"The Obvious Identity" is the first album by the English rock group Cardiacs, released when they were still called Cardiac Arrest. It was self-released on cassette tape and only sold at concerts. The title came from a previous band name. The album includes two songs featuring original lead singer Michael Pugh, whose only other appearance was on the A Bus for a Bus on the Bus single.
Recorded at Crow Studios in Surrey, it followed a punk/DIY approach due to limited funds. The recordings were duplicated onto any old tapes available, resulting in very rough sound quality—described humorously by a band member as "so shit it wouldn’t matter if they were copied onto washing-up sponges." About 1000 cassettes were made.
