Reviews (page 12 of 15)
Another band I missed from the late 70s. It really shows that I was too dependent on what the radio played in those days. I really enjoyed the music and lyrics.
5 star side A, 3 star side B.
Love this album
This is a pretty good album. Some nice bass and drum parts.
ok
I had a friend who introduced this album to me back in the mid 1980s, so around ten years after the album was first released. I always liked the title track, but struggled to find anything else that really stood out to me. Having not listened to this for over thirty years it was a pleasant musical journey. The guitar is superlative, but the vocals don't quite work for me I'm afraid. It seems really unfair to mark this down from 5 stars based on the artists that the album inspired, but I can hear just a little too much David Byrne in the vocals for my liking, and that sours my experience a little. Love the simple production, the guitar sounds, even the hisses and pops from the vinyl on the version I listened to. It's a tricky balancing act between post punk, pop/rock, even progressive rock in places. Sometimes the style will change mid-track, which I love. For the most part the band keep that balance tight and I can see why this is a classic, but it's not quite perfect in my opinion.
Nothing spectacular. None of the songs grabbed my attention and stuck with me. Basically nice background music while working out. Made it to the 6th track.
This is fantastic
Didn’t even finish it
First thoughts- super solid and unique production / songwriting but maybe a teeny bit repetitive
See No Evil - 3/5 Venus - 2/5 Friction - 3/5 Marquee Moon - 3/5 Elevation - 3/5 Guiding Light - 2/5 Prove It - 2/5 Torn Curtain - 3/5 Overall decent. Wish the songs were shorter, on average.
Really enjoyable album. Listened through several times. You could play this in a garage drinking with your buddies.
Not bad, but also not terribly exciting. Sometimes feels like a cross between the early 2000s and the Doors.
I enjoyed this album. Nothing real specific to say. I'm no expert critic. Just enjoyed it.
got distracted and accidentally took a 100-album-long (i think that's twenty weeks??? that's as many as two tens, and that's terrible) break from listening. no matter, life goes on. this will be the original 1977 release with 8 tracks, rather than the 2003 re-release containing five bonus tracks track 1, See No Evil: has the feel of a roadtrip montage and driving on a rocky dirt road. two people wearing white tank tops staring at a map, one of them turns the map upside down to be rightside up. they bought the wrong flavor of gatorade. typical road trip. 7/10 track 2, Venus: the tone quality on the guitar is a hair too close to what i would call The Beatles' sound for me to be able to enjoy the song, but there's nothing bad about this. 6/10 track 3, Friction: road trip part two! pretend there were thirty full seconds of silence staring at the exterior door of a public restroom at a rest stop, then back in the car and onto the highway. sunglasses firmly on their faces because there isn't a cloud in the sky. they still didn't buy the right flavor of gatorade, but the taste is growing on them. 6.5/10 track 4, Marquee Moon: titular track! it seems this is the 2003 version, with a 10:38 duration rather than 9:58. i can say with certainty that this is a great track to dissociate to, with a constant heartbeat on guitar pulsing for most of the song. solid 6.5/10 SIDE TWO track 5, Elevation: maybe it's just Television's general sound or vibe, but this song sounds kind of same-y, although i could not tell you what it sounds the same as. 6/10 you know, maybe it stems from how music is most commonly listened to these days, where we do not listen to one entire album from front to back in one sitting, and instead listen to several songs from several artists across several releases, albums or singles. perhaps it is this that makes it difficult to not fall into passive listening over active listening for a song. that or maybe the adhd. where were we? oh, yes, track 6, Guiding Light: this is a very "walking home alone after being turned down after asking someone on a date" feeling, carrying a drooping medium-sized bouquet. you kick a puddle under the streetlight. it's not raining tonight, but maybe it did a day or two ago. halfway home you ditch the flowers in a trash bin, and pick your head up. the lamp post in your front yard draws you home. 7/10 track 7, Prove It: we're back on the road trip, babey! the sun is low in the sky, and we're tumbling along this same dusty highway. must be close to our destination now. around sunset we pull into a motel parking lot and check in (they had one room left) and collapse on the singular bed. 7/10 track 8, Tom Curtain: this is "what if you didn't get your emotions out on the walk home from Guiding Light" and now you're at home, alternating between sobbing into a pillow and staring dead-eyed into a mirror while taking glugs from a bottle of alcohol you're definitely not supposed to have. around four minutes in you throw the empty bottle at the wall across from you and just cry yourself to sleep. 7/10 overall: 6.6/10 -> 3/5. i could not tell you what feeling the artists were going for with this album (if you thought i was able to remember a single lyric from any of these songs you're kidding the both of us, reader), but there were distinct feelings happening nonetheless, and art is nothing if not subjective.
