Bobb Trimble :: Iron Curtain Innocence/Harvest of Dreams

bobb trimble

Releasing two great underappreciated records in the early 80s (private press — real lo-fi), there is no one quite like Bobb Trimble in the world of rock n roll. His vision is very deep, personal, and absolutely original with a strong outsider, late night feel. While his music was totally out of sync with the times, Bobb waved the psych flag high and proud and managed to find an audience among 60s record collectors.

The sound of Iron Curtain Innocence is unique, timeless, and with all it’s lo-fi/psych leanings, defies specific genre categorization. The songcraft takes a few spins to rest comfortably in your head, but when it takes hold, it roots in (this is music that wants to belong deep in your psyche). Bobb seemed to craft his albums around one song; in this case it’s “One Mile From Heaven.” This track recently got to me in a way like my all time favorite, “God Only Knows.” It’s not the spiritual references, though both tracks indeed have ethereal qualities, it’s just one of those records that makes you want to cry for no reason at all, when it hits you in the right spot, at the right time.

On Bobb’s 1982 Harvest of Dreams the cornerstone track is “Premonitions.” The song appears twice, at the beginning and end of side 1, with separate, but similar versions (“Premonitions – The Fantasy”, “Premonitions Boy – The Reality”). The effect of this technique is quite grabbing, and it gets you diving back into Bobb’s world whenever you get the chance. Some genre enthusiasts consider Harvest of Dreams to be the greatest psych album recorded after 1975. It’s full of beautiful dreamy tunes like “Take Me Home Vienna” and the killer opener “Premonitions — The Fantasy.” “Selling Me Short” is superb, and it’s exciting to hear Trimble explode in anger nearing the song’s chaotic fuzzy ending.

Before these records saw release on Secretly Canadian, they had been bootlegged by Radioactive Records, also known as Fallout Records (please do not buy Fallout or Radioactive!). But thanks to the work of good people like Kris Thompson and Douglas Mcgowan both of Bobb’s albums are finally legitimately available in CD and vinyl reissues. Excellent stuff and highly recommended. words/ b. mcgrath

MP3: Bobb Trimble :: One Mile From Heaven (Short Version)
MP3: Bobb Trimble :: Premonitions/The Fantasy

Only the good shit. Aquarium Drunkard is powered by our patrons. Keep the servers humming and help us continue doing it by pledging your support via our Patreon page. 

5 thoughts on “Bobb Trimble :: Iron Curtain Innocence/Harvest of Dreams

  1. Two fascinating albums. Finding a preference between the two is just about impossible. Each listen seems to find new favorite songs and unheard nuances. Odd, beautiful, and without peer. Bobb Trimble reminds us how much great music exists that never found an audience. And so we continue to mine the bins.

  2. I remember seeing Bobb back in the early 80’s in Worcester and I say for sure he was not in synch with those times and thank god for that…!!!…

Comments are closed.