Bobb Trimble is something of an early Christmas gift for muso trainspotter types. Obscure as you could possibly want, with a great backstory and the first time you hear one of his records, immediate recognisably quality.
Trimble, (hailing from Malborough, Massachusets) recorded the two albums which made his name in the early Eighties, the one featured here, Iron Curtain Innocence and Harvest of Dreams . You wouldn't have thought them of their time listening through to them, as they're much more reminiscent of late Sixties Psychedelia than anything remotely New Wave. There are definite traces of Bolan though possibly more Tyrannosaurus than T. Rex. Plenty of studio effects of chains rattling, maniacal laughter and witches cackling in the background to provide Madcap Laughs mood. They're fine, notable records both, by no means masterpieces but certainly deserving of the increased attention and praise they've had heaped on them over the years since they were recorded.
Trimble didn't have a record deal and released his albums back then off his own back and in miniscule quantities. He never played live outside his local vicinity, not even in Boston as he generally preferred to perform with a backing band of schoolchildren musicians meaning that most clubs were unwilling to book them. Given that the sleeve of Iron Curtain Innocence also features a slightly gormless looking Trimble brandishing a machine gun it's really no wonder he attracted little attention at the time of their release, despite the fact that the music is always interesting and he has at least one genuine classic at his disposal in One Mile From Heaven which would have done Big Star or Badfinger proud.
All these years later Trimble is a recognisable Cult success, (if this isn't a contradiction in terms), given the seal of approval from the likes of Thurston Moore and Ariel Pink sharing a record label with Anthony & the Johnsons. He certainly merits the attention as his songs have a spectral, spooky quality which rewards repeat plays and doesn't blanch in the company of those it's drawn comparisons to. Even that of Bell, Bolan and Barrett.
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