Spiral Starecase's sole completed LP was recorded less than five weeks before its release -- astonishingly, it's a thoroughly polished, smoothly enjoyable upbeat collection of romantic songs, all featuring delectable horn charts and Pat Upton's inimitable voice, which would be worth hearing in almost any repertory. As it happens, the band's covers of "Proud Mary," "Our Day Will Come," "For Once in My Life," and "Since I Don't Have You," add enough new wrinkles, by way of the guitar parts, the accompaniment, or the singing, to make them worth hearing. The Upton originals, including "Judas to the Love We Knew," are superb pieces of songwriting, and point up the loss that this group was never able to sustain itself for another year. This wasn't the best record of 1969, but it's arguably one of the most consistently enjoyable pop/rock LPs of its period, of which the title track is merely one highlight. ~ Bruce Eder
