REVIEWS

DREAM MAGAZINE (USA)

Bobb Trimble "Life Beyond the Doghouse" (Orpheus) The first side of this LP features Bobb solo and backed by The Violent Reactions from 1986, the sound is lonely, ethereal, disconnected and reaching out pale hands into an inky void. No surprise then; when these slightly desperate ambiguously hungry love songs are filled with the presence and proselytizing of good old Jesus Christ. Fortunately for me; this love affair is only overt on a couple songs, and what overrides everything is the view of Bobbâs insular personal universe. Besides this may be some of the most sadly listenable Jesus-rock ever recorded; mostly in a sort of mellow mode. Bob's high to falsetto vocals is framed by fuzzy layers of piano, drums, bass, his own guitar playing and even sax on the nearly nine minute Blood of the Lamb. Side two is Bobb in 1983 with The Crippled Dog Band; a bunch of high school kids (who sound it), bashing out a garagey fiery punkish primitive enthusiasm behind Bobbâs sociopolitical musings; there are even a couple songs by bassist Bill White, which are a bit more catchy than Bobbâs stuff, but not better. These sides exude an honest psychedelic outsider vision, and some insight into this Worcester, Massachusetts anomaly. Liner notes and tape archiving by good Kris Thompson of Abunai!.