It is a shame that you have not listened until the end, because I think the last bit of the solo after the build up is very important. I also think that the studio version would be a better first listen.
The real shame is that the version of Marquee Moon played here was NOT Television. This was Tom and three random sidemen in 1984, when the band was "on hiatus". Find the original studio recording, and you'll know within two minutes that this was a mere hint of what Television was. The other guitarist here is a competent musician, but the synergy between Tom and Richard really took it to the next level.
@@ewmlloyd It is Tom and two random sidemen. The bass player is Fred Smith, who played bass on Marquee Moon and Adventure. Fred Smith would follow and play with Tom a lot during his solo career, including this recording.
@@ewmlloyd it is Tom’s solo work but Jimmy Rip, his guitarist was with him for 45 years including the last years with Television and literally sat by his bedside as he died, his best friend, so no, not Richard Lloyd but also not a random sideman, to be clear. The drummer here is Jay Dee Daugherty, still Patti Smith’s drummer, with Tom while she was on her 14 years hiatus. He too played with him most of his life. Tom Verlaine was so important, one of the best guitarists and songwriters ever, plus famously picky about his music, so no way he would play with random sidemen, he would only play with the real deals.
Marquee Moon is absolutely one of the greatest albums of it's era and, sadly enough, largely forgotten but all but us music nerds. In my top ten of all time.
Tom Verlaine and Richard Lloyd put together possibly the greatest debut album. I highly suggest listening to Marquee Moon. Fun fact Richard Lloyd knew Hendrix and got guitar lessons as a kid
You can really see here how Television was such a huge influence on Jeff Tweedy and Nels Cline from Wilco; they get a lot of their "out" moves out of this playbook. If you compare this to Wilco's "Impossible Germany" you see that same thing where the solo goes from an exploratory thing to having the whole band click back into a carefully planned arrangement.
I was here to say the exact same thing, but you nailed it. My gast has been flabbered that Michael didn’t know of TV. He’s one of the greats, and Marquee Moon is an all-timer of a guitar solo on a hugely influential album.
@ Try Wilco's 'Spiders (Kidsmoke)'. That song wouldn't exist without 'Marquee Moon.' Also, Nels quotes the double-stop riff at the end of 'Marquee Moon' in various live versions Wilco's 'Handshake' drugs. Fun stuff! I haven't listened to a great deal of Television, but hearing this now, it's so clear how much Tweedy has borrowed from Verlaine. Check out the title track from 'Love is the King' for what I believe to be one of Tweedy's best solos! Cheers!
Nels’ love for this album is pretty well documented! I didn’t get it for many years then heard it again a few years back and it just landed and. Are perfect sense. It’s a masterpiece!
That's not Television, but a Tom Verlaine solo concert (although the arrangement is very similar to what TV would have done). Television also featured Richard Lloyd, another outstanding guitarist, Fred Smith on bass (very melodic lines), and Billy Ficca on jazz-flavored drums. Outstanding band and all three studio albums were great.
@psychomafia We welcome all outcasts with open arms and eager will to open new doors for newbies. It was my first Television experience at one point in life. So Welcome Michael!
I'm pretty sure Richard Lloyd was the key guitarist of Television. I say this because I took some lessons from him and he was one of only 2 students of Jimi Hendrix (along with Velvert Jones). Hendrix taught a unique style that, obviously came from Hendrix, involving use of the 'Circle of Fifths' (which Hendrix used extensively) and which was based on primordial guitar stuff that predated 'Even Tempered Music'. For example, the 'Circle of Fifths' is, diatonically, 1526374 (intervals). The 1st mode changes nothing. The 5th mode flattens the 7, the 2nd mode flattens the 7 & the 3. You can see where this is heading based on the original sequence. Ergo, you can learn the modes using what used to be called 'Declension' in a matter of minutes (assuming you know your intervals) AND you can attach every mode to a chord almost instantly. Television was also the band to convince the owner of CBGB's to book rock bands as well (CBGB stands for Country, Blue Grass and Blues - I was a bouncer in NYC during this period). This is very early punk you're watching here. Richard actually has a series of videos called the 'Alchemical Guitarist' which is very interesting and informative. His knowledge is sickeningly deep. The toggle on a Jazzmaster switches between pickups, the other knobs control the volume and there's a 'Master Volume' and 'Tone' as well (I have a Jazzmaster). It's a very cool guitar, more for 'Surf' style, but it's awesome. You can sort of hear the 'Surf' type of guitar in his solo on this track if you stop and listen.
@@Annunaki_0517 I was there in the mid - late 90's. I also worked the door at the Mercury Longe, the Bower Ballroom, Pyramid, and a few other places. Hilly was very cool. I don't think I ever met his daughter. LOL
@@kennyrosenyc I was pretty much out of the scene by the 90's, I was only 16 when I worked at CBGB. Started playing the Hardcore Matinees there in '83, got to know the guys there pretty well, I was a roadie for a few downtown punk bands and would hang out with the guys at the front desk, after a while I became a familiar face at the front of the club and one night someone didn't show up for work and Hilly asked me if I wanted to work, and I jumped at the chance, tried to do a good job and a few weeks later I got a job there. Was a fun gig, but I was still in high school, so it was tough working late on weeknights and getting up for school the next day. I miss that place so much. One time years later I went into the John Varvatos store and it was such a bummer seeing what had become of CB's.
