A Little Man and a House and the Whole World Window is the fourth studio album by the English rock band Cardiacs

Cardiacs

Cardiacs are an English alternative rock/psychedelic pop band formed in 1977 and led by Tim Smith. Noted for their complex, varied and intense compositional style and for their eccentric, theatrical stage shows, they have been hailed as an influence by bands as diverse as Blur, Faith No More and...

, released in 1988. Arguably the band's best known album, it contains their only hit single, "Is This the Life?

Is This the Life?

"Is This the Life" is the third single from Cardiacs and their best known. It is from the album, A Little Man and a House and the Whole World Window....

". It was recorded at The Workhouse studios in London and produced by Cardiacs leader Tim Smith.

The single from the album, "Is This the Life?

Is This the Life?

"Is This the Life" is the third single from Cardiacs and their best known. It is from the album, A Little Man and a House and the Whole World Window....

", saw brief chart success due to exposure on mainstream radio, and garnered the attention of a wider audience when it entered the Independent Top 10 in the UK.

Critical reception

In New Musical Express, reviewer Jack O'Neill savaged the album for what he perceived to be its retrospective musical approach and (in his opinion) unwelcome leanings towards progressive rock. "Just when you thought Marillion

Marillion

Marillion are a British rock band, formed in Aylesbury, England in 1979. Their recorded studio output comprises sixteen albums generally regarded in two distinct eras, delineated by the departure of original vocalist & frontman Fish in late 1988, and the subsequent arrival of replacement Steve...

 had taken us to the very limit along comes this schizo-progressive anachronism wherein the Cardiacs have telescoped the entire dreggs of the early seventies into one album so geriatric, by comparison that the next Blue Oyster Cult

Blue Öyster Cult

Blue Öyster Cult, often abbreviated BÖC, is an American rock band, most of whose members first came together in Long Island, NY in 1967 as the band Soft White Underbelly...

 will sound as fresh as Viva Hate

Viva Hate

Viva Hate is Morrissey's debut solo album, released on 14 March 1988 by HMV Records. The album was considered a very strong foray into Morrissey's solo career, as he utilised his traditional lyrical style and retained the basic sound that The Smiths had developed by the time they broke up. It...

. It is the Floyd

Pink Floyd

Pink Floyd were an English rock band that achieved worldwide success with their progressive and psychedelic rock music. Their work is marked by the use of philosophical lyrics, sonic experimentation, innovative album art, and elaborate live shows. Pink Floyd are one of the most commercially...

, it is Genesis

Genesis (band)

Genesis are an English rock band that formed in 1967. The band currently comprises the longest-tenured members Tony Banks , Mike Rutherford and Phil Collins . Past members Peter Gabriel , Steve Hackett and Anthony Phillips , also played major roles in the band in its early years...

, it is King Crimson

King Crimson

King Crimson are a rock band founded in London, England in 1969. Often categorised as a foundational progressive rock group, the band have incorporated diverse influences and instrumentation during their history...

, does it matter? A Little Man… is the very worst bits of Tommy stretched out to an eternity; it’s Emerson, Lake & Palmer

Emerson, Lake & Palmer

Emerson, Lake & Palmer, also known as ELP, are an English progressive rock supergroup. They found success in the 1970s and sold over forty million albums and headlined large stadium concerts. The band consists of Keith Emerson , Greg Lake and Carl Palmer...

; it’s Brain Salad Burglary

Brain Salad Surgery

Brain Salad Surgery is the fourth studio album by progressive rock band Emerson, Lake & Palmer, released in 1973 and the first under their Manticore Records imprint. It fuses rock and classical themes. Lyrics were co-written by Greg Lake with fellow ex-King Crimson member Peter Sinfield. Cover...

as the NME of its day might have said. By way of variation ‘In a City Lining’ knocks off one of those Neil Young

Neil Young

Neil Percival Young, OC, OM is a Canadian singer-songwriter who is widely regarded as one of the most influential musicians of his generation...

/Mission

The Mission (band)

The Mission are a gothic rock band formed in 1986 from the splinters of the freshly dissolved rock band The Sisters of Mercy.The band was started by frontman Wayne Hussey and bassist Craig Adams , soon adding...

 cryogenic guitar solos and to bewilder us completely there is a nutty body-stomp midway through "Is This the Life" which resides about as comfortable as Ian Paisley

Ian Paisley

Ian Richard Kyle Paisley, Baron Bannside, PC is a politician and church minister in Northern Ireland. As the leader of the Democratic Unionist Party , he and Sinn Féin's Martin McGuinness were elected First Minister and deputy First Minister respectively on 8 May 2007.In addition to co-founding...

 in the Vatican

Vatican City

Vatican City , or Vatican City State, in Italian officially Stato della Città del Vaticano , which translates literally as State of the City of the Vatican, is a landlocked sovereign city-state whose territory consists of a walled enclave within the city of Rome, Italy. It has an area of...

. Cardiacs are the sound of both feet in the grave."

