by Richie Unterberger
New York singer-songwriter Paul Martin (born Paul Myerberg) released a couple of way-obscure singles in 1966-67, and recorded a lot of unreleased demos at the same time; many of these were collected for a 1996 release on Distortions. Martin wasn't an exceptionally talented performer or composer, churning out low-fi folk-rock with garage and psychedelic influences. His work has some scruffy appeal for obsessive '60s collectors, though, simply because there were few other garage artists of the time that employed such liberal, eclectic folk and pop influences. A Blonde on Blonde organ here; violins and cellos there; occasional New York pop-soul female backup vocals--many of his tunes were dressed up with the unexpected, as if he couldn't decide whether to be underground, Top 40, singer-songwriter, or adolescent punk.