Tom always winged his solos. His original influence was free jazz saxophone. Richard Lloyd (not in this video) played well thought out solos that he could repeat exactly if he wanted.
I’m kind of stunned that you haven’t come across Marquee Moon as a guitarist and guitar instructor. Richard Lloyd wrote a column called “The Alchemical Guitarist “ for Guitar World at one point. Both he and Verlaine are, or were, sadly in Verlaine’s case, serious students of the instrument. All 3 of the studio recordings by Television are worth a deep dive. Please seek them out. Marquee Moon especially. Also, please try a Richard Thompson tune, either ‘52 Vincent Black Lightning for Acoustic, or a Live electric version of Shoot Out The Lights. Thanks.
I heard Marquee Moon when it first came out and have always thought of it as "new wave jazz." The guitar work is so sophisticated, but there's a raw energy to the whole thing that defies categorization. It's a shame so many people never got to hear it.
Always cool to see you react to stuff that's not in your wheelhouse - keep taking chances! Three Recommendations: 1. listen to the Marquee Moon studio album with Richard Lloyd and the original lineup 2. listen to some of Verlaine and Lloyd's respective solo work - Lloyd's field of fire is a GREAT song 3. buy a jazzmaster
Verlaine's riff is tough to play but it's very simple, just hammer ons on the 5th-7th frets. For the Bm part he's on strings 1&2, for the D part he simply moves down a string to 2&3. Same frets.
Tom Verlaine is in my top 5 favourite guitarist list. He's a punk and he an artist. BTW, he's usually known for playing clean tone guitars to the point of sometimes plugging in directly to the mixing desk.
Reference to Kashmir ✅ New to me and I really like this. Quite unique. I hear an eastern influence. A feast on a fretboard. I love to watch you facial expressions. Very 😎 Outer space ? yeah
Tom Verlaine as well as Television as a whole was the kickstart of what became known as the “post-punk” genre. Crazy the genre didn’t gain momentum until 1978 the following year after their 1977 debut album “Marquee Moon.” So ahead of their time and were the first group to take “punk” in a more artistic direction…
I find this so refreshing, i have no clue if he is a great player, but i think i can play something similar, crazy, after 3 years of hard practicing.... Love it.
From the Marquee Moon album, my favourite is Venus, the guitar work on it is spectacular. I'm a bit surprised you hadn't heard of them, they're one of those bands that are not very mainstream but musicians usually know and love them.
You really need to listen to the original version where you hear more closely what's happening in the changes outside the intro and the all guitar sections, there is a great lead break and also a section outside the song that really takes you by surprise.this particular live version seems a little bit more freeform so you miss some of the structure in the original version. It's also not a terribly good recording. It's really worth listening to the original. In that you will also hear how this band and this particular song influenced so many, from Talking Heads to the Strokes Not to mention some extraordinary guitar playing Give it a listen as a contrast to this version. You won't regret it
So glad that you got to hear Marquee Moon and Tom Verlaine's playing. I really enjoyed your breakdown of the song and hearing your opinions on what was going on. I've been a fan of theirs and Tom Verlaine's since about 1980. Television was and is one of the most interesting and original bands I have ever heard. I hope you'll explore them more. I highly recommend all 3 of their albums as well as Verlaine's solo work. Also, just to let you know the original 2nd guitarist in the band was Richard Lloyd who is an amazing and original guitarist in his own right. I don't know what that was in the video, but it was not Lloyd. It may have been Jimmy Rip. By the way, Verlaine is playing a Fender Jazzmaster. Those toggle switches on the upper bout of the guitar are what's known as the Rhythym circuit. With the flip of a switch it kills the bridge p/u and kicks in a darker sounding circuit of the neck p/u. The little wheels to the right of the switch are volume and tone respectively. If you ever get the chance to play a Jazzmaster I also highly recommend them as well.
Television. Fantastic band. Great music. Never introduced them to a person who wasn’t a fan a few bars in. Much like the Feelies. They should both get more recognition.
I always liked this song. It has always intrigued me with the lyrics and especially the guitar. I only discovered this song by exploring the internet one day and searching the best guitar solos of all time. This song was on the list and therefore was added to my Playlist.
FYI, Tom's choice of guitar (Fender Jaguar and Jazzmaster) had a lot to do with the sound. His style is light, angular and aggressive but also reminiscent of Indian ragas and even Richard Thompson's "drone" style. I remember reading Tom said he didn't try to copy other guitarists but listened to jazz players, with their breathing and playing (esp Lester Young I think). So, he plays for as long as he can hold a breath. He doesn't often play long passages or continuously like say, Al Di Meola. Worth listening to his solo albums and the song, The Blue Robe, for the lightness of touch and melodic structure over a simple chord progression. Cheers.
interesting you say Television was a blind spot for you. They’re such an important part of CBGB history but I guess if you’re not a punker that kind of stuff doesn’t really matter lol. Anyway super hyped for this video because this is a very influential band for me and a lot of people.