Loved this one! Overall album flow is great, Marquee Moon was my favorite track
Album slaps. I wish I had more to say critically about it since it is probably my favorite album we have had thus far.
Pretty good 70's rock. None of the songs really stuck with me though.
2/10 but not 1/5
3.3/5 - fine, but most of the tracks pale in comparison to the title tune
first listen i dig it
A really British album from a New York band. Loved it. Listened to it many times.
Really good album, his voice reminds me a little of the violent femmes
Really awesome sound, loved the song Venus.
Like it
Enjoyed the listen, 3/5 for now as I only had time for 1 full time through it.
It's okay. 3/5
Average with some good songs
Very good. Led me down a rabbit hole of similar music
Not it, sound sold timey
11/01/23 2:15 S Tier————————— See No Evil A Tier————————— Friction Venus Marquee Moon Elevation Prove It B Tier————————— Guiding Light Torn Curtain
Wednesday 11/1/23, 2:20, Office S Tier————————— Marquee Moon Friction A Tier————————— Elevation See No Evil Prove It B Tier————————— Venus Guiding Light C Tier————————— Torn Curtain
Good rock album, start is stronger than the end
Don't you be so happy And for heavens sake don't you be so saaaad
10/10 5 stars
Never heard of this band before but the album cover looks like something I’d love so let’s seeee. Ah I’m enjoying this a lot, it reminds me of something but unsure what. It feels very Modern and ahead of its time, I wouldn’t be surprised if some of these songs had been released this side of 2000. Very reminiscent of The Strokes? (Went and read reviews and surprised other people said this too ahah) Marquee Moon was probably my favourite. What a gem of an album!
Don't like the vocals. Guitar is good, but not the rock style I like.
First time listening to this, but have been aware of it for a while now. Really delivers. Enjoyed so much of this. 4.5/5
groovy
This was pretty ok; similar vibes to Darklands but I like it slightly less. Cool band name, cooler album cover. 3/5
Love first 2, especially the funny “what” and “yeah” exclamations in Venus. Ngl Marquee Moon got a little long. At 8 minutes just going DU DU DU up the scale I was kinda like okay why are we spending the climax of the song doing a scale but I also did enjoy the musical interlude.
solid vibes, liked the instrumentals. an overall yes
it alright
didn't get through this one tbh i was quite bored
It's pretty darn melodic for a punk album, and that's precisely what makes it so good.
I swear to God als ik nog een 1970 album krijg ga ik gillen
Just another alternative 70’s rock album…. Het begint nu wel een beetje eentonig te worden denk ik. Ik moet zeggen dat ik dit album ook niet mega goed vond, betrapte mezelf er op dat ik me er echt toe moest zetten om hem af te luisteren om niet al naar andere muziek te gaan luisteren
Some good songs but not the best
Seems like they were ahead of their time and likely influenced many others. Not sure how this one alluded me all these years!
I’m sure this fits in somewhere in the rock n roll ark, but it kinda doesn’t grab me. Anything with a 10 minute song is a bit too much for me..
Fun rock feel with Melodie’s that wrap throughout. Not anything crazy but was fun. Would listen again
have been aware of this album for a few years, ever since I saw it show up as a top rock album of all time. reminds me of brit pop. really infectious songs. sounds modern.
I can't focus rn it sucks ass I gotta do college shit, derivatives quiz tmo, gov test friday, but I can't start working on anything and its so annoying Didn’t have the time or energy to give it a good listen
Quite interesting album, very modern and clean sound of guitars for a record from 1977. The melodies and riffs are actually pretty good, though they are offset by some real howling by the main man Tom Verlaine. Apparently, this album is pretty important, making a way for the post- post punk generation, before the real post punk was even created. Kudos to that, even without this knowledge Marquee Moon is an entertaining position on this list.
