Search - Supersister :: Present from Nancy/To the Highest Bidder

MASTERPIECE OF HIGHEST CALIBER-- DEFIES DESCRIPTION

Gregorio Alfaro Aguirre | 03/28/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"NOT ONLY AM I ASTOUNDED THAT AMAZON IS OFFERING THE ENTIRE CATALOG, BUT I AM HONORED TO WRITE THE FIRST REVIEW OF PRESENT FROM NANCY (not "nacy", as it is listed)/ TO THE HIGHEST BIDDER. THESE 2 TITLES WERE THE FIRST RELEASES BY 'SISTER ON POLYDOR, IN 1970 AND '71. FOR REVIEW PURPOSES, I WILL LUMP BOTH ALBUMS TOGETHER , AS THEY ARE QUITE SIMILAR AND MARRY WELL AS A SINGLE CD. DESCRIBING SUPERSISTER IS NOT AN EASY TASK, BUT I SHALL DO MY BEST. TYPICAL LABELS SUCH AS 'PROG', 'JAZZ ROCK', PSYCHEDELIC', 'AVANT-GARDE', 'EXPERIMENTAL', ALTHOUGH BY NO MEANS ARE DISPARAGING OR SPITEFUL TERMS, DO NOT ADEQUATELY DEFINE THE MUSIC OF 'SISTER. THIS BAND ENCOMPASSES ALL OF THESE STYLES YET EXCEEDS BEYOND THE ORDINARY CAPACITY OF ALL OF THEM. PUSHING THE BOUNDARIES OF THE ORIGINAL "ALTERNATIVE" MUSIC IS WHAT THESE GUYS ARE ALL ABOUT. THESE FIRST 2 RELEASES, BOTH OF WHICH ARE EQUALLY IMPRESSIVE, BEST DEMONSTRATE THE BROADENING OF MUSICAL HORIZONS AND AMAZING CREATIVITY 'SISTER HAS EXCELLED IN. RARELY DOES A BAND REACH SUCH A LEVEL OF TALENT AND INDIVIDUALISM ON A DEBUT ALBUM AND THEN HIT ANOTHER HOME RUN WITH THE FOLLOW UP. THERE'S A MYSTERIOUS QUALITY ABOUT THIS BAND THAT SETS THEM APART FROM MANY OTHER PROGROCK BANDS AND PSYCHEDELIC GARAGE BANDS, INCLUDING THE GOOD ONES, OBSCURE AND WELL-KNOWN ALIKE. THE 4 MEMBERS ARE ALL PHENOMINAL MUSICIANS AND THEY ARE NOT SHY IN LETTING YOU KNOW IT, ALTHOUGH THEY KEEP FROM GETTING TOO TECHNICAL OR SOUNDING LIKE PRETENTIOUS SNOBS. ONE OF THE STRANGEST ANOMALIES IS THAT THERE IS NO GUITAR-- ACOUSTIC, ELECTRIC, OR OTHERWISE. THE DUTIES OF FUZZ, DISTORTION, AND HEAVINESS ARE SUPPLIED WITH A PRIMITIVE SYNTH CALLED THE TONE GENERATOR, AND A LITTLE FUZZBASS. THE HORRIBLE SOUNDS OF THE TONE GENERATOR ARE PLASTERED INTERMITTENTLY THROUGH MUCH OF THE FIRST ALBUM, LESS ON THE SECOND. IT IS SO CRUCIAL TO THE INTENSITY OF THE EXPERIENCE. YOU CAN ALMOST FEEL YOUR TEETH VIBRATE. TAKING TURNS WITH THE TONE GENERATOR (KEYBOARDS), ARE PIANO, MULTIPLE ORGANS, AND HARPSICHORD, ALL EXPERTLY PLAYED BY R.J. STIPS, WHO SOUNDS LIKE A CLASSICLY-TRAINED PIANIST. STIPS IS ALSO THE CHIEF COMPOSER OF SUPERSISTER'S ALL ORIGINAL MATERIAL AND ALSO PLAYS VIBES ON A FEW TRACKS. DID I MENTION HE ALSO DOES A GOOD DUTCH-ACCENTED DONOVAN IMPERSONATION ON VOCALS NOW AND THEN? FLUTE PLAYER SACHA VAN GEEST IS AN EXPERT SOLOIST. HIS FLUTE SEEMS TO FLOAT ON THE AIR HE BLOWS INTO IT. HIS FLUTE ENTWINES MEZMERIZINGLY WITH THE VAST ARRAY OF KEYBOARD SOUNDS, GIVING 'SISTER A SIGNATURE SOUND. SOMETHING ABOUT HIS SOLOING SOUNDS IMPROVISATIONAL, YET HE COLORS THE MUSIC WITH HIS MAGIC CRAYON PERFECTLY. BASSMAN RON VAN ECK ALSO SUPPLIES MOST OF THE BRIEF BUT TRIPPY LYRICS AND GETS THE MOST ENORMOUS FUZZ ON A BASS I EVER HEARD. DRUMMER MARCO VROLIJK -- I SWEAR HE HAS 8 LIMBS AND PUTS MOST OF THE WORLD'S BEST DRUMMERS BACK IN DRUM CORPS TO LEARN SOME CHOPS. YET HE REMAINS TASTEFUL AND POISED THROUGHOUT. THE MUSIC IS QUITE DISTINCTIVE. THERE ARE BEAUTIFUL MELODIES, ODD SIGNATURES, FREQUENT TIME CHANGES, SOARING SOLOS, BUSY RHYTHMS, AND QUITE A FEW FREAKY PARTS. IN FACT THIS BAND FROM HOLLAND WAS ONE OF IF NOT THE FIRST BAND TO EXPERIMENT WITH THE CONCEPT OF WHAT IS NOW CALLED SPEEDMETAL, WITH TRACKS LIKE "METAMORPHOSIS" AND "11/8", WHICH SOUND LIKE NOTHING ELSE ANY OTHER BANDS WERE DOING AT THE TIME: FAST, DISTORTED, AND INSANELY AGGRESSIVE. WITH NO GUITARS! TO COMPARE 'SISTER WITH BANDS LIKE SLAYER WOULD BE INSULTING TO THE DUTCH MASTERS. MOST OF THE TRACKS CONSIST OF MULTIPLE "PARTS", AND THE BOYS ARE ALWAYS SURPRISING US. YOU'RE JUST GETTING USED TO ONE SEQUENCE, AND BAM-- THEY'RE OFF TO SOME OTHER TANGENT OF HIGHLY UNUSUAL, EXPERIMENTAL NOISE. OR A SOOTHING MELODY. OR A JAZZY BREAK. ALWAYS CHANGING , EVOLVING, BUILDING , RELEASING. JOURNEY FROM A MYTHICAL WORLD OF FAIRIES TO BEING ELECTROCUTED TO FLOATING THROUGH SPACE TO GROOVING MADLY. LISTENING TO THIS DISK IS MORE LIKE JOURNEYING THROUGH THE COSMOS THAN JUST HEARING 4 GUYS PLAY. THERE IS ALSO A DEEPLY EMOTIONAL, COMPELLING SONG, "NO TREE WILL GROW", WHICH IS ABSOLUTELY BEAUTIFUL AND DEPRESSING. THERE IS NOT ONE BAD TRACK ON THE DISK. "DONA NOVUS PACUM" AND "DREAMING WEELWHILE" ARE SLOW MOVING BACKDROPS THAT SERVE AS BREAKS FROM THE UPS AND DOWNS OF THE REST OF THE DISK, WHICH IS PURE GENIUS, MUSICAL BLISS, AND MIND-BENDING AURAL ART. THERE ARE EVEN A FEW GLIMPSES OF POPISM HERE AND THERE. IF YOUR MUSICAL VOCABULARY IS LIMITED TO BACHMAN TURNER OVERDRIVE OR THE GREATEST HITS OF THE 70'S, AVOID THIS DISK. IF YOU HAVE NO APTITUDE FOR TOP-NOTCH EXPERIMENTALISM THAT IS MILES ABOVE PROG ACTS LIKE ELP, GENESIS, OR CARAVAN, AND STRANGE ENOUGH TO ACHIEVE HIGHER ELEVATIONS WITHOUT DRUGS, AVOID THIS DISK AT ALL COSTS. FOR THE REST OF US, "WE REALLY CAN GET HIGHER...""