Releases, availability and reissues

A Little Man and a House and the Whole World Window was originally released on vinyl LP and cassette by the band's record label Alphabet Business Concern. It was subsequently released on CD by the Dutch record label Torso Records with five bonus tracks added - the three tracks from the previous "There's Too Many Irons in the Fire

There's Too Many Irons in the Fire

"There's Too Many Irons in the Fire" is the second single by the English rock band Cardiacs, released in September 1987.-Critical reception:In the week of its release, There's Too Many Irons in the Fire was awarded "Single of the Week" in Sounds magazine...

" single ("There's Too Many Irons in the Fire

There's Too Many Irons in the Fire

"There's Too Many Irons in the Fire" is the second single by the English rock band Cardiacs, released in September 1987.-Critical reception:In the week of its release, There's Too Many Irons in the Fire was awarded "Single of the Week" in Sounds magazine...

", "All Spectacular" and "Loosefish Scapegrace") plus the B-side tracks from the "Is This the Life?

Is This the Life?

"Is This the Life" is the third single from Cardiacs and their best known. It is from the album, A Little Man and a House and the Whole World Window....

" 12" single ("Goosegash" and "I'm Eating in Bed"). Alphabet released a number of CDs which were actually the Dutch Torso Records version (TORSO CD060), with an Alphabet album number sticker over the Torso release (although the CD has the Torso number printed on it.)

The album was reissued on CD in 1995 (along with the rest of the band's back catalogue) by Alphabet Business Concern. The tracklisting on this release followed the original vinyl and cassette tracklisting and removed all of the bonus tracks, with the exception of "I'm Eating in Bed" which was reinstated as the album's third track in accordance with the wishes of the band.

After a long period of unavailability, the album was re-pressed in August 2007 and is available on the band's official website.

1988 Alphabet Business Concern LP

Side One

1. "A Little Man and a House" – 5:04
2. "In a City Lining" – 5:51
3. "Is This the Life?
   Is This the Life?
   "Is This the Life" is the third single from Cardiacs and their best known. It is from the album, A Little Man and a House and the Whole World Window....
   
   " – 5:36
4. "Interlude" – 0:47
5. "Dive" – 4:09

Side Two

1. "Icing on the World" – 4:02
2. "The Breakfast Line" – 4:54
3. "Victory" – 3:07
4. "R.E.S." – 5:15
5. "The Whole World Window" (Tim Smith, William D. Drake) – 5:56

1988 Torso CD

1. "A Little Man and a House" – 5:04
2. "In a City Lining" – 5:51
3. "Is This the Life?
   Is This the Life?
   "Is This the Life" is the third single from Cardiacs and their best known. It is from the album, A Little Man and a House and the Whole World Window....
   
   " – 5:36
4. "Interlude" – 0:47
5. "Dive" – 4:09
6. "The Icing on the World" – 4:02
7. "The Breakfast Line" – 4:54
8. "Victory Egg" – 3:07
9. "R.E.S." – 5:15
10. "The Whole World Window" (Tim Smith, William D. Drake) – 5:56
11. "Goosegash" – 1:55
12. "Loosefish Scapegrace" – 7:46
13. "I'm Eating in Bed" (Tim Smith, William D. Drake) – 5:06
14. "There's Too Many Irons in the Fire
    There's Too Many Irons in the Fire
    "There's Too Many Irons in the Fire" is the second single by the English rock band Cardiacs, released in September 1987.-Critical reception:In the week of its release, There's Too Many Irons in the Fire was awarded "Single of the Week" in Sounds magazine...
    
    " – 3:16
15. "All Spectacular" – 2:35

1995 Alphabet Business Concern reissue

1. "A Little Man and a House" – 5:04
2. "In a City Lining" – 5:51
3. "I'm Eating in Bed" (Tim Smith, William D. Drake) – 5:06
4. "Is This the Life?
   Is This the Life?
   "Is This the Life" is the third single from Cardiacs and their best known. It is from the album, A Little Man and a House and the Whole World Window....
   
   " – 5:36
5. "Interlude" – 0:47
6. "Dive" – 4:09
7. "Icing on the World" – 4:02
8. "The Breakfast Line" – 4:54
9. "Victory" – 3:07
10. "R.E.S." – 5:15
11. "The Whole World Window" (Tim Smith, William D. Drake) – 5:56

Personnel

• Tim Smith
  Tim Smith (Cardiacs)
  Tim Smith is an English singer-songwriter, composer, poet, multi-instrumentalist, record producer and music video director....
  
   – Vocals, Guitar, Flute and Recorder
• Jim Smith – Bass Guitar and Vocals
• Sarah Smith – Saxophones, Clarinets, Recorders and Vocals
• William D. Drake – Keyboards and Vocals
• Tim Quy – Marimba, Percussion and Synthesiser
• Dominic Luckman – Drums

Additional personnel

• Ashley Slater – Tenor Trombone and Bass Trombone
• Phil Cesar – Trumpet, Flugelhorn and Soprano Trumpet
• Elaine Herman – Violin
• The Consultant, Miss Swift and Mark Walmesley – Vocals