3/5, nice guitar riffs. Vocals are too punky for me.
Ugh I hated the singer’s voice. Liked the guitars but I was waiting for the album to end.
I liked this recommendation, better than the last one, music is more on the modern side,
A pleasant surprise. Never heard of them or any songs before, but reasonably enjoyed
Nope
Discordant. Harsh. The kind of music that pretentious nerds think they SHOULD listen to, but nobody actually enjoys. Title track is okay.
I SEE NO... EEEEVVVIIIIIIIIIIILLL *Heard before
fine as background noise
Still teetering on the edge of its early 70s rock, but a slow mark in a transition to alternative. Slight hint of Jagger in the voice. Strong bass
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
It's really good music. I hear all the influences they had on later post punk, but it's not captivating. I'll probably listen one or two more times to catch the complexities I missed, but I get why this band wasn't more famous. I wish I could have been around to see them live though. I bet they were incredible.
Song were too long the actual music wasn't bad besides the length and sometimes abstract riffing that was done, it could have been seen as enjoyable. ...And then there was the singing. It sounded like a balloon deflating.
I’m not sad I listened to it but I also don’t feel like I would have missed much if I never listened to the album.
Pre-80s punk/alt sound. Lead singer is a mix between David Burn and Mick Jaggar.
I like this album alot, the titular track is really fun. All of it is easy to listen to and does some unique things but I don't see myself listening to it all that often. It doesn't grab me in a way I want to be grabbed by music so I think I'm rating it in the middle. I like what it's doing but it doesn't stand out too far from everything else.
Some good stuff in there
Wa pas mal, le morceau marquee moon avec son solo est exceptionnel, le dernier morceau très dark mais sentiment de morceaux pas fini. Des très bon moments au milieu mais les premiers morceaux me sont un peu passé au dessus
Favorite album ever. I only discovered this album a month ago yet it is already safely my favorite album ever. If I had to show someone one album to describe my music tastes, it would be this without question. The guitars always go where I want them to go, the drums always come down hard when I want them to (especially on torn curtain) and Verlaines vocals are perfect. Kinda bummed I already got this one just over 100 albums in. It might be all downhill from here haha. First perfect 5.0 rating from me. Well deserved. Rating: 5.0
Elevation!!! Torn curtain! not bad
The album was great. The guitar was the best part. Singing was hypnotic and very soothing.
In one ear out the other
Me gusta mucho!!
Ima be honest... kinda forgettable. I need to go back and actually sit and listen to the songs to give it a fair chance
Liked the old hard rock sound of it
Nothing blew me away, but it was worth a listen.
Not a fan. standout track: guiding light
Legend has it that Television once walked into CBGBs and asked the owner what it stood for. "Country, bluegrass, blues," he said. Television replied, "That's what we play." The end result of that deception was the creation of punk rock's Mecca with Television as its first mascots. Their debut album lives up to the reputation as icons of the scene. The music still holds up against countless imitators that have come since.
Good, seems like the strokes were influenced
3.4
nice instrumentals.
10/10 One of the best rock albums ever
I really liked this, crazy how it came out way before this sound was more mainstream.
Total 70s banger.
Not really my thing
Great guitar riffs but the voacls turn me off. Just didnt vibe with it in general
I like it , like like a little jump from the punk of the Ramones to other more modern rock kinda things Get hints of the eagles Feel like modest mouse is like them
7.5/10 fave: marquee moon
Mon album préféré pour l'instant Des hooks de dieux Album de poésie urbaine
Nice easy listen. Style is familiar.
Was ok. Nothing memorable.
Hard to judge this without a time machine. So much that is innovative was perfected by other alt-rock bands that came later. I did not pick up on the punk aspects at all. Good solid songs and arrangements. These guys are inspiration for a lot of bands I loved later.
Melodic and great sounding guitar work. The NYC punk scene in the late 70s was crazy good if this is one of the acts flying under the radar. Wasn’t going to give it the 5th star but it’s unique and catchy enough, it’s equivalent to a good, almost-great Talking Heads record.
Title track is awesome. Instruments are nice, I like the lyrics, but the vocals don’t do it for me. First half much better than second half.