If it helps provide any frame of reference for the headspace Tom Verlaine was in when he improvised, he was super influenced by John Coltrane & Stan Getz. I don’t know if he started as a jazz player first, but I have a hard time believing his approach to things would be so colorful without that influence. & to reiterate almost every other comment prior to mine, you HAVE to listen to the album version. In fact, just listen to the entire album. The title track is very much the high point. But everything on the way to that peak is just damn perfect. I never set out to learn any of those songs, but just realized one day I listened to the album so freaking much, I’d absorbed half the parts. It’s a true treat.
The look on your face, Michael lol priceless. Welcome to the music of Television. The album sounds amazing. Highly recommended. It's tight, and made to sound like the opposite of earthy, if that makes sense. This performance opens up for a jam, just like the Grateful Dead would do. In fact, he's spoken about Garcia in past interviews... lol one might say that Television is the Ungrateful Dead. Maybe not. Anyway, peace.
Thanks for the video, Michael... and the bad news. Great way to celebrate, though. I've seen... I saw... Tom Verlaine in three different settings. First with Television for free in Central Park, then a solo gig in Brooklyn, and finally at Lincoln Center playing a Dylan song with Patty Smith and Lenny Kaye. Thank you blind luck. Thank you for the music, TV.
Man, I haven't heard Television for years. I remember buying Marquee Moon (along with Fugazi- Repeater) as a teen thanks to my girlfriends older brothers recommendation!
Verlaine was an innovative singer. It Richard Lloyd was the guy. His style, article, approach is amazing. He has a website full of lessons and it was like an education in Zen Buddhism of guitar.
oh man. im new to the channel and ive immediately started loving it its cause your love for music and also your embrace of all genres and approaches last but not least you cleary pay respect to the artists, evenmoreso being one yourself and knowing how difficult the art is and when I heard from your own words that you did not know Television at all and you were gonna do a reaction to their magnum opus, i knew we were in for a ride and surely enought you do not disappoint, sir ... tell you what, seeing people love and enjoy music is such a good feeling for me (and i also get to learn stuff in the case of your channel, so all the better)
@@mitchweiner Boggles my mind how you guys are familiar with Talking Heads but not Television. Part of the same core CBGB group that birthed punk/art rock/new wave. Marquee Moon is considered one of the greatest albums of all time. Do you guys just not read or talk about music with others?
So glad you did this one. I heard this a couple weeks ago on the Sirius XM U2 station. The commentator called it a classic guitar album of the 70s. The solo was vey cool and I like the out of the ordinary feel it had.
Marquee Moon owes much more to A Sailor's Life by Fairport Convention than it does to Kashmir, not to mention that they basically wrote the song in 1974 /1975 and Physical Graffiti didn't come out until 1975.
Plus Tom is blowing the parts on the prechorus, it's tightly composed and he's playing it all over the map here, sounding unpracticed. That part is so important to the song.
Verlaine's playing a Fender Jazzmaster which has two tone circuits - one for lead, one for rhythm - each with its own volume and tone controls. The switch on that upper bout switches between the two. Below that switch, you have two wheel controls - one for tone, the other for volume. You can set up your guitar quickly to switch between two very dissimilar setups.
Good video but yes you really need to check out the studio version. Some background, Television were 1970s NYC contemporaries with Talking Heads, Blondie, etc. Anyway Television was a TWO guitar attack. I happen to be seeing the other guitarist (Richard Llyod) tonight in New Haven, CT - he's fantastic. Also in the 90s Richard played with Matthew Sweet check out the song Sick Of Myself - '95 MTV 120 Minutes.
I was a late convert to Television, one my all time favorite DJ's played Marquee Moon during the request show on a night I was pleasantly chemically induced - and it blew my mind. I bought the album within minutes, and it has become one of my all time favorites. Listen to the whole album, Michael - I think you will be very impressed and excited.
Big Television fan, grew up on Verlaine's playing; your reactions are hilarious to watch. In Television, you have two very different guitarists who compliment each others playing beautifully. Richard Lloyd: really knew (and knows) his music theory, the strength of using different modes etc. Lloyd was so technically proficient that he double tracked all of his guitar parts on the record (with ease). Tom Verlaine: very instinctive, very inspired by Jazz players and (I doubt) ever played the same solo twice (or wanted to). In comparison to the recorded version, there are certain motifs that Verlaine is referencing here that bracket the solo's beginning and end (e.g. the build up using double stops, octaves and so on) but everything in the middle is an absolute free for all. Amazing stuff.
The studio album version would have been better to dissect as has been mentioned here...but still one of the greatest bands from that era (any era?) for sure.
Every guitarist should own the Marquee Moon album regardless of what type of music they play. Shame that you didn’t check out the album version. As someone noted no Richard Lloyd here.
I saw the original lineup live at the 9:30 club in DC circa 2004ish. It was monumental. Don't sleep on their excellent 1992 self titled reunion album. I actually think it's better than Marquee Moon.
Bro, the wife and I just watched you're John Moreland reaction video last night... We were there with ya; beautiful to watch that song's effect on you. Blessings Mike, keep crushing bro!
