Television: Marquee Moon (5/5, A-) Updated
I’ve always liked Punk from more of a musical standpoint than ideological or otherwise, one reason I like The Clash more than the Sex Pistols. With that in mind, I find it interesting that Television influenced New York Punk as much as they did, being more poetic and melodious than their peers. Usually this direction of music is lost on me; I still haven’t listened to Elvis Costello and Burt Bacharach’s Painted from Memory past “Toledo”.
What immediately impresses me and captivates me is the level of musicianship these four exhibit. Like fellow 70′s American Punk group Devo, Television had apparently been playing for years before their first record was released, (in Television’s case, since 1973). In that time, like Devo, Television had grown to master their guitars, but Devo never performed theirs in such a splendid fashion. Frontman Tom Verlaine and guitarist Richard Lloyd know their punchy chords, but they also know their way around the guitar’s frets, and they make those strings sing in almost every track (Verlaine never used distortion in his career). Best examples include leadoff track “See No Evil”, Blues-Boogie-esque number “Friction”, “Prove it” from side two’s softer numbers, and the 10 & 1/2-minute guitar classic “Marquee Moon” (which also features my two favorite guitar solos on the record). Not even East Bay Ray did such a fantastic performance on the Dead Kennedys’ debut, but then again he wasn’t two guitarists at once.
Tom Verlaine is not bad at all as a vocalist; he can be a bit of a warbler and a wailer, which grates at times, but he’s not at all a singer I had to “get used to”.
While there’s not a bad song on the record, it still gets to me that side two is softer and slower than side one, getting more romantic than before. I’ve never understood why anyone thinks it’s necessary for an energetic record (marginally as Marquee Moon is) to include slower moments; they never sit right with me. That being said, the guitars are still played expertly and beautifully. They play particularly hauntingly in “Elevation” and “Torn Curtain”, sweetly in “Guiding Light”, while almost going rock virtuoso in “Prove It” (my third favorite performance overall, as I mentioned). The prominent inclusion of pianos on this side was a little unnecessary, as they neither add nor detract from the listening experience.
As finicky a listener as I am, I was still quite impressed with Television’s debut. For all of Tom Verlaine’s romanticism, they were strong musicians and very talented guitarists. You can rue the day I stop enjoying these tracks.
[5 stars, A-]
Album Highlights: “See No Evil”, “Marquee Moon”, “Prove It”
