Television
 

Marquee Moon is undoubtedly one of the best albums I've ever heard. I remember the thing that struck me most about them was how upon first hearing the guitar work, it sounded so impressive and complex. When I thought further about the solos, and in particular the one from the title track, it struck me that it's actually (almost) just going up and down a natural minor scale! Taken out of the song, it's entirely unremarkable, and that's where the genius of this album lies - by combining otherwise simple elements they produced something that sounds so wonderfully rich and complex.

Favourite songs from the album:

Venus, Marquee Moon, Elevation

What are other people's?

Richard Hell & The Voidoids > Television




I still like Marquee Moon though.

The title track is one of the greatest songs ever written.

Shame I can't remember any of the others.

I think it is highly influential, but I really do not play it that much TBH.

I think it was like Alex or someone from Franz Ferdinand who said something like "I admire Marquee Moon more than I enjoy it." that's basically my thoughts on the album.

There we go

I think it's good when people say that "A CERTAIN ALBUM" is not all that, even though every other mag and critic says it is.

Not when it comes from someone who hasn't made one half as good.

i like venus

I would take Venus and See No Evil over the title track, plus I think Little Johnny Jewel is their best song but that's a bonus track so I guess it doesn't really count.

So yeah. I think it's a brilliant album and listen to it through all the time.

Every song on this album is fantastic. Lloyd and Verlaine are one of the best guitar duos ever. And, while the Voidoids are good, this is in a different league.

"I loved Television. That was CBGBs to me... Some lonely night with ten people there and Television playing... Tom Verlaine singing the 'Venus De Milo' song. It was great, y'know?"
-Dee Dee Ramone, End of the Century: the Ramones Story

Friction rocks my socks

I also like Glory and Foxhole off of Adventure

God such a great band the guitars are just so amazing and the lyrics 'If I ever catch that ventriloquist I'll squeeze his head right into my fist.' brillant! It sadness me that they don't get the cred they deserve when their piers like Talking Heads,Ramones, and Blondie do....

Marque Moon is one of the greatest albums ever.

Television get plenty of credit, they just don't get the fans for obvious reasons.

What do you mean?

Hmm, I take this back. The Voidoids are boring as hell..I listened to Blank Generation a couple of days ago and while the first two songs are great the rest is just middle of the road crap.

Television are ****ing awesome!

:/

i think hell is much better in terms of lyrics

Not really, he does write good lyrics but....

yeah, good counter argument

i'll present a real argument:
verlaine does the whole introspective thing very well,
but hell was the premier punk poet before punk even existed.

Hell is a good lyricist, definitely. He's written some books as well I think, I'd like to read those sometime because I do think he's a talented guy. Just not big on the music.

I'm gonna relisten to Blank Generation and focus more on the lyrics, maybe it'll click with me that way.

Tom is a much better lyricist i can only remeber lyrics from 2 hell songs 'blank generation' and 'love comes in spruts' (the neon boy's version it's also one of my favorite songs of all time). Richard Hell is best remember for 1 song and Televesion is best remembered for 1 album. Tom's lyrics stick with me

I would say its the opposite for me. I admire the album, but I enjoy it more.

The opposite would be that "you enjoy it more than you admire it". Which would suggest not admiring it an awful not. As the reverse suggests not enjoying it an awful not.

You enjoy it more than you admire it = I admire the album, but I
enjoy it more.

Thats the same thing.

Enjoyment > Admiration

Which does not necessarily mean I don't admire it a lot. You can
enjoy it and admire it a lot at the same time.

But this is completely meaningless, as my point was that I like
listening to the album.

NO YOU DON'T!

Television is amazing, but its strange that they got lumped into punk. The guitar work is lightyears beyond what was called punk.

elevation is an incredible song.
the album is in my top 5 of all time.

I have to be honest here and side with the detractors. When I first heard Marquee Moon, it floored me. I told everyone I knew about it. I played it for everyone who would listen. The thing is...I haven't really felt the urge to play it since then, and whenever I do play it, it doesn't do much for me. I still love the riff to Elevation, but I really can't say that I enjoy listening to the album.

Marquee Moon is my favorite song. And the album is one of, if not the best, album ever made.

It really is a great album. My favorite songs on it are Marquee Moon, Venus, and Torn Curtain.

elevation, dont go to my head.

Television a prog band? A jam band? Sure...as much as Velvet Underground was.

To be clear, I'm not saying Television was as good as Velvet Underground, but the "criticisms" Alex Kapranos applies to Television could be equally applied to Velvet Underground, and I'd say it's pretty irrelevant, really. "Sister Ray" is nothing but a jam, up to twenty minutes, depending on the version.

I'd call both bands art punk or art rock. They both had the aesthetic of doing their own thing, exploring music the way they wanted too. Three-minute time limit rules are silly...punk isn't about rigidly sticking to rules. I think Television (and VU, even if the term "punk" didn't exist when they were active) fit the punk aesthetic perfectly well. Even if they have long songs, even if they are sonically challenging.

I think the Marquee Moon album is great. Definitely one of the great things out of the New York music scene.

Art rock is just prog with shorter haircuts & no elves anyway.

Definitely overlaps. But I think progressive is a specific type of art rock. A different type than VU and Television. ;)

But then, I don't consider prog to be a bad word, so it really isn't a big deal to me.

I've heard Venus and Marquee Moon by them, and they make some very beautiful music. I need to check that whole album out.

yes, you do.

Tom Verlaine and Richard Lloyd are both excellent. They created quite a unique guitar sound together.

I love Television... Marquee Moon is a classic.

By 1977 Television was already headed into the new wave. The elaborate guitar work immediately separated them from the punks. I'd been listening to Dream Syndicate "Days of Wine and Roses" recently, which reminded me alot of Marquee Moon as well as White Light/White Heat. Steve Wynn and Karl Precoda were another great duo. Speaking of the Voidoids, Robert Quine's guitar work was frickin aces, RIP.