Television: Marquee Moon | Pop Culture Graveyard Ep 54 | Tom Verlaine & Richard Lloyd

This episode of Pop Culture Graveyard takes a deep dive on the classic album Marquee Moon by Television. Hollis breaks down Television's brilliant LP track by track, and talks about the various ingredients that make Marquee Moon such a masterpiece. Television's classic lineup of Tom Verlaine, Richard Lloyd, Fred Smith and Billy Ficca, released Marquee Moon on February 8, 1977, and since that time the legendary album has only grown in stature. Follow the links below to further explore the band's sound...

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If you don't already own this album, I hope this episode convinced you to do so:

Here is the full album, Marquee Moon, ripped from first-pressing vinyl, as originally heard on its 1977 release:

Here is the full ten-minute-thirty-eight-second version of the song Marquee Moon, available on later pressings of the album, with its proper ending:

Here is the super-early Richard Hell-lineup of the band rehearsing in manager Terry Ork's loft in 1974. This is a fascinating glimpse into Television at their most punk rock--that is to say, amateurish. They're very long on ideas and aesthetics, but short on professionalism. I find their interactions even more compelling than the songs they play:

Here's is the Richard Williams/Brian Eno demo for Marquee Moon taped in 1974 for Island Records. As the first commenter (Richard Lloyd) mentions, the band didn't take any of his ideas--though Eno sure had a bunch of them. When the band heard what they sounded like on this demo, Richard Hell's tenure in the band was given an expiration date:

Here is the Fred Smith-lineup of the band live at CBGB's in 1976. The band is still a bit looser than they sound on Marquee Moon (they practiced for six hours a day, seven days a week leading up to recording), but they are way tighter than ever before:

Here is a newer performance (live in Brazil in 2005), which I'm including so you can actually see "who plays what" between Tom and Richard. (As you can probably tell from this episode, I'm a big Richard Lloyd fan.) The band play a dramatic intro to the song for about a minute, but once Tom hits the first notes of the song--and the crowd erupts with recognition--I get chills on the back of my neck. Such a classic song:

00:00 Intro
04:04 See No Evil
06:17 Venus de Milo
08:38 Friction
09:40 Marquee Moon
14:01 Elevation
15:41 Guiding Light
16:37 Prove It
17:25 Torn Curtain
18:22 Outro

#PunkRock #TomVerlaine #RichardLloyd

[burmajones]

RIP Tom Verlaine. Thx Hollis for making this video. Very nice to rewatch it tonight.

[jimsmith]

GREAT advice about starting with "Friction." That was my first Television song, off of the CBGB's and the Birth of U.S. Punk CD compilation. I loved it for years before I started to explore their other stuff. I heard "1880 or So" on satellite radio and loved it too, but it was still several more years before I finally took the deep dive. Now, they're my favorite band. ❤

[raytrusty]

My sister used to play this in the house when i was 10 yrs album along with Aladdin sane by fundamental to the music i would listen to

[bryanmorgan]

Wow, great insights! I heard this will be the next Rhino High Fidelity, definitely grabbing it. Great video!

[jonathanreich]

Very influential album for me and the way I played guitar. You hit all the high points on the background of things as well at least from Richard Lloyd's book and some other commentary. Great job. As much as I love Marquee Moon (and Lloyd's guitar solo on Elevation is definitely the high point for me -- all over the neck of the guitar), my favorite Television song is "Days" from Adventure. Perfect song with fantastic lyrics, great guitar interplay with incredible melodic Richard guitar playing, great drums and bass on it, and probably Tom's best singing.

[LividImp]

Most music that was super adventurous 40 years ago now sounds really tame. I try to explain to my kids that there was a day when listening to music as mellow and conventional as The Cure or REM would get you branded a weirdo, and they just stare back at me in a "does not compute" kinda way. But for what ever reason, when I play Television for people who are unfamiliar with them, I still get that "this music is weird" vibe from them four decades later. It must be something deep and primal, and you either love it or it makes you itch. There is nothing quite like Marquee Moon and I feel it is going to stay that way.

[klovor]

venus is my favorite track but, this whole album is beautiful and toms vocals are just perfect.

[markbrooks]

Some great insights into a landmark album I thought I knew. Great video, thanks for uploading.

[conflictmagazine]

So nice to hear it referred to as Punk Rock...what made original Punk Rock great was its diversity. In an interview with John Lydon years later you could tell his level of disappointment with the first wave of UK Punk Rock when he said he wished other bands had done their own thing instead of just copying the Pistols.

A great album from a great period of creativity in American music that stands the test of time.

It is truly timeless...

[coldsharkride]

Wow, what an astute perspective on Marquee Moon. I've always been a fan of the title track, but you help uncover the other gems scattered throughout the LP. It's hard to pick a CBGB fave band, but Television is surely in the top two -- or one, I just can't decide! Is anyone as mystified as I am at Verlaine's vocal similarity to Patti Smith? Genius is genius. . . and it sometimes appears in the least expected places.

[ufohead]

100% lots of good background info thank you

[jimsmith]

Got a little chill when you were describing the glory of "Marquee Moon."

[epsteenwusmerdered]

Genius of Marquee Moon aside, their second album Adventure is an often overlooked gem. And then there’s their third self-titled album, which is fantastic.

Need I say more? Ok, I will. Tom Verlaine’s solo records are also great, and he saved one of the best songs of his career, Postcard from Waterloo, for his third solo album which was released in 1982.

I’d say in terms of musicality and artfulness, Television were the best band to come from that CBGB scene. They’re just too sophisticated for most listeners to actually get the depth of their beauty.

[lorettatalavera]

I discovered Television when I heard New York Dolls! Love this band very current sound of today alternative sound. I think this is band is most underrated band. Love all the early punk era in NYC… I was 11 year old when the scene was happening. Great band. Talent musicians

[curtdilger]

This is a great and thorough review. I especially like the details about their interaction. Tom Verlaine's voice is the main issue keeping them from greater fame, in my opinion. If you like it, as I do, it's an acquired taste, but I think it puts many other people off. I think he's like Bob Dylan, or Donald Fagen. They don't have conventional voices so they kind of adopt a persona with their singing. TV created a weird, slightly menacing backwoods type I think, like when he says, 'Oh mister, you gone the wrong way...' in the song 'Souvenir from a Dream' and 'Yonki Time'. That said, I think he was a genius and his lyrics are amazing and some of the best, and his guitar work places him in the Hendrix Beck Page pantheon. RIP. Cheers.

[burmajones]

The title track is sublime. On par for me with Coltrane's My Favorite Things. You captured the song's peak moment really well. I've always thought of those shards of guitar at the song's peak as birds darting down from on high, but glitter drifting down is a nice image. Did not realize Verlaine was THAT prickly. Have you read the 33 1/3 series book about this album. A great little history of the CBGB's era. Loved this episode. Nice work. Thx.

[favoritethings]

Love this review!….your passion for each track is so genuine…thank you. Love this album!

[BobDuvet]

Another winner! You my friend are a winner!

[mdduckman]

Absolutely LOVED your overview of this classic album - I had heard Marquee Moon years ago but I just recently listened to the album from beginning to end and I'm now borderline obsessed with it. I can't believe I didn't listen to (or even know about) this album in my teens when I had a voracious appetite for all things alternative. You would think I would have come across it but doesn't matter - it's never too late to discover the magic of this album. I really enjoyed your comments and notes - thank you so much! I just subscribed and look forward to watching other videos on your channel. Thanks again!!

[mazgriffiths]

i just cant pigeon hole this masterpiece with punk - its so much more