Dude the albums version was lightning in a bottle should have used that version its more laid back and the build up in the solo shows how these guys worked so well together and would create a musical vortex
"He's playing a weird sound very strangely" .. yeah .. oh and btw .. that intro you played was beautiful. Love it. Television were weird all around, extremely fragile band that made an astonishing album that sounds like nothing else before or after. I love listening to this title track with headphones slightly stoned .. and late at night. Reminds me of listening to the radio in bed .. just about on the edge .. and then dream away. Never quite able to explain it to my friends the next day at school. Memories. Cheers 🍺
THIS IS NOT TELEVISION. this is tom verlaine solo, WITHOUT RICHArd lloyd., and with his parts erased. but with fred smith on bass. and I miss a lot the parts of richard lloyd, which are the best parts, except the 4 minutes solo. why dont you comment some live show from 2005? there is a concert in brazil whicj shows the true parts of each one
Here's a far better version of Marquee Moon with the original lineup -- probably one of their last outings with all four of them together: ruclips.net/video/sDRIpopYxj8/видео.html
Up until I saw this, I had no idea that Tom Verlaine had no clue what he was doing. We were just watching him search for + find interesting sounds. I always thought he was doing planned out shit way above my head.
I saw them live a few years ago and they were good, but he played some very long, weird guitar solos. He was going with the flow and it didn't all work but it was interesting.
you should try listening to Guiding light or the fire by Television. They are stunning. Also, to be a bit pedantic that wasn't Television it was Tom Verlaines solo band (although Fred smith the bassist was in Television and Jimmy Ripp the guitarist would join later)
Really hope you have managed to listen to the album version since making this video. The whole album is incredible and would love to hear your thoughts on songs like this and Venus in a later video. Thanks for the great content!
This was a fun watch. Their album Marquise Moon is fantastic. Found them quite by accident and really enjoyed their stuff. Have you done a King Gizzard video? I'll have to look back. If you haven't, you should.
@joshuapocalypse That’d be Quine playing on BG. Hell formed the Neon Boys with Verlaine and Ficca which morphed into TV’s original lineup - prior to Hell’s departure for The Heartbreakers and Fred Smith’s arrival as replacement.
Видеоклипы
![Tom Verlaine - Days On the Mountain, PT. 1 [OGWT 1982]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/DCOgiC4FQIM/mqdefault.jpg)
It is a shame that you have not listened until the end, because I think the last bit of the solo after the build up is very important. I also think that the studio version would be a better first listen.
The real shame is that the version of Marquee Moon played here was NOT Television. This was Tom and three random sidemen in 1984, when the band was "on hiatus". Find the original studio recording, and you'll know within two minutes that this was a mere hint of what Television was. The other guitarist here is a competent musician, but the synergy between Tom and Richard really took it to the next level.
I agree. The end part of the song is important and this is a weird version of the band because I don't think that's Ficca on drums. Very 80s though.
@@ewmlloyd It is Tom and two random sidemen. The bass player is Fred Smith, who played bass on Marquee Moon and Adventure. Fred Smith would follow and play with Tom a lot during his solo career, including this recording.
@@ewmlloyd it is Tom’s solo work but Jimmy Rip, his guitarist was with him for 45 years including the last years with Television and literally sat by his bedside as he died, his best friend, so no, not Richard Lloyd but also not a random sideman, to be clear. The drummer here is Jay Dee Daugherty, still Patti Smith’s drummer, with Tom while she was on her 14 years hiatus. He too played with him most of his life. Tom Verlaine was so important, one of the best guitarists and songwriters ever, plus famously picky about his music, so no way he would play with random sidemen, he would only play with the real deals.
@@wegner.raphael Perhaps, but that really doesn't look like Fred to me. The point is, this by no means the definitive lineup.
Marquee Moon is absolutely one of the greatest albums of it's era and, sadly enough, largely forgotten but all but us music nerds. In my top ten of all time.
Agreed. Definitely one of the best albums I've ever heard. Television is an amazing band.
“He’s playing a weird sound very strangely”. That sums up television in a great way. One of my faves.
The album version is SO GOOD. Please listen
Was scrolling comments to see if anyone had already said it. The whole album is a+++. An all-time top 10 for me
definitive version for real!
Tom Verlaine and Richard Lloyd put together possibly the greatest debut album. I highly suggest listening to Marquee Moon. Fun fact Richard Lloyd knew Hendrix and got guitar lessons as a kid
I just learned that it was a friend who got lessons from Hendrix, and then straight away shared the lesson with Richard.
His friend Velvert Turner also released an album that was pretty good too
Maybe the best two guitarist lineup ever.
Hendrix once punched Richard in the face for saying he was a great guitar player. He really, really hates compliments.
I saw television in 1979 at a little bar in Cincinnati. It was amazing. Met the guys after the show. I was a soph in college.
You can really see here how Television was such a huge influence on Jeff Tweedy and Nels Cline from Wilco; they get a lot of their "out" moves out of this playbook. If you compare this to Wilco's "Impossible Germany" you see that same thing where the solo goes from an exploratory thing to having the whole band click back into a carefully planned arrangement.
I was here to say the exact same thing, but you nailed it. My gast has been flabbered that Michael didn’t know of TV. He’s one of the greats, and Marquee Moon is an all-timer of a guitar solo on a hugely influential album.
