PRESENT FROM NANCY

This is one of the records that mark the beginning of the continental progressive rock. Supersister -while not being located in the Canterbury area- falls under the Canterbury scene because of the comparable soundscapes. This record sounds much like the early Soft Machine releases and is also influenced by the Mothers of Invention.

The typical Supersister sound is characterized by short melodies followed by rhythmic key/organ chords in interesting timescales and within a jazzy and slightly psychedelic and optimistic feel. The mastermind is the key player and vocalist Robert Jan Stips. His vocals are a bit in line of Robert Wyatt, but somewhat less professional. His naughty impressions work out for the good or bad, but have something in common with the Mothers of Inventions way of impression. The instrumentation is the typical Canterbury key and organs, bass, drums and flute. This is about similar to the Soft Machine and Caravan.

Some of the passages are up-temp and some are minimalistic and jazzy. In some of the songs there is a fun-factor which enhances the overall entertainment of this record. The songs don't have the highly intellectual progression as in The Highest Bidder, but are still really interesting. In fact, this is a really good debut without any obvious weak points. They proof here to be an essential Canterbury band. The first three records are highly recommended for fans of the genre, although The Highest Bidder is the only real masterpiece.