television Archives - Vinyl From The Vault

Television “Adventure”

sfilzen — Fri, 13 Dec 2019 20:17:55 +0000

Television “Adventure” 1978. Today, December 13th, is Television (and Neon Boys) singer/guitarist Tom Verlaine’s 70th birthday (b. Thomas Miller, 1949). Adventure is the band’s second album and though not nearly as ground-breaking or successful as their debut Marquee Moon (according to Wiki it did poorly on the US charts, though did go to #7 in the UK), it’s definitely innovative. And while it was released during the peak of punk – 1978 – it sonically straddles a weird line between post-punk and proto-punk, not easily falling into either category. (Contemporaries like Talking Heads and Blondie were categorized as punk but I can’t put them in that genre, and I don’t think Television belong there either.) I’m not a big Television fan but a few of the songs are pretty good. “Glory” and “Ain’t That Nothin’” are very Television-y (hiccupy and staccato’d, some pretty good power pop) and both “Days” and “The Dream’s Dream” sound a lot like what early R.E.M. would be a few years later: all jangly guitar and slowed-down post-punk rhythms. “Carried Away” has lots and lots of layered guitar but is too mellow for my tastes. “The Fire” is super-slow, too, but has a creepy vibe to the guitars that makes it pretty cool.

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Television “Marquee Moon”

sfilzen — Wed, 08 Feb 2017 15:15:07 +0000

Television “Marquee Moon” released 40 years ago on this date, February 8th, 1977. I wrote about Marquee Moon in June 2016 (pasted below). Although Television is not my favorite, I could not let the anniversary of this influential album go without notice.

Marquee Moon, Television’s debut LP, has been hailed as one of the greatest records of its time and is credited with helping build the foundation of post punk and alternative music. Allmusic says about the album, “Where their predecessors in the New York punk scene, most notably the Velvet Underground, had fused blues structures with avant-garde flourishes, Television completely strip away any sense of swing or groove, even when they are playing standard three-chord changes. Marquee Moon is comprised entirely of tense garage rockers that spiral into heady intellectual territory, which is achieved through the group’s long, interweaving instrumental sections, not through Verlaine’s words. That alone made Marquee Moon a trailblazing album – it’s impossible to imagine post-punk soundscapes without it.”

“Friction” is one track that I genuinely like and can appreciate the blues-influenced hard driving guitar licks mixed though an art-rock lens. “Elevation” feels proto-goth in spots, so that’s kinda cool. It will be viewed by most post-punk fans as heretical but I find the title track “Marquee Moon” to be tiresome. Yes, the guitar work is cutting-edge and intricate, but it just goes on and on and I’m kinda reminded of some Grateful Dead jams when I would take a break from trance dance, sit down and nod off for awhile.

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Television “Marquee Moon”

sfilzen — Fri, 03 Jun 2016 15:05:36 +0000

Television “Marquee Moon” 1977. Today’s pull in honor of fellow Vault member Joe’s birthday – I’m spinning records he loves and I won’t otherwise listen to. Last year I made myself listen to Pere Ubu (admittedly I do like Television more than Pere Ubu).

Marquee Moon, Television’s debut LP, has been hailed as one of the greatest records of its time and is credited with helping build the foundation of post punk and alternative music. Allmusic says about the album, “Where their predecessors in the New York punk scene, most notably the Velvet Underground, had fused blues structures with avant-garde flourishes, Television completely strip away any sense of swing or groove, even when they are playing standard three-chord changes. Marquee Moon is comprised entirely of tense garage rockers that spiral into heady intellectual territory, which is achieved through the group’s long, interweaving instrumental sections, not through Verlaine’s words. That alone made Marquee Moon a trailblazing album – it’s impossible to imagine post-punk soundscapes without it.”

“Friction” is one track that I genuinely like and can appreciate the blues-influenced hard driving guitar licks mixed though an art-rock lens. “Elevation” feels proto-goth in spots, so that’s kinda cool. It will be viewed by most post-punk fans as heretical but I find the title track “Marquee Moon” to be tiresome. Yes, the guitar work is cutting-edge and intricate, but it just goes on and on and I’m kinda reminded of some Grateful Dead jams when I would take a break from trance dance, sit down and nod off for awhile – sorry Joe!

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