@ Try Wilco's 'Spiders (Kidsmoke)'. That song wouldn't exist without 'Marquee Moon.' Also, Nels quotes the double-stop riff at the end of 'Marquee Moon' in various live versions Wilco's 'Handshake' drugs. Fun stuff! I haven't listened to a great deal of Television, but hearing this now, it's so clear how much Tweedy has borrowed from Verlaine. Check out the title track from 'Love is the King' for what I believe to be one of Tweedy's best solos! Cheers!
Nels’ love for this album is pretty well documented! I didn’t get it for many years then heard it again a few years back and it just landed and. Are perfect sense. It’s a masterpiece!
@@adamhogan636 Great call on Tweedy's Love is The King solo. SO good.
And how Richard Thompson was a huge influence on TV.
I bought this when it first came out still got it and it's raw and gets into your bones that's what great music does makes you feel alive
That's not Television, but a Tom Verlaine solo concert (although the arrangement is very similar to what TV would have done). Television also featured Richard Lloyd, another outstanding guitarist, Fred Smith on bass (very melodic lines), and Billy Ficca on jazz-flavored drums. Outstanding band and all three studio albums were great.
Got to listen to the album. Television without Richard Lloyd isn’t really Television.
Never heard of Television?? One of the innovators of New Wave. A regular at CBGB. This song is fucking awesome. The record version is outstanding.
this guy doesn't seem to know much good music
@psychomafia We welcome all outcasts with open arms and eager will to open new doors for newbies. It was my first Television experience at one point in life. So Welcome Michael!
I'm pretty sure Richard Lloyd was the key guitarist of Television. I say this because I took some lessons from him and he was one of only 2 students of Jimi Hendrix (along with Velvert Jones). Hendrix taught a unique style that, obviously came from Hendrix, involving use of the 'Circle of Fifths' (which Hendrix used extensively) and which was based on primordial guitar stuff that predated 'Even Tempered Music'. For example, the 'Circle of Fifths' is, diatonically, 1526374 (intervals). The 1st mode changes nothing. The 5th mode flattens the 7, the 2nd mode flattens the 7 & the 3. You can see where this is heading based on the original sequence. Ergo, you can learn the modes using what used to be called 'Declension' in a matter of minutes (assuming you know your intervals) AND you can attach every mode to a chord almost instantly. Television was also the band to convince the owner of CBGB's to book rock bands as well (CBGB stands for Country, Blue Grass and Blues - I was a bouncer in NYC during this period). This is very early punk you're watching here. Richard actually has a series of videos called the 'Alchemical Guitarist' which is very interesting and informative. His knowledge is sickeningly deep. The toggle on a Jazzmaster switches between pickups, the other knobs control the volume and there's a 'Master Volume' and 'Tone' as well (I have a Jazzmaster). It's a very cool guitar, more for 'Surf' style, but it's awesome. You can sort of hear the 'Surf' type of guitar in his solo on this track if you stop and listen.
I worked the door at CBGB for about 6 months in the winter of 83-84, when were you there Kenny? Always loved Hilly, but hated his witch of a daughter.
@@Annunaki_0517 I was there in the mid - late 90's. I also worked the door at the Mercury Longe, the Bower Ballroom, Pyramid, and a few other places. Hilly was very cool. I don't think I ever met his daughter. LOL
@@kennyrosenyc I was pretty much out of the scene by the 90's, I was only 16 when I worked at CBGB. Started playing the Hardcore Matinees there in '83, got to know the guys there pretty well, I was a roadie for a few downtown punk bands and would hang out with the guys at the front desk, after a while I became a familiar face at the front of the club and one night someone didn't show up for work and Hilly asked me if I wanted to work, and I jumped at the chance, tried to do a good job and a few weeks later I got a job there. Was a fun gig, but I was still in high school, so it was tough working late on weeknights and getting up for school the next day.
I miss that place so much. One time years later I went into the John Varvatos store and it was such a bummer seeing what had become of CB's.
I've got the alchemical guitarist and it's amazing.
@@edwardtaylor9387 Me too. As you can tell. It's one of the greatest guitar lessons you can take.
Tom always winged his solos. His original influence was free jazz saxophone. Richard Lloyd (not in this video) played well thought out solos that he could repeat exactly if he wanted.
I’m kind of stunned that you haven’t come across Marquee Moon as a guitarist and guitar instructor. Richard Lloyd wrote a column called “The Alchemical Guitarist “ for Guitar World at one point. Both he and Verlaine are, or were, sadly in Verlaine’s case, serious students of the instrument. All 3 of the studio recordings by Television are worth a deep dive. Please seek them out. Marquee Moon especially.
Also, please try a Richard Thompson tune, either ‘52 Vincent Black Lightning for Acoustic, or a Live electric version of Shoot Out The Lights. Thanks.
You don't really think these "reaction" videos are the first time any of them have ever heard the song or watched the video, do you?
I heard Marquee Moon when it first came out and have always thought of it as "new wave jazz." The guitar work is so sophisticated, but there's a raw energy to the whole thing that defies categorization. It's a shame so many people never got to hear it.
