Paul Martin is someone that I had never heard of even in 60's hearsay. His vinyl output amounts to two singles which were released in the States, the first 'It Happened' in 1966 and the second 'The Last Remains of Our Love' the following year in 1967. So, I'm more then happy that Out-sider have decided to make me aware of this great artist.
The album collects both sides of both singles, along with lost acetate recordings and demo sessions which shine brightly, while on the cover Paul Martin looks the part of a cool dude about to change the future of great music forever...And from then onwards I don't know what stopped this artist from going forward to more greatness in the world of music. Perhaps we will find out eventually.
In the mid 1960s Paul wrote an impressive set of demos, which ranged from classic soulful pop to fab psych. It opens with the title track which is a garage-fuelled nugget of a song, which recalls the Seeds and the 13th Floor Elevators. Heavy organ dominates while a rocking vocal from Paul sways like Lee Hazlewood.
'It's a Long Time to the End' has a twisted Kinks style but it remains its own beast. 'Echo' recalls the Elevators, and is sexy, seductive and eccentric. 'I Have Got This Feelin' is more songwriter-based. It has a smooth if somewhat retro dated feel, but is one hell of a number.
'You Don't Seem to Understand' recalls the Byrds, but has the conscience of New York's Greenwich Village. 'Without Your Love' is fuelled in the vein of great R'n'B of the mid-60s, while 'More Than Me' is again like the Byrds, fresh as a morning back in 1966 when black and white was developing into fresh bright colour.
'What Good is Your Love?' has a lovely 60's shine and a bold openness to it, while Paul's crooning vocals sound on it like a young Tim Buckley. 'This is the End' had a doomy, sad, break-your-heart lyric. It is a song to make you hang onto every word, and hope for a good ending.
'The Last Remains of the Day' was the second 7 inch, and was released on Paul's own Rodin label. It is a cool nugget of true psychedelic rock, which traps you into a spider's web of haunting guitar, drums and tambourines and as good as any psychedelia that I have ever heard from yesterday or even today.
'You Were There' is mystical, haunting and the only thing here that sounds like it could be a demo recording. 'All That's Left' is a fuzzed up head- topper of superb quality.
'Yours is the Life' is Beatles-esque with the harmonies Brian Wilson, and is lush, beautiful and elegant. 'How Many Tears Must I Cry' is big kitchen sink drama, while 'I Want You' is very strong 60's songwriter material, which turns its misty grey black and white theme into bright colour.
'The Girl Tomorrow Killed' is a foot tapper, a R'n'B based track with a strong and decent Small Faces vibe. 'The Fairy Princess' was the B side to the second single. It has a George Martin production and a 1960's magic.
It features finally with 'The Children', a bonus track which was not released on the 1996 album which is upbeat but has a lonesome trumpet leading it's way.
'It Happened' is an underground masterpiece.(Paul Strutt, pennyblackmusic.co.uk)
Flac
mp3@320
Many thanks Frank
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