Title track is genius. The rest is very good but not as good
Rock. Black keys feeling. I like so far.
Not bad. Similar to Rolling Stones. Early punk sound!
Seminal but the whiny yelp singing voice turns me right off
2.5 another middle of the road one for me
Good, easy to listen to album, but not much in it to make me want to come back to it again. It's interesting to hear how this album would go on to influence other post-punk music.
Ville nok vært 4 forrige uke, men skal være strengere så idk
Pleasant surprise. Solid listen throughout the entire album.
Some good songs, not a huge fan of the vocals.
Strokes really owe these guys their entire careers
Simple yet satisfying. I’ve always been a fan.
Great album, can't complain.
Violent Femmes - punk/new wave sound.
A proto post punk masterpiece. One of the great guitar albums.
Boring and unimpressive, disliked the vocals. Torn Curtain was ok.
That was a hard listen, made more so by Tom Verlaine's voice (rest in peace) which grated on me. They may have come out of the Punk scene in NY, but the length and meter of the songs was anything but IMO.
Not really my jam.
Melodic punk. An indierock landmark recording.
natalia kills
some of the guitar is osom, singer is kind of doodoo. the title track is rlly good.
Man, the influence on contemporary music, 80s music, etc,f are alllll over this album. Talking heads, bowie, more contemporary bands like Clap Your Hands and Say Yeah. It's creative. It's got tons of character. Fun to listen to.
Really good guitar work Some songs super long Elevation had some ear irritating riffs and lead tones with too much high end Venus, Friction, and title track are all amazing
rock punk that sounds good kinda sounds similar to the beatles
Good listen
Wasn't necessarily bad, just was not for me
Fed, frisk lyd på første halvdel af albummet. Highlightet på albummet er tiltelnummeret. Friktion + Marquee moon + Anden halvdel stagnerer en del og bliver mere kedeligt. Træt af forsangerens stemme da anden halvdel begynder.
Better than the stooges, guitars are kinda killer
W album, just a little outdated for my taste.
Better than the previous day's 70s offering. Still very 70s, but it feels a little more energetic and edgy.
I'm a sucker for a bass-led band, especially when they're locking it down like this. Fred Smith (who quit a little known band he founded - Blondie) to join up with this squad, drives the vibe-mo-bile all through this record, setting a solid stage for the the two guitars to really create some cool interplay . This album is full of great melodic hooks and some very cool understated solos. That lick on the outro solo on guiding light is a beauty. This is a cool album to listen to because as clearly as you're hearing the influences on the band(Rolling Stones is the one clearest to me), you're hearing the influence they had on the alt scene for decades. You're hearing the cure, pixies, (rilo kiley?), and on a couple tunes, i'd swear i was listening to the strokes. This one lands right in my wheelhouse. Will be listening to many times over.
I had never heard of Television. Maybe because I shun fancy things like electricity. I did listen to this while I walked through the valley where I harvest my grain, and I realized it was kinda plain. However, I did finish my listen, and you finished thine, so we can party like it’s 1699 (or 1977). Not as good as Amish Paradise. Not as bad as Amish rice. 3.25/5
meh
Masterpiece. This is the album all of the indie-post punk-2000's bands want you to think they're improving. This is the album that fans of those bands call us 'Boomer' with a snear on their peach-fuzzed faces when you tell them their band sucks. This is the album that made the NYC post-punk sound of the 1970s. This. Is. The. Album.* 5/5. *And I fucking love it.
Had to relisten because I got to distracted by my thoughts on the first go. The songs I thought were good with more attention were just okay. Good guitar but I just don't like this singing style
also meh
This is like Talking Heads and Violent Femmes had a baby…
The coolest album there is. They perfected post-punk basically before punk even happened. Two thrilling guitars wrapped around each other like chaotic DNA. All sparse jangly-disorted chords and scattering frenetic leads with an incredible sense of melody and dramatic tension. The bass adds an extra layer of propulsive energy and counter-melodic riffing while the drums drop in and out, sometimes restrained with almost jazzy cymbal work, rolling high-hats, establishing the beat on snare-rim, and tight fills, until breaking into some hyper intense punk verve. Insouciant vocals with the occaisonal pubescent break, brilliant with off-kilter delivery and surpring phrasing. Damn I love this album so much. F. R. I. C. T-I-O-N!