Always cool to see you react to stuff that's not in your wheelhouse - keep taking chances! Three Recommendations:
1. listen to the Marquee Moon studio album with Richard Lloyd and the original lineup
2. listen to some of Verlaine and Lloyd's respective solo work - Lloyd's field of fire is a GREAT song
3. buy a jazzmaster
One of the greatest record in human history
Verlaine's riff is tough to play but it's very simple, just hammer ons on the 5th-7th frets. For the Bm part he's on strings 1&2, for the D part he simply moves down a string to 2&3. Same frets.
I found that tune extremely cool. I’m going to have to go down a rabbit hole with this band.
Tom Verlaine is in my top 5 favourite guitarist list. He's a punk and he an artist. BTW, he's usually known for playing clean tone guitars to the point of sometimes plugging in directly to the mixing desk.
surprises me you haven't heard of em, Mike! Such an iconic record. RIP, Tom!
you need to listen to the album version
More punk, proto punk, hardcore and post hardcore!
Punk was where Television landed, but they were always much, much more. Sometimes great music is just great music, and all from a classic album too.
this isn’t television. it’s one of verlaine’s solo band performances. that’s not Billy ficca on drums or Richard Lloyd.
Reference to Kashmir ✅
New to me and I really like this. Quite unique. I hear an eastern influence. A feast on a fretboard.
I love to watch you facial expressions. Very 😎
Outer space ? yeah
Not to be a dick about it but genuinely amazed that a guitar instructor has never come across this band and this album before.
Seen these guys in the city in the late seventies and they were spot on! RIP Tom.
Tom Verlaine as well as Television as a whole was the kickstart of what became known as the “post-punk” genre. Crazy the genre didn’t gain momentum until 1978 the following year after their 1977 debut album “Marquee Moon.” So ahead of their time and were the first group to take “punk” in a more artistic direction…
I find this so refreshing, i have no clue if he is a great player, but i think i can play something similar, crazy, after 3 years of hard practicing.... Love it.
From the Marquee Moon album, my favourite is Venus, the guitar work on it is spectacular.
I'm a bit surprised you hadn't heard of them, they're one of those bands that are not very mainstream but musicians usually know and love them.
I agree. Wonderful song.
You really need to listen to the original version where you hear more closely what's happening in the changes outside the intro and the all guitar sections, there is a great lead break and also a section outside the song that really takes you by surprise.this particular live version seems a little bit more freeform so you miss some of the structure in the original version. It's also not a terribly good recording.
It's really worth listening to the original.
In that you will also hear how this band and this particular song influenced so many, from Talking Heads to the Strokes
Not to mention some extraordinary guitar playing
Give it a listen as a contrast to this version. You won't regret it
So glad that you got to hear Marquee Moon and Tom Verlaine's playing. I really enjoyed your breakdown of the song and hearing your opinions on what was going on. I've been a fan of theirs and Tom Verlaine's since about 1980. Television was and is one of the most interesting and original bands I have ever heard. I hope you'll explore them more. I highly recommend all 3 of their albums as well as Verlaine's solo work. Also, just to let you know the original 2nd guitarist in the band was Richard Lloyd who is an amazing and original guitarist in his own right. I don't know what that was in the video, but it was not Lloyd. It may have been Jimmy Rip. By the way, Verlaine is playing a Fender Jazzmaster. Those toggle switches on the upper bout of the guitar are what's known as the Rhythym circuit. With the flip of a switch it kills the bridge p/u and kicks in a darker sounding circuit of the neck p/u. The little wheels to the right of the switch are volume and tone respectively. If you ever get the chance to play a Jazzmaster I also highly recommend them as well.
Television. Fantastic band. Great music. Never introduced them to a person who wasn’t a fan a few bars in. Much like the Feelies. They should both get more recognition.
I always liked this song. It has always intrigued me with the lyrics and especially the guitar. I only discovered this song by exploring the internet one day and searching the best guitar solos of all time. This song was on the list and therefore was added to my Playlist.
FYI, Tom's choice of guitar (Fender Jaguar and Jazzmaster) had a lot to do with the sound. His style is light, angular and aggressive but also reminiscent of Indian ragas and even Richard Thompson's "drone" style. I remember reading Tom said he didn't try to copy other guitarists but listened to jazz players, with their breathing and playing (esp Lester Young I think). So, he plays for as long as he can hold a breath. He doesn't often play long passages or continuously like say, Al Di Meola. Worth listening to his solo albums and the song, The Blue Robe, for the lightness of touch and melodic structure over a simple chord progression. Cheers.
interesting you say Television was a blind spot for you. They’re such an important part of CBGB history but I guess if you’re not a punker that kind of stuff doesn’t really matter lol. Anyway super hyped for this video because this is a very influential band for me and a lot of people.
love this band
Bro, bro... you don't know Television. That sucks for you. Phenomenal band and talent that have been overlooked far too long.
If it helps provide any frame of reference for the headspace Tom Verlaine was in when he improvised, he was super influenced by John Coltrane & Stan Getz. I don’t know if he started as a jazz player first, but I have a hard time believing his approach to things would be so colorful without that influence.
& to reiterate almost every other comment prior to mine, you HAVE to listen to the album version. In fact, just listen to the entire album. The title track is very much the high point. But everything on the way to that peak is just damn perfect. I never set out to learn any of those songs, but just realized one day I listened to the album so freaking much, I’d absorbed half the parts. It’s a true treat.