A Canterbury scene in the Netherlands?

Jeffrey J.Park | Massachusetts, USA | 04/21/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Stylistically, Supersister is very similar to English Canterbury bands like Egg and Soft Machine, yet hails from the Netherlands. Interestingly enough, the two recordings on this CD were released in 1970 and 1971 (i.e. around the beginning of the Canterbury "movement"). Although it can be debated whether this band alone provides evidence that a legitimate Canterbury style developed outside of England, it is certainly compelling. The pieces on "Present from Nancy (1970) are jazzy, with several shorter pieces lumped into three "song-suites" along with the 8'34" Dona Nobis Pacem and the extremely brief Corporation Combo Boys. Straight Hammond organ parts in addition to Mike Ratledge (Soft Machine) influenced distorted organ parts abound, along with various flute parts and spacey, minimalist sections, with excellent playing by all members. The Egg approach is obvious as well, as reflected in the dense ensemble work and the usage of odd time signatures (in fact one of their pieces is entitled 11/8). There is also the whimsical side of the Canterbury scene too, which is very much in evidence on Corporation Combo Boys. Although largely instrumental, there are some vocal parts which are reminiscent of Robert Wyatt at times. "To the Highest Bidder (1971) is comprised of four pieces that range from 2 to 15 minutes in length. The music is similar to their excellent debut and continues their jazzy, virtuosic approach to experimental rock with a healthy dose of the European avant-garde. Although these first two recordings are excellent, by the time of Spiral Staircase (1973) Supersister had pretty much tanked."