I was gonna write about how I thought this album was cool but I didn't really care about it, but upon relistening it totally clicked. May move up to a 5 but 4 for now. man that title track hits every time.
I've never heard any of these songs before, this was a really good album. Enjoyed the entire thing. The title track Marquee Moon was my favorite song of the album
Fairly decent. Lots of 70s and early 80s flavour
This one always pops up on those lists of essential Post-punk albums, and I enjoy much of what is on those lists. This album, though, drags a bit. The instrumentation is good, if a bit repetitive, but many of these tracks go on far too long, and Verlaine’s vocals are pretty grating after a while. Stylistically, it’s pretty closely related to the Talking Heads, with one foot in the glam scene and one in late 70s NYC punk, but the pace is much more languid than any of the above. Not bad, just not for me.
Not my type
Another bland "classic/alt/psychedelic rock with a touch of country" albums to throw on the pile.
Complex, jazzy and punk AF. Love it.
Good
Lots of great post-punk albums on here. Love this early new-wave stuff
The band from the New York 70s punk scene that could actually play and were not afraid to show it. Amazing songwriting and a perfect debut. I live in NYC and like to walk the LES listening to this record and imagining being there when this was happening. So, so good and I think forgotten sometimes amongst the conversations of the bands of that era.
I love this album. Doesn't sound like it's from late 70s
Very 70s
Enjoyable album especially for Punk fans like me.
I enjoyed it.
OK
I have to laugh. I'm very familiar with this record, and planned to give it a four, as I think it's formative, but not truly spectacular. I listened to it again. Five city, baby.
This one came together a bit more for me on the second listen. I also think the second half of the album is stronger than the first half (Guiding Light and Prove It are my favorite songs), which made me come around to it more after letting it settle in. A few things I don’t love. For some reason I find the singers voice to be a little annoying over the course of the full album, even though he’s clearly great. The first half of the album also felt a bit generic to me, though it came together nicely eventually. Lastly, the songs are also all on the long side (including the 10 minute Marquee Moon track), which generally isn’t my favorite album structure. That said, I did really end up enjoying this, particularly on the second listen. This is considered to be a pretty pivotal album for early punk rock, and I get the appeal. I get strong Modest Mouse vibes at times (I think largely the vocals sound similar on Marquee Moon). It’s unique enough to keep things interesting, and is generally a strong 70s rock album. I’m not as into this as some of the reviews I’ve seen online, but it’s largely enjoyable. Probably a 3.5 for me, but enough good here that I’ll round up. Favorite song: Guiding Light Other: Venus, Marquee Moon, Prove It
6/10
An album that is built around the fulcrum of the title track. There is no getting away that is stands head and shoulders above all the others. But most of them are startlingly strong as well. While the vocals may become a little whiney over time the guitar playing and rhythm section more than overcome this. There are scintillating recurring guitar motifs sprinkled across the tracks. An extraordinary rock album that teased us lyrically and musically.
Cool album with a mix of psychedelic rock and garage rock. Friction has a great hook. Love the mix on this record. Crisp and clean. Pre-punk
- Heard this album many times before - Title track is one of the greatest songs of all-time - No bad songs - Absolute classic, easy 5* - Fav songs: Marquee Moon, Torn Curtain, See No Evil
So many great songs on this album. Could you even call this Punk?
Great album, “Elevation” sounded weird during chorus. I think they were having mixing issues.
pretty good rock. 4 stars.
Enjoable and original, but falls short of its immense reputation.
Note my thing but great
A record one sort of knew automatically that one was supposed to like when one first heard in college radio days and which is still a great listen. So innovative and interesting and influential, a record that not only set the stage for indie rock/new wave/post-punk, but made all those genres possible. As one reviewer put it, it’s your favorite band’s favorite record. It's the Strokes before the Strokes, like a couple of decades pre-Strokes, and the influence couldn’t be clearer. One hears a more thoughtful, leaner VU, too. Even a casual listen clarifies just what a plundered treasure chest this is: among the direct quotes (or plagiarizers); the solo on Wilco’s “Impossible Germany;” “Elevation” provides loot for The Cardigans’ “Lovefool,” opening figure and Greg Kihn’s most famous hool. And, one wonders, if “Friction” inspired the title of Spoon’s “Gimme Fiction” album. Seems plausible. That range suggests a Rosetta Stone of sorts. Title cut is fantastic, too. Not too much to say that Television midwifed indie/alt rock with this record and practically brought the ‘80s into being. Patti Smith’s records are utterly forgettable compared to this masterpiece.