Nooooooooo!!!!!!!!! This is the first I've heard. Rest in peace, TV ✌🏽❤️
I'm gonna roll a joint and listen to Television's first album. I'll meet y'all there.
The look on your face, Michael lol priceless. Welcome to the music of Television. The album sounds amazing. Highly recommended. It's tight, and made to sound like the opposite of earthy, if that makes sense. This performance opens up for a jam, just like the Grateful Dead would do. In fact, he's spoken about Garcia in past interviews... lol one might say that Television is the Ungrateful Dead. Maybe not. Anyway, peace.
Thanks for the video, Michael... and the bad news. Great way to celebrate, though. I've seen... I saw... Tom Verlaine in three different settings. First with Television for free in Central Park, then a solo gig in Brooklyn, and finally at Lincoln Center playing a Dylan song with Patty Smith and Lenny Kaye. Thank you blind luck. Thank you for the music, TV.
Man, I haven't heard Television for years. I remember buying Marquee Moon (along with Fugazi- Repeater) as a teen thanks to my girlfriends older brothers recommendation!
One of my favorite albums. Go listen to it!
That's Tom Verlaine's solo band. Between Television's breakup and reunion.
Verlaine was an innovative singer. It Richard Lloyd was the guy. His style, article, approach is amazing. He has a website full of lessons and it was like an education in Zen Buddhism of guitar.
A very sitar-like raga riff floating over the beat. Psychedelic. Blew my mind the first time I heard it and never wanted it to end.
Television is my all time favorite band! Cheers Michael!
Tom loved a good mixolydian. I’ve always thought of this as broadly a D mixolydian
love this song. tom verlaine's solo is a monument to tension and release.
Surprised you haven't heard of. The album version is considered one of the great guitar passages of the 20th century.
oh man. im new to the channel and ive immediately started loving it
its cause your love for music and also your embrace of all genres and approaches
last but not least you cleary pay respect to the artists, evenmoreso being one yourself and knowing how difficult the art is
and when I heard from your own words that you did not know Television at all and you were gonna do a reaction to their magnum opus, i knew we were in for a ride
and surely enought you do not disappoint, sir ... tell you what, seeing people love and enjoy music is such a good feeling for me (and i also get to learn stuff in the case of your channel, so all the better)
This became my favorite song of all time years ago when I saw it in the movie about CBGB. RIP Alan Rickman he was great as Hilly Crystal
Never heard Television before. Talking Heads x crowded house to my ear. Thanks for the upload.
I had the same reaction!
no coincidence there - Talking Heads were huge fans of Television before TH was even a band.
@@mitchweiner Boggles my mind how you guys are familiar with Talking Heads but not Television. Part of the same core CBGB group that birthed punk/art rock/new wave. Marquee Moon is considered one of the greatest albums of all time. Do you guys just not read or talk about music with others?
@@theplacemats I am just a casual music fan of certain artists. That’s all.
So glad you did this one. I heard this a couple weeks ago on the Sirius XM U2 station. The commentator called it a classic guitar album of the 70s. The solo was vey cool and I like the out of the ordinary feel it had.
I hope someday he realizes he missed the famous 8:42 on the studio record by 1 second.
Marquee Moon owes much more to A Sailor's Life by Fairport Convention than it does to Kashmir, not to mention that they basically wrote the song in 1974 /1975 and Physical Graffiti didn't come out until 1975.
his confusion face is endearing. hope he went and checked out the original.
Just listened to the podcast…very cool of them to be working with you on merch.👍
Wait, Michael has a podcast?! How’d I miss that?!?!
He was on the “stew on this” podcast….link in the description
They start out way too fast! They’re blowing the whole vibe of the song. Album version is much better.
Plus Tom is blowing the parts on the prechorus, it's tightly composed and he's playing it all over the map here, sounding unpracticed. That part is so important to the song.
Yah. I dig both.
Verlaine's playing a Fender Jazzmaster which has two tone circuits - one for lead, one for rhythm - each with its own volume and tone controls. The switch on that upper bout switches between the two. Below that switch, you have two wheel controls - one for tone, the other for volume. You can set up your guitar quickly to switch between two very dissimilar setups.
The thunder was Tom.
Good video but yes you really need to check out the studio version. Some background, Television were 1970s NYC contemporaries with Talking Heads, Blondie, etc. Anyway Television was a TWO guitar attack. I happen to be seeing the other guitarist (Richard Llyod) tonight in New Haven, CT - he's fantastic. Also in the 90s Richard played with Matthew Sweet check out the song Sick Of Myself - '95 MTV 120 Minutes.
Gotta check out the recording as well. It’s an amazing sounding record.
Dope track and album...everyone should definitely check them out now that you can stream it!!!
