Television (band) Guide, Meaning , Facts, Information and Description
Television are an Americann rock and roll band of the 1970s. Most histories of punk rock now acknowledge that they were among the first bands to which the label was applied. They remain widely influential, and their debut album Marquee Moon is often seen as a vital, important release.Unlike "punk rock" in general, which took its cue from other bands associated with CBGB in New York City, many critics consider Television's accomplished music to be experimental, proficient, abstract, and langorous. Many music fans, in retrospect, choose to catagorize Television as post punk.
The group comprised Tom Verlaine (vocals and guitar), Richard Lloyd (guitar), Fred Smith (bass guitar) and Billy Ficca (drums). Though Verlaine and Lloyd were respectivally, "lead" and "rhythm" guitarists, they often rendered such labels obsolete: "Lloyd was the guitarist who affected the tonality of the music more often than not, and Verlaine and the rhythm section the ones who gave the ear its anchor and familiar musical elements. Listen only to Lloyd, and you can hear some truly off the wall ideas being played." (Handa)
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2 Members 3 Discography 4 References |
History
An early version of the group, The Neon Boys, was comprised of Verlaine, Ficca, and bassist/singer Richard Hell. The group lasted from late 1972 to early 1973, and recorded a few singles.
In late 1973, the trio reformed, calling themselves Television. They recruited Lloyd as a second guitarist and began performing. Later, Hell left the group; he would later form his own influential bands The Heartbreakers in 1975, and Richard Hell and the Voidoids a year later.
Television earned a reputation as an impressive live act; their large fan base was enough to persuade CBGB owner Hilly Crystal to give Television a regular Saturday night gig at his club, which had previously been devoted to country music, bluegrass and blues music. Television was perhaps the first "punk rock" group to perform at the club, which was to become, along with Max's Kansas City, the epicenter of the infant punk scene.
Televion's first album, Marquee Moon, is often regarded as a classic. One reviewer writes the album was "revolutionary" and "comprised entirely of tense garage rockers that spiral into heady intellectual territory, which is achieved through the group's long, interweaving instrumental sections." (Erlewine)
Television split up after their second album, Adventure. The band members hade traditionally had very independent and strongly held artistic visions, making the band's career somewhat spotty. The band broke up after Richard Lloyd and Tom Verlaine decided to pursue solo careers in 1978, but Richard Hell was the first to depart the band. They briefly reformed for an eponymous third album in 1992. The band split again after the tour supporting the third album.
After being wooed back onstage together for the 2001 All Tomorrow's Parties at Camber Sands, England, they have played a number of dates around the world, and continue to play occasional New York dates and tour on an irregular basis.
Members
Discography
References
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