Today's album is by a band I've never heard of before. Television took traditional punk, removed the power chords, and replaced them with complex jazz and rock solos. Tom Verlaine and Richard Lloyd were both jam guitarists, who liked to dabble quite a bit, as can be heard all through this record. Apparently the band met with Brian Eno initially to produce the record, but demos of the album didn't sit well with them, so they scrapped Eno, and produced it themselves, with the help of Andy Johns. Thank God for that, because I am not much of a fan of Eno's style at all! Overall, a pretty good all around record. Hell of a lot of talent in this band, and showcased on this record. Another found band that I never would have discovered had it not been for this generator! Favourite songs: Friction, See No Evil, Venus, Marquee Moon Least favourite song: Torn Curtain 4/5
Kind of interesting, kind of meh. What did I like about this? Well, the arrangements were always gorgeous and tasteful. The lead guitar had everything I usually look for in lead guitar. It was soulful, a beautiful tone and distinctive, memorable melodies. However, the vocals let this down. I honestly think this band's vocalist just isn't very good. His lyrics are fine- they were weird and a bit obtuse, but I liked that. They were unique. However as a singer, he leaves a lot to be desired. He appears to be going for some cross between punk and so-called "art rock," but retains only the worst parts of these genre's vocal styling. He has the pretentiousness of more "sophisticated" rock styles with none of the usual technical proficiency. The unpolishedness of punk without its raw, real authenticity. To his credit, he sung some songs better than others. I particularly remember him singing the title track well, and also "Elevation," where his delivery on the word "confidential" got me every time. Closing track "Torn Curtain," however, was far and away my favourite. What a beautiful, unique song. I can definitely say I've never heard anything remotely like it, and that's not something you're able to say every day. Favourite song: Torn Curtain
I liked this album. Reminded me of a mix of The Rolling Stones and the Talking Heads.
See No Evil- The theme is thinking and dreaming of ambitions, all these of pure happiness and good, without and bad or evil things to stomp upon it. However, the singer tries to persuade the listener this isn’t how life is and to wake up and realize the world around them. The outro adds a message to control your future (4.5) Venus- The singer focuses on a being called “Venus” who is described in countless eloquent ways throughout the track (3.5) Friction- An interpretative track, loosely centers around the idea of friction, possibly as a parallel to miscommunication and difficulty to collectively act? (3) Marque Moon- A scattered but well produced song, focused on living life with purpose and not drifting around and leaving your fate up to chance (5) Elevation- This song is about how the singer has reached a higher place where common judgement does not break his stride, and he continues reminiscing about when it did (4) Guiding Light- Once again the singer talks about purpose and the path his life is on, and whether this is indeed a guiding light showing him the right way, or if he really is all alone (3.5) Prove It- A chapter in the singers life which constantly bugged and peeved him is finally over, and he is ready to move on (4) Torn Curtain- After a long time of avoiding the pain in his life, the singer finally get caught by the dark, tearing his life and throwing him into despair (3) Summary: A indie album with a collection of guitar solos and drums that match in a rigid sort of way lead the way for the dreamy and loosely pieced ideas each tracks puts forward. All in all an interesting album with some good songs; OVERALL 4/5
pretty chill
2/5. I wanted to like this a lot more but I don’t know, the songs were good but not awesome and the 10 minute title track was nowhere near the hype it was set out to be. The guitar solo was great but the lyrics and verses felt so chaotic and messy, and not in a good way. There were some good songs like See no evil and friction that I could listen to again but a weak album overall.
honestly very good, its not my style of music but kinda cool
Liked it OK, didn't love it. It actually made me want to listen to the Cars. The best song is probably the title track, though it's a bit to long. The last track, Torn Curtain went a bit long too. I liked the stripped down production, but the album as a whole didn't do a lot for me.
