Lost Treasures / Unknown Pleasures
by 
NickVolos 
"Lost" Treasures.
Defined: Any album older than 25 years that failed to gain popularity despite its exceptional quality and currently unknown to most of us.
Sorted: By personal preference. Selections 34 - End are not sorted.
- Chart updated: 03/29/2020 21:15
- (Created: 10/26/2013 05:31).
- Chart size: 100 albums.
There are 31 comments for this chart from BestEverAlbums.com members and Lost Treasures / Unknown Pleasures has an average rating of 94 out of 100 (from 44 votes). Please log in or create an account to leave a comment or assign a rating.
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"The dirty secret behind the vast majority of Lost! Unheard! Masterpieces! is that the back story is almost always far more interesting than the music itself. Certainly that would appear to be the case with Bobb Trimble, an almost unknown singer/songwriter from blue-collar Worcester, MA, whose two albums' worth of surreal acid folk could not have been more out of step with their new wave times. Iron Curtain Innocence was originally released in a tiny vinyl pressing of between 300 and 500 copies and featured a disquieting cover image of the moon-faced Trimble sitting in front of a Sears Portrait Studio-style class photo backdrop, blankly holding both a guitar and a submachine gun, and everything about the album has an air of "that boy ain't right." Another major part of the Trimble legend -- that his live backing group, the Kidds, had an average age somewhere south of adolescence and was broken up by suspicious parents who didn't like this weird guy hanging around their children -- gives rise to darker mutterings and unsupported conjectures that have little to do with the music, and that's what it really boils down to: obscurantist cult records almost never have anything to do with the music, which almost invariably turns out to be considerably less interesting when listened to on its own merits.
Almost, that is. Because as it turns out, Iron Curtain Innocence turns out to be a really good piece of lo-fi psychedelia. In particular, the outstanding first three tracks, "Glass Menagerie Fantasies," "Night at the Asylum," and "When the Raven Calls," are an increasingly disturbing trilogy blending the druggy atmosphere of Pink Floyd's first few post-Syd Barrett albums, the gentle acoustic side of late-era Beatles, and some lo-fi synthesizers and tape loops, culminating in the disquieting climax of the epic "When the Raven Calls." Though the rest of the brief album doesn't quite live up to its outstanding first half, "Killed at the Hands of an Unknown Rock Starr" features some fine space rock guitar noodling and one of the helium-pitched Trimble's most assertive lead vocals, and "Through My Eyes (Hopeless as Hell: D.O.A.)" makes good use of backwards tapes and hand percussion." (Allmusic) [First added to this chart: 06/23/2014]
Almost, that is. Because as it turns out, Iron Curtain Innocence turns out to be a really good piece of lo-fi psychedelia. In particular, the outstanding first three tracks, "Glass Menagerie Fantasies," "Night at the Asylum," and "When the Raven Calls," are an increasingly disturbing trilogy blending the druggy atmosphere of Pink Floyd's first few post-Syd Barrett albums, the gentle acoustic side of late-era Beatles, and some lo-fi synthesizers and tape loops, culminating in the disquieting climax of the epic "When the Raven Calls." Though the rest of the brief album doesn't quite live up to its outstanding first half, "Killed at the Hands of an Unknown Rock Starr" features some fine space rock guitar noodling and one of the helium-pitched Trimble's most assertive lead vocals, and "Through My Eyes (Hopeless as Hell: D.O.A.)" makes good use of backwards tapes and hand percussion." (Allmusic) [First added to this chart: 06/23/2014]
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The opener "Poor Old Man" is an inspired leadoff track that features a strong west coast influence, both Love & The Doors immediately come to mind, it sports a killer bass riff along with loose, John Densmore style percussion and a myriad of psychedelic effects, about midway in, the whole piece breaks down and singer Jack Bryant does this totally off the wall jazz type scat vocal that completely derails the song, luckily it doesn't last long as the group leap back into the opening riff and it's back to the races. "A Horn Playing On My Thin Wall" is next and it is a dead ringer for "Da Capo" era Love (both "Orange Skies" & "Que Vida"), this track becomes better as it rolls along, it ends with a rush of great harmony vocals. "Something You Can Hide In" is full tilt psychedelia that features every psychedelic trick in the book with fabulous results, this number reminds me a great deal of Love's underrated "Four Sail" album.
