"Adventure" Was Issued In 1978, Little Less Than A Year After Television's Debut "Marquee Moon" Had Been Released

A “Marquee Moon petit”. That is the best way to describe Television’s second LP. It was issued in 1978, and it was to be their final release for almost two decades as they disbanded some time after the record had hit the shelves.

Obviously, Marquee Moon was a hard act to follow. You must remember that the songs which were recorded for the debut had germinated over three years of live performances, and that alone gave them a crisper edge when placed against the songs on Adventure. Those were written in a very limited lapse, but at least the band exploited the bigger budget they had the second time around.

In many cases, they slowed down the tempos and came up with songs that ended sounding a little trippy. The most obvious examples are the cuts “Carried Away” and “The Fire”. The former has a sort of lulling melody that mirrors the marine themes and motifs of the lyrics in a manner not really dissimilar to that in which Yeats’ “The Lake Isle Of Innisfree” lulls you over with its vocal rhythm.

On the other hand, “The Fire” has Verlaine playing a slide part in which he uses a knife instead of a bottleneck to quite good effect. The song also has the best set of lyrics on the whole album – it must have helped that Tom picked the standout verses from over twenty he claimed he had penned.

The singles were to be “Ain’t That Nothing” in the US, and “Foxhole” and “Glory” in the UK. The album was to chart higher than its predecessor in England, while in the States it fared worse than Marquee Moon, leading to the band’s dissolution shortly after.

“Foxhole” was actually a leftover from their early sets, and the one song from that time which did not make it into the debut. It also stands today as one of the few songs of theirs from which an original performance is available in YouTube, and that is the clip I want to share with you now:

I think you can see clearly why I think Adventure can be sort of termed a “petit Marquee Moon”. The song is not without charm, but the ones found on Marquee Moon had more than that – they had a certain uniqueness. The ones found here show us a side of the band that is somehow gentler, and certainly more pop-happy. That can be said about “Careful” and the singles “Glory” and “Ain’t That Nothing”, although “Glory” has one the best guitar interplays on the whole disc along with the final number, “The Dream’s Dream”. That composition aims to be the “Marquee Moon” of the record, and (again) the “petit” label seems to fit it best. It is not unfulfilling in any sense, and if we didn’t have the former track to draw a comparison it would certainly merit a lot of praise.

That is the lasting impression you are left with, ultimately. Adventure is a good disc, but the previous one was so radical that it doesn’t have a true chance to upstage it. I must mention that Adventure was the first album by them I could get my hands on. Only a considerable time after having listened to it did I manage to find the debut. And I must tell you that only after I had listened to the debut did I really enjoy Adventure. One reads so much about the band and its sound being so distinctive that hopes are invariably high. Adventure does not live up to that reputation. Marquee Moon does. And while Adventure needs Marquee Moon as its point of reference, it doesn’t work the other way around. I think it is impossible for anyone to absolutely adore Adventure. He might really enjoy it, though. And that likelihood is increased if he had given Marquee Moon a spin or two before.

Rating: 7.5/10

"Marquee Moon" Is Often Deemed As One Of The Best Debuts In History

“I can think of many ways to silence somebody who questions the creativity at play at the tail end of the ‘70s. However, the most resounding and unforgettable one is spinning Marquee Moon. The record holds such an intricacy and an intellectual depth that it won’t come across as an act of defiance to the one who claimed otherwise. Any song on the album makes it clear what happens when imagination meets expressivity. It is art that closes every distance which could separate a music lover from another. And I think it is the most beautiful musical testament from the year 1977. Of course, other bands left marks which might be more noticeable and (in certain senses and places) more compelling and far, far more enjoyable. But still waters run deep. And will do so forever.”

That is what I wrote yesterday about “Marquee Moon”, when I was introducing Television and I tried to explain the actual transcendence of the band. That single paragraph says everything that could be said about one of the most precious debuts in history. I don’t know what could be added to it, but common sense and fairness dictate making at least a brief mention of the tracks to be found therein.

