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Oct 04, 2010 Web Exclusive By Frank Valish

When one thinks of obscure ‘60s psych rock, one seldom thinks of Illinois. Well, back in 1969, five talented kids staggered out of Belleville (about 30 minutes outside of St. Louis) with their debut. A little research (and with a band like this, there really is only a little research to be done) will tell you that Spur, originally called The Unknowns, started in the mid-‘60s, were briefly signed to Sire Records, for whom they released nothing. Three singles were eventually released on tiny labels, preceding the band’s debut, Spur of the Moment. After one more album, a reportedly bizarre collection of poetry criticizing the Catholic church, the band broke up.

This reissue compiles tracks from the original Spur of the Moment (the “s” on the end of this reissue’s title distinguishes it from the original) with other studio pieces recorded between 1966 and 1972. Perhaps surprisingly, given the band’s unusually esoteric history, the recorded output featured here shows a group that could have easily held its own, toe-to-toe with the best in the genre at the time. It may be no surprise that, back in their day, Spur played with such bands as Grateful Dead, The Byrds, Quicksilver Messenger Service, and Vanilla Fudge, because their songs are the perfect mix of psychedelia, pop, countrified jangle, and straight-up rock and roll. “Mind Odyssey” fits right in with The Byrds’ Fifth Dimension. “Tribal Gathering/We Don’t Want to Know” (the “Tribal Gathering” piece is a Byrds cover) is 14 minutes of stoner psych jam. “All Over the World” echoes The Beau Brummels. And The Beatles’ “Eight Days A Week” is covered with banjo and pedal steel. Drag City’s packaging maintains the mystery of Spur, providing the original album’s liner notes and brief commentary on each of the songs included, as well as recording data to give the where and when. But it reveals little of the forgotten history of Spur, why the band was ultimately lost to the passage of time, and what became of its members. All you’re given are the sweet sounds left behind. And while this is certainly better than nothing, the 11 songs herein are nowhere near enough. (www.dragcity.com)

Author rating: 7/10