"Tell You A Story" is a brief interlude that features an out of tune acoustic guitar with a nursery rhyme type vocal, and it works like a charm. Coming next is "Silent Garden" which displays a British influence along the lines of late period Zombies and the UK Kaleidoscope. "Look To The Sun" is largely a solo acoustic outing by singer Jack Bryant, this one reminds me a great deal of the archive releases by Love guitarist Bryan MacLean "Ifyoubelievein" & "Candy's Waltz." The next number "One Of The Few Ones Left" is a beautiful melodic ballad with strings that brings to mind the Left Banke's second album "Left Banke Too."
"I Really Love My Mother" is a short, jokey novelty type number that blends the style of The Kinks with USA groups The Sopwith Camel & Lovin' Spoonful. "Look At The Wind" is once again in the Love "Four Sail" bag, this is one of the record's real highlights, everything comes together in beautiful fashion, the guitar work and drumming are fantastic, the keyboards are also exceptional. "Didn't I" is a sad, acoustic ballad that recalls a superb west coast group The Common People, it even reminds me of contemporary singer/songwriter Grant Lee Phillips. (http://www.headheritage.co.uk/unsung/review/1714/) [First added to this chart: 10/26/2013]
"Tell You A Story" is a brief interlude that features an out of tune acoustic guitar with a nursery rhyme type vocal, and it works like a charm. Coming next is "Silent Garden" which displays a British influence along the lines of late period Zombies and the UK Kaleidoscope. "Look To The Sun" is largely a solo acoustic outing by singer Jack Bryant, this one reminds me a great deal of the archive releases by Love guitarist Bryan MacLean "Ifyoubelievein" & "Candy's Waltz." The next number "One Of The Few Ones Left" is a beautiful melodic ballad with strings that brings to mind the Left Banke's second album "Left Banke Too."
"I Really Love My Mother" is a short, jokey novelty type number that blends the style of The Kinks with USA groups The Sopwith Camel & Lovin' Spoonful. "Look At The Wind" is once again in the Love "Four Sail" bag, this is one of the record's real highlights, everything comes together in beautiful fashion, the guitar work and drumming are fantastic, the keyboards are also exceptional. "Didn't I" is a sad, acoustic ballad that recalls a superb west coast group The Common People, it even reminds me of contemporary singer/songwriter Grant Lee Phillips. (http://www.headheritage.co.uk/unsung/review/1714/) [First added to this chart: 10/26/2013]
3. (=)
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[First added to this chart: 01/20/2014]
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[First added to this chart: 10/26/2013]
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[First added to this chart: 11/24/2013]
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[First added to this chart: 12/08/2015]
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This sounds like the solo album that George Harrison might have made before he left the Beatles, as several songs have that solemn, spiritual, forlorn quality Harrison perfected on cuts like "Long, Long, Long." With its languid guitars, organ, and somber mood, "Nobody" is so reminiscent of All Things Must Pass tracks like "Let It Roll" that one is surprised to find that this album was done well before the release of All Things Must Pass in the early '70s. Although the lyrics are blatantly hippie-ish, the music itself sets a dignified, almost stately mood with its intimacy and tasteful restraint. "Fly" and "Nobody" are genuine lost treasures of low-key late-'60s late psychedelia, and alone make the album worth investigating. But it's inspired and pleasurable the whole way through, down to the super-brief links and intros dotted throughout the record. (allmusic)
[First added to this chart: 10/12/2014]
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[First added to this chart: 10/26/2013]
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[First added to this chart: 10/26/2013]
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"Released in Canada only, in 1969, "Home Grown Stuff" is a true Canadian rock classic. Featuring Don McDougall (later to join The Guess Who), MTYD was a talented group, whose music often had a tinge of country mixed in with acid rock. "Home Grown Stuff" features straight ahead psych rock in the excellent "One Ring Jane" (with a killer guitar solo) and "Someone Think" (which features a great fuzz guitar intro riff), country rock in "One Glass For Wine" and even straight ahead country in "Little Pony" and "Pot O'Gold". There's even some Psychedelic poetry included with "Intermission Poetry" (pleasant, but the weakest track overall) and "Walk Your Head Around". Even with the diverse musical mix, the album as a whole is VERY strong and flows nicely. The musicianship of the band is top notch and this album was EXTREMELY well recorded and engineered.
EMI Canada did a fantastic job on the remastering of this classic. The sound is full and crisp with great dynamics, and little tape hiss to be heard. The original mix was nicely balanced and the CD has a great stereo seperation that is amazing on headphones. This is all testament to the quality of the original production and engineering.
