Tuesday, April 15, 2008

STARS & STIPS-NEVERGREENS, LP, 1976, NETTHERLANDS




Recorded after the disbandment of Supersister (merely one of the greatest bands of the 20th Century) and his brief time in Golden Earring, keyboardist Robert Jan Stips' one-off Star & Stips project may not have had the breathtaking Canterbury-like depth of Supersister (little does), but it's nevertheless frequently quite a fun ride, if a somewhat more sweet tempered and unven one. Things start off with a bang with the giddily percolating "It Takes A Lot Of Time To Let All People Know" (equal parts Pyrolator, Hajime Tachibana and War). Elsewhere, Stips' proceeds to flirt with funk on "Carry On" and it gives off the same enjoyably ludicrous frisson that Gentle Giant's brief fling with reggae did on "Interview", though for many I expect the real meat here will be the 10+ minute title track, a final grandiose and glorious prog hurrah before his decampment for the land of new wave thats expressly in the style of Supersister's "Pudding & Gisteren". The zany genre promiscuity and overarching air of unfettered whimsy (not to mention the occasional dubious foray into flat out cheezy eheese territory) make Wigwam vocalist Jim Pembroke's curio recorded under the moniker Hot Thumbs O'Reilly that nearest antecedent for whats going on here. Whatever it's context or pedigree though, this is a real charmer and one with a slow burn that takes a few spins to fully reveal itself.

Get it Here

12 comments:

  1. Thanks this, looking forward to hearing. I didn't know RJ Stips decamped to the land of new wave, how was that?

    He was getting more and more goofy with Supersister. Just recently found Spiral Staircase (oh yeah--it was here) with all its batty vocal experimentation.

    I heart RJ Stips.

    --tom

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  2. my gosh!
    this blog is frickin amazing!
    tx for all your work mate

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  3. ... and then robert performed in THE NITS, great dutch pop\new wave act. awesome albums are WORK and TENT

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  4. could you please repost that record, becaus the link don't work; I can't find it elsewhere and I like the music og RJ Stips very much.
    thank you

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  5. could you please repost "Nevergreens", because the link does not work; I can't find that record elsewhere and I like the music of RJ Stips very much.
    Thank you

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  6. Yes i'd like to get this nevergreen album as well. i have had it about 20 years ago, but lost it, so.... i'd be very happy to get it again. thx in advance...

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  7. Oh Please Mutant Sounds!
    Could you please repost Nevergreens, been lookin' for
    it for years, thought I found it, and now the link doesn't function!
    THANKS!!!!!!!!

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  8. Link still down, FYI.

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  9. I own this Album, bought through Peters International when I worked for World Records in Phx (AZ/USA) but my turntable is now a wonderful ancher!!! I am hoping to find an online download of it. Any chance you will be reposting Nevergreens?

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  10. Again, please re-upload! I can't find it anywhere else... Please, please, please.

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  11. Please reup!!! I can't find this ANYWHERE!!!

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