I was a late convert to Television, one my all time favorite DJ's played Marquee Moon during the request show on a night I was pleasantly chemically induced - and it blew my mind. I bought the album within minutes, and it has become one of my all time favorites. Listen to the whole album, Michael - I think you will be very impressed and excited.
ruclips.net/video/jlbunmCbTBA/видео.htmlsi=W5xlOTWOJDkhSYUU
Big Television fan, grew up on Verlaine's playing; your reactions are hilarious to watch. In Television, you have two very different guitarists who compliment each others playing beautifully. Richard Lloyd: really knew (and knows) his music theory, the strength of using different modes etc. Lloyd was so technically proficient that he double tracked all of his guitar parts on the record (with ease). Tom Verlaine: very instinctive, very inspired by Jazz players and (I doubt) ever played the same solo twice (or wanted to). In comparison to the recorded version, there are certain motifs that Verlaine is referencing here that bracket the solo's beginning and end (e.g. the build up using double stops, octaves and so on) but everything in the middle is an absolute free for all. Amazing stuff.
Ear training is a must for musicians, more than theory or technique.
Ah I see they gave you the short version to watch
The studio album version would have been better to dissect as has been mentioned here...but still one of the greatest bands from that era (any era?) for sure.
Every guitarist should own the Marquee Moon album regardless of what type of music they play. Shame that you didn’t check out the album version. As someone noted no Richard Lloyd here.
Marquee Moon was the first cassette I chose in my "Free 10 tapes" in the 80s Columbia House indentured servitude plan....
I saw the original lineup live at the 9:30 club in DC circa 2004ish. It was monumental. Don't sleep on their excellent 1992 self titled reunion album. I actually think it's better than Marquee Moon.
Seeing you react to alternative music is such a delight for me
Bro, the wife and I just watched you're John Moreland reaction video last night...
We were there with ya; beautiful to watch that song's effect on you.
Blessings Mike, keep crushing bro!
When I saw him staring to pick around the first rhythm, I thought man, you’re going to have a lot to work out coming up.
Doesn't want to get beat up by Wes Montgomery, gets beat up by Tom Verlaine instead!
Dude the albums version was lightning in a bottle should have used that version its more laid back and the build up in the solo shows how these guys worked so well together and would create a musical vortex
highly enjoyable watching someone be turned into a Television fan
"He's playing a weird sound very strangely" .. yeah .. oh and btw .. that intro you played was beautiful. Love it.
Television were weird all around, extremely fragile band that made an astonishing album that sounds like nothing else before or after. I love listening to this title track with headphones slightly stoned .. and late at night.
Reminds me of listening to the radio in bed .. just about on the edge .. and then dream away. Never quite able to explain it to my friends the next day at school. Memories.
Cheers 🍺
This is most likely out of your comfort zone, but have you tried out Death-Crystal Mountain live in Eindhoven 98'?
'He's playing a weird sound very strangely.' That kind of sums up Tom Verlaine.
Because Tom Verlaine was an artist.
THIS IS NOT TELEVISION. this is tom verlaine solo, WITHOUT RICHArd lloyd., and with his parts erased. but with fred smith on bass. and I miss a lot the parts of richard lloyd, which are the best parts, except the 4 minutes solo. why dont you comment some live show from 2005? there is a concert in brazil whicj shows the true parts of each one
the bridge is so much better on an album version!
I think you'd love Days off their second album. Would love to see your take on it.
Classic tune, big influence on indie rock, Nels Cline etc, also a great lesson to teach students about Mixolydian
Here's a far better version of Marquee Moon with the original lineup -- probably one of their last outings with all four of them together: ruclips.net/video/sDRIpopYxj8/видео.html
You stopped! If the live version is like the album version then they pause for a second or two and then go back to the top
One of my favorite songs, so weird to see it here
Wasnt the bass player Tommy Stinson? Who later went on to play in guns n roses?
LISTEN TO THE STUDIO VERSION.
Up until I saw this, I had no idea that Tom Verlaine had no clue what he was doing. We were just watching him search for + find interesting sounds. I always thought he was doing planned out shit way above my head.
I saw them live a few years ago and they were good, but he played some very long, weird guitar solos. He was going with the flow and it didn't all work but it was interesting.
“Don’t think about it too much” is a way too.
you should try listening to Guiding light or the fire by Television. They are stunning. Also, to be a bit pedantic that wasn't Television it was Tom Verlaines solo band (although Fred smith the bassist was in Television and Jimmy Ripp the guitarist would join later)
I have to be completely honest this went way over my head
please do listen to the studio versions, true sonic landscapes
Same here. It’s not just you!
Lovely brother
Really hope you have managed to listen to the album version since making this video. The whole album is incredible and would love to hear your thoughts on songs like this and Venus in a later video. Thanks for the great content!
"I don't even know what I'm watching."
This was a fun watch. Their album Marquise Moon is fantastic. Found them quite by accident and really enjoyed their stuff. Have you done a King Gizzard video? I'll have to look back. If you haven't, you should.
you got the intro wrong, it is F#-E-F#-E then D-C-D-C (you are playing D-B).
The solos are all just jazzy improv in the mixolydian mode. And Verlaine's playing isn't "odd". It is rare genius.
Listen to Blank Generation by Richard Hell and The Voidoids. Tom's guitar is incredible!
@joshuapocalypse
That’d be Quine playing on BG.
Hell formed the Neon Boys with Verlaine and Ficca which morphed into TV’s original lineup - prior to Hell’s departure for The Heartbreakers and Fred Smith’s arrival as replacement.