The record starts with the alert “See No Evil” and closes 45 minutes later with “Torn Curtain”. In that lapse of time you partake in the most delirious guitar crossfire you can probably listen to anyplace. The title track is of course the better-known example (it was released as a single in an edited version), but songs like “Friction”, “Elevation” and “Prove It” act as equally forceful and exquisite reminders of the interplay which characterized the band. And the closing number has one of the most satisfying moments I have ever found on record. I am talking about the final verse, in which the guitar doubles the voice and the notes eerily extend each syllable that is pronounced. It is a gorgeous moment, and the strongest gesture in which to close an album that was to redefine aural foregrounds and backgrounds  in rock and roll for ever.

The album has no ballads, but two numbers (besides “Torn Curtain”) are more moderate in terms of tempo than the rest and they are clear highlights: “Venus” and “Guiding Light”. “Venus” in particular has one of the most distinctive breaks within the whole album (although the best one to me is the “Prove it!” bit in the penultimate track), and even when it employs a poetical device that has been used and abused (that of falling into the arms of Venus de Milo) the song holds itself admirably on the whole.

Marquee Moon is one of those rare albums that have exerted such an influence on generations to come yet still manage to sound fresh and unmistakable after countless imitators have passed on. It is soaring music that elevates those it reaches, be them listeners or other musicians. As I said above, it is not music that could cause a rift. Far from it – the sounds it heralds are those that move out of the boundaries of genre and style into the realms of unbridled music, propelled by true artistic integrity. Without a doubt, one of the most resounding perfect scores I have given out so far.

Rating: 10/10

Televison Was Conformed By Fred Smith, Tom Verlaine, Richard Lloyd & Billy Ficca

I think the late ‘70s were the final stronghold of true creativity in the history of music. And to me, few bands encapsulate that brilliance of thought and execution like Television.

The band was formed by two guitar players who had poetic aspirations. They went by the names of Tom Verlaine and Richard Lloyd. The two friends had a real connection that time and again would let them elaborate intertwined guitar parts in which both instruments were playing a recognizable lead. They were to be backed by drummer Bill Ficca and bassist Fred Smith. And in addition to being the principal tunesmith, Verlaine was also going to assume lead vocal duties.

Despite being one of the first bands to gain notoriety for its live shows within the pre-punk American scene, Television was to be one of the latest to release an album. When it did finally materialize, though, it was worth the wait. “Marquee Moon” included the incendiary live track and seven other songs that were to act as a blueprint to many of the most successful bands of the ‘80s and beyond. Their second album (“Adventure”) followed shortly, and it showed a more experimental side to them. It was deemed as a good album, but the first one was (and is) held in more esteem. However, neither album met with strong sales in the United States, and Television disbanded after touring to promote “Adventure”.

The repercussion of their work, though, was felt almost immediately. Even U2’s The Edge has cited Television’s albums as one of the main influences in his guitar style and the sound of U2 overall. Even when the band had been unsuccessful commercially in the US, it did achieve both reasonable sales and recognition all over Europe.

The band was to reunite in the year 1992 and a self-titled album ensued. It definitely kept their reputation untarnished, and the subsequent live appearances brought them to a younger audience. They were to keep playing sporadically, and Richard left amicably in the year 2007. He was replaced by Jimmy Ripp. Television is currently recording a fourth album of original compositions.

I can think of many ways to silence somebody who questions the creativity at play at the tail end of the ‘70s. However, the most resounding and unforgettable one is spinning Marquee Moon. The record holds such an intricacy and an intellectual depth that it won’t come across as an act of defiance to the one who claimed otherwise. Any song on the album makes it clear what happens when imagination meets expressivity. It is art that closes every distance which could separate a music lover from another. And I think it is the most beautiful musical testament from the year 1977. Of course, other bands left marks which might be more noticeable and (in certain senses and places) more compelling and far, far more enjoyable. But still waters run deep. And will do so forever.