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FLASHBACK: Television 'Marquee Moon'

13 August 2012 | 9:00 am | Brad Davies

As musicians become further and further removed from the 1970's experience, Television remain one of the it's most influential exponents.

The guitar comes in and out of fashion but as generations of musicians removed from any first hand experience of the 1970's inevitably comb rock history for inspiration, TELEVISION remain one of the it's most influential exponents.

More specifically their 1977 debut album Marquee Moon is a consistent reference point for scores of today's most popular and reknowned artists.

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As icons of the New York guitar scene that fostered punk and ushered in post-punk alongside contemporaries such as Patti Smith, The Ramones and Talking Heads it's a legacy that lives on through the people who continue to count them as idols.  Members of the legendary New Order and Depeche Mode cite Marquee Moon as a major inspiration and the subsequent post-punk revival in the early 2000's that brought to us the likes of The Strokes, Interpol and Yeah Yeah Yeahs added another chapter to New York City's fabled history in the genre they helped create.

In 1974 (in what is now part of Bowery folklore) the band convinced then owner of CBGB's, Hilly Kristal to give them a regular gig at the club which had prior to that time predominantly hosted blues and country acts.  Given that names such as The Cramps, Blondie and Joan Jett & The Blackhearts, (to name but a few) went on to perform there and turn the venue into a focal point of the punk and new wave scenes in the 70's and early 80's it's clear that TELEVISION are hugely responsible for opening the door to the avalanche of greats that followed them onto it's stage.

Brilliantly complemented by Fred Smith on bass and Billy Ficca on drums the undeniable lead men of this band (after essentially kicking out Richard Hell) were the two guitarists. Tom Verlaine and Richard Lloyd aren't so much dueling axemen as they are 'Ghostbusters' daring to cross the streams of skillfully strummed energy flowing from their six-stringed proton packs.  There's more than a touch of crazy genius to the artful, progressive jams they constructed and at nearly 11 minutes Marquee Moon's centrepiece title track remains to this day a feat to behold.  Verlaine's unhinged vocal only adds to the drama created via the brilliantly intertwining guitars that constantly find another level to soar to just when it seemed they'd reached their peak.  It was their craftsmanship to combine the two guitar leads so effectively that so few if any bands have been able to match since.

Television went on to release a second well received album, Adventure, in 1978 before parting ways that same year (as any notable band does) because of drug abuse issues and contrasting artistic visions.  They carried on as solo artists and as members of other projects before reforming in 1992 and releasing one further self titled LP.  They continue to tour sporadically today.

Words by Brad Davies