Pop Music Reviews : Just Call It the Sir Douglas Octet

“The Sir Douglas Quintet is back . . . again,” said “Sir” Doug Sahm, modifying the introduction of the 1969 hit “Mendocino” for the latest reconstitution of his old band at the House of Blues.

The cynical response would be, “Why?”--especially given that of the eight people on stage Thursday (yes, this quintet numbers eight people) only Sahm and organist Augie Meyers were part of the original band. But the truth is that “Mendocino,” with its hippie-Tex-Mex groove, sounded as good in 1994 as it did 25 years ago.

And there was enough in this show to make the case for the SDQ--despite only two real hits to its name (the other being the 1965 garage-rock classic “She’s About a Mover”)--having a place in history for its stylistic pioneering. Sahm on Thursday spiritedly laid out his rich legacy of Texas styles, from spicy polkas to R&B; and country-rock.

It’s the latest twist--trying to mesh the old SDQ sound (led by Meyers’ trademark staccato Farfisa organ) with a hard rock sound spearheaded by Sahm’s guitarist son Shawn and former Desert Rose Band fret wizard John Jorgenson--that seemed a little out of place.

And the claim on history was watered down by too many side-trips, including a Creedence Clearwater Revival medley (CCR drummer Doug Clifford is part of the new SDQ) and a two-song tribute to fellow ‘60s Texas rocker Roky Erickson and even an encore of ? & the Mysterians’ SDQ sound-alike “96 Tears.” It was all great fun, but it left the impression that maybe Sahm, like Erickson and ?, is at heart just another Texas eccentric.