This album is extremely hard to find in an original vinyl pressing. (When it is, its usually quite pricey.) So it was great to see EMI Canada re-issue this classic in its original form. Sadly, this CD (like the others in thier "Northern Heritage Connoisseur" series) is now out of print and its hard to get. (You can get it from Don McDougall himself at [...]) So get it while there are copies still kicking around. It is DEFINITELY worth picking up, if you are a casual listener or a hard core lover of classic Canadian rock.
You will not be disapointed." (amazon customer review) [First added to this chart: 02/19/2014]
EMI Canada did a fantastic job on the remastering of this classic. The sound is full and crisp with great dynamics, and little tape hiss to be heard. The original mix was nicely balanced and the CD has a great stereo seperation that is amazing on headphones. This is all testament to the quality of the original production and engineering.
This album is extremely hard to find in an original vinyl pressing. (When it is, its usually quite pricey.) So it was great to see EMI Canada re-issue this classic in its original form. Sadly, this CD (like the others in thier "Northern Heritage Connoisseur" series) is now out of print and its hard to get. (You can get it from Don McDougall himself at [...]) So get it while there are copies still kicking around. It is DEFINITELY worth picking up, if you are a casual listener or a hard core lover of classic Canadian rock.
You will not be disapointed." (amazon customer review) [First added to this chart: 02/19/2014]
Total albums: 100. Page 1 of 10
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Lost Treasures / Unknown Pleasures composition
| Decade | Albums | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1930s | 0 | 0% | |
| 1940s | 0 | 0% | |
| 1950s | 0 | 0% | |
| 1960s | 63 | 63% | |
| 1970s | 33 | 33% | |
| 1980s | 3 | 3% | |
| 1990s | 1 | 1% | |
| 2000s | 0 | 0% | |
| 2010s | 0 | 0% | |
| 2020s | 0 | 0% |
| Artist | Albums | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
|
|
|||
| H. P. Lovecraft | 2 | 2% | |
| Gypsy | 2 | 2% | |
| Sopwith Camel | 2 | 2% | |
| Mandrake Memorial | 2 | 2% | |
| Cressida | 2 | 2% | |
| Catapilla | 1 | 1% | |
| The Fire Escape | 1 | 1% | |
| Show all | |||
| Country | Albums | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
|
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|||
| |
55 | 55% | |
 |
18 | 18% | |
 |
12 | 12% | |
 |
6 | 6% | |
 |
2 | 2% | |
 |
2 | 2% | |
 |
1 | 1% | |
| Show all | |||
Lost Treasures / Unknown Pleasures chart changes
| Biggest fallers |
|---|
Down 2 from 24th to 26th |
Down 2 from 25th to 27th |
Down 2 from 26th to 28th |
| New entries |
|---|
| Leavers |
|---|
Lost Treasures / Unknown Pleasures similar charts
| Title | Source | Type | Published | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best of the Psychedelic 60's | NickVolos | Custom chart | 2014 | |
| Top 100 Music Albums of the 1960s | NickVolos | 1960s decade chart | 2018 | |
| Genre Favorites #1: Krautrock | NickVolos | Custom chart | 2014 | |
| Top 100 Music Albums of the 1970s | NickVolos | 1970s decade chart | 2015 | |
| 100 Greatest Music Albums, Pt. 2 | NickVolos | Custom chart | 2014 | |
| Top 100 Music Albums of the 1960s |  ObsoleteEntity | 1960s decade chart | 2017 | |
| 100 Greatest Music Albums, Pt. 3 | NickVolos | Custom chart | 2014 | |
| my favorite psychedelic rock albums | panapsal | Custom chart | 2020 | |
| Top 100 Music Albums of the 1960s |  Secondsoul | 1960s decade chart | 2015 |  |
| Top 57 Music Albums of 1968 | ObsoleteEntity | 1968 year chart | 2018 | |
Lost Treasures / Unknown Pleasures similarity to your chart(s)
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Other custom charts by NickVolos
| Title | Source | Type | Published | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lost Treasures / Unknown Pleasures | NickVolos | Custom chart | 2020 | |
| Genre Favorites #2: Jazz Fusion | NickVolos | Custom chart | 2014 | |
| Favorite Rock CDs Collection, Pt. 1 | NickVolos | Custom chart | 2014 | |
Lost Treasures / Unknown Pleasures ratings
Average Rating = (n ÷ (n + m)) × av + (m ÷ (n + m)) × AVwhere:
av = trimmed mean average rating an item has currently received.
n = number of ratings an item has currently received.
