on 30 July. It was their first single and release of new material since "Ditzy Scene" in 2007, featuring the circus, prog and psychedelic instrumentation that drove the band's most classic work. Vermin Mangle features Tim Smith on vocals. The booklet for LSD states the song was dropped due to not fitting with the 'vibe' of other tracks and for not being meant as a final statement; "Pet Fezant" was instead used to end the album as it was meant as a true goodbye to Tim from all of his friends. Following Tim's death, activity on the album continued. With all the lyrics done, and compositions near-finished, Jim would take responsibility of production decisions and album arrangement, working through 2021–2024 to complete it. A series of vocalists were assembled to finish the vocals for the album, with most lead vocals being filled by Mike Vennart and Rose Allen-Kemp. Vennart had been chosen, in part, for the level of "vocal agitation" he could provide to Tim's melodies. Fortnam continued his work that he had started with Tim and was in charge of all of the brass and string arrangements for the album. == Promotion ==

Shortly after recording had finished, members of the band "past, present, and future" played sold-out shows as part of the tour Sing to Tim in 2024. On 26 July 2025, following a series of teaser images, The Alphabet Business Concern streamed a film of a previously unseen Cardiacs concert taking place at the Town and Country Club, London, 25 March 1988. At the end of the broadcast, a teaser for the first new Cardiacs single in 18 years, "Woodeneye" appeared, to be released 1 August 2025 as the first of three singles for LSD. An early broadcast of the song was played on BBC Radio 6 Music's programme Riley & Coe on 31 July 2025, before debuting on streaming services. By August 2025, Cardiacs consisted of Jim Smith, Bob Leith, Kavus Torabi, Craig Fortnam, Sharron Fortnam, Mike Vennart, Chloe Herington and Jane Kaye (although Kaye was missing from the line-up by the time live concerts were played in March 2026). "Downup", the second single, was released on 28 August 2025. On 14 September 2025, Cardiacs held synchronized listening parties for LSD, where it was played in full. These were held in London, Brighton, Manchester and Liverpool, with different supporting acts. A video message from Jim Smith was screened before the playback, thanking fans for their support and firmly declaring Cardiacs were to continue as a musical act beyond LSD. The third LSD single, "Volob", was released on September 17, 2025. LSD was released on 19 September 2025, which AllMusic biographer Paul Simpson noted, in an "amusing coincidence", was the same day as the long-planned second album by Cardi B. == Cover art ==

The album's cover art, featuring a kangaroo, originated from a pub in Hungerford. Tim Smith bought the painting for £25 and originally planned to use it for the cover art of Guns until he learnt of the Hungerford massacre and thought that using a painting from the town would be in bad taste considering the album's name. It ended up on his wall at his home; while working on LSD in Tim's stead, the members of Cardiacs began staring at the painting until it became a mutual decision to use the painting as the album's front cover. == Reception ==

Sean Kitching of The Quietus claimed it was "Bookended by the majestic but bittersweet hymn 'Men in Bed', which recalls Heaven Born and Ever Bright's 'Home Of Fadeless Splendour' and the elegiac and madrigal-like 'Pet Fezant', LSD offers a broad spectrum of delights." concluding, "LSD is a trip, a technicolour experience for the inner eye that only reveals the full richness of its sound and imagery with repeated listening." Joyzine was mixed on their assessment, expressing disappointment due to the absence of "Vermin Mangle" and felt some songs suffered from lacking Tim Smith's vocals, concluding, "this album is a multi tentacled beast, and I suppose it is a fitting tribute in that, although it isn’t perfect and some of it works and some of it doesn’t, it can’t be denied that everyone involved in it has done so with care and love." In a 2025 buyer's guide to Cardiacs for an article covering LSD, the magazine Uncut called the album "a most fitting culmination to the Cardiacs story, full of songs that feel richer, more robust and more spirited than ever." == Track listing ==

All music written by Tim Smith; all lyrics written by Smith, except where noted. Strings and brass written and arranged by Craig Fortnam. Notes • A hidden track of a seconds-long, quiet bell jingle (often referred to as the 'ABC/Alphabet Business Concern/Cardiacs chimes/theme') closes the album after a short silence, as with most Cardiacs albums. == Personnel ==

Credits are adapted from Bandcamp. • Tim Smith – guitars (all tracks), keyboards (all tracks), vocals (2, 3, 5, 13, 16), bass (some tracks), funny stuff (17) • Jim Smith – basses (all tracks), vocals (1–9, 12, 17) • Kavus Torabi – guitars (2–17), vocals (1–9, 12, 13, 15, 17), EBow guitars (14) • Bob Leith – drums (1–16), percussion (1–16), vocals (1–9) • Mike Vennart – vocals (1, 2, 4–10, 12, 14, 15, 17) • Rose-Ellen Kemp – vocals (1, 4, 5, 7, 8, 10, 12, 15, 17) • Craig Fortnam – vocals (1, 2, 7–9, 17), glockenspiel (7), spoken word (8) • James Larcombe – piano (2, 5–8, 10, 12, 15, 16 (pianos)), keyboards (8, 10–12) • Stephen Gilchrist – extra drums (8, 15) • Sharron Fortnam – vocals (2, 5, 15, 17) • Jane Kaye – vocals (8, 9, 17 (as Jane K)) • Jo Spratley – vocals (8) • Suzanne Kirby – vocals (3, 13, 15, 16) • Melanie Woods – vocals (13) • Claire Lemmon – vocals (13) • Rob Crow – drumfuckery Special guest stars with voices • Steve Morricone (2) • Yael Claire Shahmoon (2) • Emily Freya Jones (17) • Nick Howiantz (4, 15, 17, keyboards on 8) • Shane Embury (17) • Duncan 'The Honest Man' Cooper (17) • Jon 'The Choirboy' Daniel (17) • Mick Pugh (17) Strings • Max Baillie – violin (1, 5, 11, 12, 17) • Darius Luke Thompson – violin (1, 5, 11, 12, 17) • Oli Langford – viola (1, 5, 11, 12, 17) • Harry Escott – cello (1, 5, 7, 11, 12, 15, 17) Brass • Sam Barton – trumpet (1, 10, 11, 13, 14, 17) • Pat White – flugal horn (1, 10, 11, 13, 14, 17) • Ruth O'Reilly – French horn (1, 10, 11, 13, 14, 17) • Tim Smart – tenor & bass trombone (1, 10, 11, 13, 14, 15, 17) • Mickey McMillan – trombone (1, 10, 11, 13, 14, 17) Technical • Jim Smith – producer, executive producer • Tim Smith – producer • Kavus Torabi – producer • Nick Howiantz – engineer • Adam Noble – mixing engineer • Frank Arkwight – mastering engineer Visual • Michael Chapman – art and design • Dr. Norbert Lange – assistance ==Charts==