There are certain artists one wishes one could outgrow. They belong to one?s youth, after all, and perhaps they should remain there, along with all the other youthful things one is relieved to have outgrown. But for me, the music of the CBGB?s-era band Television, and in particular its singer and songwriter, Tom Verlaine, is one of those youthful enthusiasms which (so far, anyway) threads its way through my life with embarrassing persistence. Occasionally it disappears for long periods while other, more novel interests take hold, but then, like mosquitoes in Spring, back it comes, nipping at the senses as tenaciously as always, only in this case the result is intense pleasure rather than irritation and blood marks.
Television was, or is ? no one seems to be sure of its exact current status ? the band best known for inaugurating the CBGB?s scene in the mid-1970?s; for having to this day a small but ferociously loyal group of devotees; and for having been eclipsed, at least in terms of popularity, by other bands of that era such as Talking Heads, Blondie, The Ramones, et al. Even by the monstrously egotistical standards set by most rock stars, they seemed weirdly indifferent to fame and record sales, but like the Velvet Underground their musical influence remains pervasive...
Verlaine's and Richard Lloyd's ringing guitars haven't lost their urgent call, their mood-conjuring power. Whenever I need to get myself revved, I listen to a Television bootleg recorded at CBGB's around '75 or '76 that includes songs never recorded on vinyl but favorites of early devotees, numbers such as "O Mi Amore" and "Judy," and all other thoughts are put away, forgotten. I'm playing "Judy" right now as I type, and only wish you could hear it too.
Postscript:
BB mentions that Verlaine used to live in the East Village, and I just found this interview from '76 with Verlaine where he's asked what he would do if he had some real money:
Tom: Well, I?d get a decent place to live. You wouldn?t believe the shithole I live in. You really wouldn?t believe it. The floors are like black with shit and the windows are� the glass is ready to fall out and kill somebody in the street, like it rattles. There?s one radiator for four little rooms. In the winter, it?s like� the only thing is I haven't paid my rent since last November� I owe my landlord like $1500 and he hasn?t come after me for it, which is like a miracle ?cause I haven't had any money this year at all really. I?ve had enough money to live on from the jobs we?ve been playing. But it?s like a miracle that my landlord hasn?t asked me for rent in almost a year.
Do you have television in your place?
Tom: I had one� I had this great little old TV, but the aerial broke on it.
And I thought my East Village place was bad!
Source: http://www.vanityfair.com/online/wolcott/2011/05/hes-just-tryin-to-tell-a-vision.html
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