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Showing latest 3 ratings for this chart. | Show all 44 ratings for this chart.
| Rating | Date updated | Member | Chart ratings | Avg. chart rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ! | 02/09/2025 18:27 | Johnnyo | 2,687 | 80/100 |
| ! | 07/27/2022 23:03 | Soencer | 47 | 100/100 |
| ! | 01/08/2021 23:58 | Steppenwolf666 | 91 | 88/100 |
Rating metrics:
Outliers can be removed when calculating a mean average to dampen the effects of ratings outside the normal distribution. This figure is provided as the trimmed mean. A high standard deviation can be legitimate, but can sometimes indicate 'gaming' is occurring. Consider a simplified example* of an item receiving ratings of 100, 50, & 0. The mean average rating would be 50. However, ratings of 55, 50 & 45 could also result in the same average. The second average might be more trusted because there is more consensus around a particular rating (a lower deviation).
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This chart is rated in the top 1% of all charts on BestEverAlbums.com. This chart has a Bayesian average rating of 93.9/100, a mean average of 95.3/100, and a trimmed mean (excluding outliers) of 95.8/100. The standard deviation for this chart is 6.7.
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Lost Treasures / Unknown Pleasures favourites
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Lost Treasures / Unknown Pleasures forum mentions
This chart has been referenced 7 times on the forums, Explore the wider forum discussion to see what members have said about it.
From 
BestEverAlbums 01/06/2021 09:00 in Chart of the day (#3362): By NickVolos
BestEverAlbums 01/06/2021 09:00 in Chart of the day (#3362): By NickVolos“Today's chart of the day Lost Treasures / Unknown Pleasures by NickVolos () 1. Iron Curtain Innocence by Bobb Trimble (1980) 2. It's A Long Way Down by The Fallen Angels (1968) 3. Hölderlins Traum by Hölderlin (1972) 4. Remember The Future by Nektar (1973) 5. Indian Summer by Indian Summer (UK)…”
(6 mentions across Chart of the Day topics)View latest topic →
From NickVolos 11/08/2013 02:33 in A '60s thread
NickVolos 11/08/2013 02:33 in A '60s thread“I like the late 60's music a lot. Check some of my 60's charts - you may find something you like:”
View post →Lost Treasures / Unknown Pleasures comments
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From
crimson 08/20/2016 04:39 | #173111
This looks like a great chart. I had only listened to remember the future by Nektar. I'm ashemed of myself.
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From
ilovelctr 10/12/2014 08:55 | #124211
ilovelctr 10/12/2014 08:55 | #124211
As I'm almost familiar to none of the bands/artists here mentioned on your chart, I added it to my fav but didn't intend to give a rating until now, because I'm afraid I will never finish listening to all of them. So facing such an idiosyncratic chart, I feel like the obligation to rate it, and of course not less than 100, at least for the period, or otherwise I'd be a pretentious wanker who pretends knowing a lot.
I did listen to some of the things here after finding your chart this morning, and must say I was deeply impressed by the No. 1 here. Bobb Trimble's got a really amazing voice and some very distinctively outstanding songs.
I have to say a big THANK YOU for your chart! :)
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From
ForegroundNoise 06/02/2019 19:33 | #237032
ForegroundNoise 06/02/2019 19:33 | #237032
Love the idea of this char; I was thinking of doing a similar thing once I hit the big 5k and make a 'Hidden Gems' list of my favourite albums outside the BEA top 1000. Will def be mining this for recs - still though I'd rather hear your thoughts on these records rather than someone else's, even if that Bobb Trimble review is delightful.
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From
Secondsoul 11/03/2014 14:13 | #126094
Secondsoul 11/03/2014 14:13 | #126094
Having now listened to quite a few of these albums on this chart, I can now give it the rating it deserves - 100/100. I had never heard of bands like The Deviants and The Churchills until I started exploring this list. Currently in the process of updating my 60's charts and this has been such a help. Thanks Nick for this great work!
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From
bluenose 10/11/2014 12:27 | #124013
This is a brilliant chart and I will keep it for the bands I don't have. There are plenty more treasures out there but you have put plenty on here. Have a listen Arthur Brown, The Flies, Third Ear Band. But I have to say thank you for the psych bands on your chart that I have just got to get.
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