These two albums are my first try in to Supersister

BENJAMIN MILER | Veneta, Oregon | 03/08/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I have been aware of Supersister for a number of years, but for some reason didn't try any of their stuff until I got this 2-for-1 CD. I think it has something to do with the band name, one might get the impression they might be a disco act. But of course that's far from the truth, and the band pre-dated disco. Instead they were one of the top prog rock bands to come out of the Netherlands, along with Focus, Earth & Fire, Trace, Ekseption, and Alquin. I kept hearing they were a Dutch answer to such Canterbury acts as Caravan. I have always felt Caravan was one of the more accessible Canterbury acts, and Supersister's music is much more twisted, and there's often a strong Soft Machine feel. I hear comparisons to Hatfield & the North, but the band had yet to exist. Supersister at this point consisted of keyboardist/vocalist Robert Jan Stips, flautist Sacha van Geest, bassist Ron van Eck, and drummer Marco Vrolijk. There is no guitar player, but the heavily fuzzed organ (much in the style of Mike Ratledge or Dave Stewart) more than makes up for it. The vocals are often compared to Richard Sinclair, but equally they remind me of Pye Hastings. Present From Nancy, released in 1970 was their debut, and this is a prime example of a prog rock band getting right the first time (where bands like Yes and Genesis had to take three albums for them to really take off). Most of the album is full of really twisted jazzy prog rock, with some more atmospheric numbers like the flute/organ dominated "Dreaming Weelwhile" and the gloomy "Dona Nobis Pacem". The latter features a little chanting in Latin, but mainly a mellow, organ-dominated piece that suddenly turns to circus music near the end of this piece before fading out in about one minute. "Metamorphosis" is one truly twisted piece, an almost minamalist piece with tons of fuzz organ. "Eight Miles High" is an odd, but very short piece (20 seconds). You might think this is the band doing a short cover of the Byrds. Well partially true, they combined the lyrics of that Byrds classic with George Gershwin's "Summertime", in which the song goes "Eight miles high, and the living is easy". This odd experiment turns out to be a wonderful, psychedelic number with organ. Another oddity here is "Memories are New". This is the first cut with vocals. There's a nice psychedelic vibe, with twisted use of fuzz organ, then they go off the deep-end with an experimental passage that reminds me of what Krautrock bands were doing around the same time, but with that Canterbury-style fuzz organ. 1971's To the Highest Bidder finds the band doing more extended pieces, only four cuts this time. "A Girl Named You" is a jazzy piece dominated by electric piano. I'm pretty certain I hear a little Mellotron creeping it, it sounds like the little-known M300 model. I am probably not too surprised given this was recorded at Phonogram studios, and Earth & Fire and Ekseption had recorded there and had used the M300 (which apparently belonged to the studio). "No Tree Will Grow" starts off with this odd droning sound, but is a rather dramatic number with a strong classical feel and piano. The more I listen to this, it more starts reminding me a bit of what Caravan would be doing for their album Cunning Stunts, even if it wouldn't be released until 1975. This piece has a romantic/symphonic feel, which would be pretty untypical for Canterbury bands, but then this group isn't Canterbury, of course (since they're not from the UK), but still heavily influenced by that scene. This piece then unexpectedly ends with hysterical laughing. The next piece is truly the album's high point, "Energy (Out of Future)", starts off rather slowly, but as the music continues, there is a strong Canterbury feel, with Pye Hastings-like vocals. But the music really gets off the deep-end going in to experimental Krautrock territory, with eerie sounds. The album then goes back down to earth with the pop-oriented "Higher" which is really a relief after hearing the last few minutes of "Energy (Out of Future)". In my opinion I felt that Present From Nancy is the better album, but while I don't like the packaging of this 2-for-1 CD, it's still an excellent way to acquire both these albums. I have yet to acquire their following efforts, so I'm unable to say how this band progressed and evolved.



These two albums really require several listens for all this to sink in. But they are truly one of Holland's finest, and while I wished for full album artwork for both on this 2-for-1 CD, this is a great place to start if you're not familiar with Supersister."