1974,
Netherlands
00:32:17;
44M;
192S;
699;
-
Retroschizive (Introducing Sch
- 2:21
-
Jellybean Hop
- 1:36
-
Dangling Dingdongs
- 6:53
-
Sylvers Song (Groan, Stamp, Sh
- 3:09
-
Cookies, Teacups, Buttercups
- 3:11
-
Gi, Ga, Go (Gollumble Jafers)
- 4:01
-
It Had To Be
- 3:46
-
Nosy Parkers
- 4:26
-
We Steel So Frange (Epilogue)
- 2:54
Robert Jan Stips: Keyboards, lead vocals, vibes
Jan Hollestelle: Bass guitar
Ron van Eck: Bass guitar
Sacha van Geest: Flutes, vocals
Mien van den Heuvel: Mandoline
Hans Alegres: Steeldrum
Inge van Iersel: Backing vocals
Jose van Iersel: Backing vocals
Produced by Hans van Oosterhout.
Engineered by Jan Schuurman.
Recorded at Soundpush studios, Blaricum, Holland on 22nd of July and 15 & 16th of August 1974.
Sleeve artwork by Pieter de Groot and Sascha van Geest.
LP Polydor 2441048 (1974)
CD Polydor 843453 (1990) (together with Iskander)
Review:
We are offered no personnel credits for SPIRAL STAIRCASE SASS (on either the original LP or the CD -- which also fails to give credits for ISKANDER; I gleaned those from AUDION), but van Geest is back, credited with "Set up, lyrics, and additional musical ideas," while Jan Stips is credited with "musical scores & arrangements." That seems to suggest that van Geest came up with the idea and the lyrics, while Stips supplied the music, and the song credits are uniformly Stips/van Geest, but AUDION claims the album "was entirely composed by Sacha van Geest." AUDION describes it as "To put it mildly, this is one of the craziest and eccentric albums I've heard! Opening as a continuation from the single, we are set for a trip of radical and schizophrenic invention, where almost anything goes: we have rock 'n' roll, calypso music, full-blown jazz-rock riffing (ex-Soft Machine [saxophonist] Elton Dean is featured as guest) and even bagpipes! This tongue-in-cheek set of eccentricity is almost certain to brighten up anyone's day." Indeed. It hooked me!
