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This 20-track compilation (most likely unauthorized) is a good way to catch up on the rare material that Paul Simon & Art Garfunkel recorded in the late '50s and early '60s, long before they became folk-rock stars in the mid-'60s. Side one has ten songs by Tom & Jerry (i.e. Simon & Garfunkel), including their Top 50 hit "Hey, Schoolgirl," and consists mostly of original ditties in an adenoidal but pleasant sub-Everly Brothers style. Side two has singles that Simon sang (and usually wrote) in the early '60s under the pseudonyms of Jerry Landis and Tico & the Triumphs; one of them, "Motorcycle," was about as small a hit as can be imagined, reaching number 99 in Billboard. The "Tico" sides are extremely derivative, dippy early-'60s pop/rock that are even less distinguished than Tom & Jerry's more appealing efforts. This is definitely one for collectors only, but serious Simon & Garfunkel fans will appreciate the insight it affords into their obscure pop origins. ~ Richie Unterberger
