Re-Run Rock
Published January 12, 2004
I've been listening to and thoroughly enjoying the re-release of Television's album "Marquee Moon." I've gotta admit that I really didn't dig this back in 1977 when it first came out. It got lumped in with all the other Punk Rock releases at the time and it just didn't subscribe to my Faster, Louder, Crazier ethic. It was being pushed alongside The Ramones, Dead Boys, Heartbreakers, etc. which in retrospect wasn't fair at all.
Tom Verlaine & Richard Lloyd were exploring the sonic boundaries of the Fender Stratocaster, melodic and moody, densely textured, a sound that had little to do with the Marshall stacks pushed to pain level sound that was prevalent with many of their peers.
Kicking off "Marquee Moon" is "Fear No Evil," an ode to nihilism (What I want/I want it now/and it's a whole lot more than/ anyhow...), driven along by Lloyd & Verlaine bouncing subtle but effective riffs off each other while Verlaine crys, yelps and almost sings out the vocal parts. His lyrics are the real show stealers here on many cuts such as "Venus De Milo, Friction" & the title track.
Tom Verlaine has always said that he spent much, much more time trying to develop his lyrics than he did with the musical portion of his songs. Television always used a jazzlike approach to their songs, letting them develop according to mood, an approach that like in Jazz, does not always work in ones favor. When it does work though it is to great effect, helping to prove just what made Television such a great live band.
Among the bonus tracks included on the re-release are several alt. takes including the title song, the original take of "Little Johnny Jewel Pts.1 & 2," and an untitled instrumental piece that really shows off the interplay between Lloyd & Verlaine, so seamlessly locked into their groove as to sound like one great big swirling, cerebral cyclone of a riff.
"Marquee Moon," along with their sophomore effort "Adventure" and the live complilation on ROIR "Blow-Up," this stands as an enduring monument for a band that was well ahead of its time.
Bands like the Feelies, Yo La Tengo and Sonic Youth have all incorporated the complex but simple riffing, cereberal jamming and melodic hooks of Television into their sound to varying degrees.
- Re-Run Rock
- Published: January 12, 2004
- Type:
- Section: Music
- Filed Under: Music: Alternative Rock, Music: Punk Rock
- Writer: HW Saxton
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I loved "Marquee Moon" when it came out but I sure knew it wasn't "punk" in the sense of the Ramones or Sex Pistols.
Nice job HW - anyone interested in both Television and the Voidoids should check out the fascinating "From the Velvets to the Voidoids" book by Clinton Heylin - he goes in to great detail about each and has interviews with a lot of the players.
I first heard "Marquee Moon" and "Prove It" on a late-1970s DJ-only compilation disc I picked up in some record store for a buck or two. I knew right then I'd never heard anything like Television. Still haven't.
I can't say enough nice things about Marquee Moon, which has few rock equals in terms of sheer jabbing moodiness. Everything about it is sharp -- Verlaine and Lloyd's guitars slice with the precision of Robert DeNiro butcher knife on Don Ciccio, and Billy Ficca's drums pop like Dirty Harry's .44 Mag.
The follow-up Adventure is not quite at the same level, but it has some lovely stuff as well, like "Ain't that Nothin'" and the gorgeous "Days."
As for shared influences, the little liner notes booklet suggests that Television probably spent a lot of time listening to Patti Smith's Horses -- no surprise there; her husband Fred Smith was a founding member of Television -- and that U2's The Edge evidently spent a lot of time listening to Television.
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love verlaine's guitar! so much angular, twangy goodness.
i had the same reaction to Television back in the day...it just was brash enough for me.
after a while i sorta figured out that loud & fast can get kind of boring.