Television – Marquee Moon (1977)

Punk Rock and its offshoots weren’t really taken that seriously in the USA prior to this release. This debut album by Television changed all that. Television were a bunch of young men from New York who had studied the trends and were known to have some decent musical chops. After a series of trial and error in the music scene of the day, this album is widely seen as one of the greatest albums of all time for its style. Let’s take a listen and hear if it still holds up its reputation as a classic to this day.

We kick off with See No Evil which has some nice guitar parts to begin with, and the rest of the band join in. A really wonderful listen, it is somewhat akin to Punk Rock, but is actually more like Classic Rock. The musicianship here is very awesome, sounding really fresh and inspired here. This is great music for those who dig minimalism in their sounds. The music here is really unique, and is a must listen for those who like simple Classic Rock sounds here. Excellent stuff.

Next along is Venus which has a strikingly awesome and melodic sound in the intro. The song here is very raw. Everything about this music is very stripped back and bare, but in a really awesome way. Lyrics about the New York Broadway and other artistic elements are here. In the second half are some awesome violining on guitar and some intricate drum fills. A brilliant sounding song, this is really nice sounding all the same, and the musicianship here is really professional.

Friction comes along next, with its excellent opening chords and weird guitar phrasing. Still, the music here is wonderful and brilliant here, and sounds really cool. No doubt one of the highlights on this album, this song is really cool. One would think that music this simple would be super boring, quite to the contrary, it’s not. It is a super simple, enjoyable and varied listen to hear. The guitar solo here sounds pretty freaky, and the song itself is an instant classic. Good job guys, this is a really wonderful and precise listen. Nice to hear, it ends with a load of great drum rolls.

Marquee Moon is a 10 minute long title track here. It begins with an iconic guitar riff, some additional lead guitar playing and some nimble bass playing. Before long, the rest of the band join on in. Instantly you can hear how on it these guys were, it just sounds awesome and top. A really fresh and inspired piece of music, this just goes to show that one needn’t have a load of overdubs or extra additional instrumentation to make such a great piece of music. With some iconic lyrics and fine musicianship, this is really extraordinary. Some lyrical references to a Cadillac in a graveyard, and other strange insights, this is really cool. This piece goes to show that less is more, musically, especially given in retrospect, in our current era of “perfect” music. A really cool and awesome piece of musical expertise, this is really nicely done, with some really excellent Fender Stratocaster sounding solos here. This is obviously influenced by the likes of Rock greats such as The Velvet Underground. Really awesome and fine listening, this is music that is so precise and wonderfully done. Towards the end, we build up to a really fine climax with some really nice guitar sounds here. Towards the end, it goes briefly quiet, only to resume back into the first song section of this piece. A really top and fine listen from these guys, it sounds really brilliant from start to finish. A must listen.

Next along is Elevation which begins with some Classic Rock style riffing, before launching into a really cool piece of music that sounds well worked on and excellent. A really nice song, “Elevation…don’t go to my head,” says it all. These guys must have been practicing 24/7, it does sound really fine and professionally done here. The guitar solo here is an awesome thing, and the whole piece is wonderfully done. A really simple and good piece of Rock music, this and the rest of the album are expertly done. A nice listen.

Following is Guiding Light is next, with some laidback guitar parts and nice piano added here. Some interesting vocal section then enters, and this track gets underway. A really nice and excellently delivered piece of music, this is somewhat more Poppy than other tracks on this album, but still is an essential listening experience. A neat guitar solo is here, followed by expertly played sections with the band playing absolutely spot on. Really good music here, it could have been covered by a female solo singer this piece, which would have been interesting. Still, a great listen from start to finish, with a nice fade out.

Prove It is next, beginning with some nicely matched guitar parts, before some spot on percussion enters. A really cool and quirky sounding piece of music, this is once again, really well done. A good piece of different music here that sounds wonderfully put together and executed, Television prove their own worth with songs such as these. Another really timeless listening experience, this is a really awesome and simple piece of music. Great stuff to listen to, and sounds like a piece that would have inspired many here. Great and brilliant music, this is an inspired listen from start to finish.

Torn Curtain is the last song here, with some pitched shifted tom-tom drums to begin with, before launching into a great epic piece about frustrated emotions and the like. It sounds really fine, simple and musically brilliant with the iconic phrase, “Rolling back the years” here. Musically, lyrically and sonically, Television were an undeniably great musical force that sounded great at their best. This album is proof of that. Some awesome guitar solos are here throughout, along with some great lyrical imagery here as well. Excellent music about heartbreak, Television did very well on this album. A really cool and awesome listening experience, this has an extended guitar solo section at the end here which sounds really awesome. It finishes off really nicely with said guitar solos.

This is surprisingly a great and underrated album that, no matter if you dig Rock music or not, deserves your time and listening energy. Sadly, Television did not last very long after this album, but should have. This is an awesome album that transcends musical genres and styles to prove that substance is far more important. Worth your time, a great listen.

Different.

9/10