Flawless. Call it art rock, photo punk, or whatever you want. This is one of the best rock albums from the 70s. Tom Verlaine and company were able to create a new music paradigm with Marquee Moon. A paradigm whose influence can still be perceived 50 years after its original release.
some cool ideas music wise. nothing special overall though
Not for me
I think I figured out where The Strokes get their vibes from. Marquee Moon feels a hell of a lot more deliberate, though. Maybe just as coked out, I don't know, but trading out the horniness for some sense of deliberation that, on my second listen, I'm really starting to appreciate. Doesn't hurt that the title track is one of the consensus greatest songs of all time, either. A pondering werewolf kind of 4/5.
How to make a punk record sound artistic. Goddamn this album is so good! The title track is insanely amazing! Tom Verlaine's angsty vocals and nimble guitar work is beyond fantastic. This is a great guitar album that isn't a classic shredder but it has a way that knows how to make use of the space that it creates. Pure genius.
Album qui frôle le confusionnisme à mon avis
un peu étrange en effet
i really liked the music. they have their style but it is not repetitive at all. very interesting and experimental! one thing though is the lead singers voice:( you get used to it during the album, but i do think it ruins the music. at least it devalues it, which is a shame!
Meh
Could have been made much more recently and still sounded up-to-date, which is quite a feat.
Another one from the annals of the Bamford family. This played on our record player from the time I was nine. I still love hearing the crackles of a proper LP. It’s clever, poetic, strikingly original for its time. Lines like - I fell right into the arms of Venus de Milo - are poignant but also humorous - highlighting the absurdity of adolescent love. But it’s not just lyrically astute, those guitars suck you in. These are talented musicians whose legacy is incontrovertible. The songs draw you in, they have good hooks. I love this not only for the nostalgic blast but because they can write damn good songs. It’s not quite a 5 today for me though.
I was going to give this a neutral 2 but I think I will give it a hopeful 3. As I listened to the album for the first and only time, nothing turned me off, but nothing grabbed my attention, either. Until I got to the song Elevation, which I really liked. And it was the same with all of the songs after that. I haven’t had time to go and re-listen to the album to see if everything before elevation was crap and everything after it was wonderful, or, if my feelings about the album simply had to do with time exposed to the material . That’s where my hopeful three comes in.
Another difficult one to rate. I heard Patti Smith, Blondie, Talking Heads, Violent Femmes .... bands I like were either influenced by, influencers of, or co-inhabitants of the same time and place and this is like a stew of these artists, and yet, I cannot relate. There was some cool stuff going on, though the cymbal sound on that drum set is among the worst ever. But musically, compositionally, there was meat on these songs. I don't love the vocals, so that doesn't help, but as Niko said in a recent review, somehow I don't connect emotionally to this. So, one one level, a 4 for its innovation and creativity, but a 3 for its impact on me. I'm going low on this one, because I'm not intrigued enough to come back. I was not unfamiliar with the band, Marianne had this CD (maybe still does), but this listen gave me a new appreciation. So that's something.
It's been ages since I listened to this, other than the title track, and as side one was playing I wondered why I didn't listen to this album more frequently, as every song delivered on every level. But side two kind of dragged me down a bit. So it's a 4. But damn, when it's on, it's on. Inventive and fun arrangements, lyrical solos, great drumming, cool bass lines. Side one gets a 5, and I'll definitely be listening to that more frequently.
This album represents what is my sweet spot for sound. I discovered Television around the same time I was hitting Patti Smith hard. And that makes sense because they both come from a similar sound and life (NJ) where poetry is important. Man that guitar riff (deedledeedledeedle deedledeedledeedle deedledeedledeedle) on Marquee Moon just does something to me. This song is such a great example of how Television combines poetry and sound. That guitar riff makes me think of the rain dripping down and the sage advice “don’t be so sad.”
Refreshing addition to the list. Jammy like Allman Brothers, but vocally like Violent Femmes. A solid listen.
Title track very good, everything else less interesting
Kinda wish the rest of the album was as great as the title track
Pretty decent album, never heard of them before! There were no song that really grabbed me other than perhaps 'Marquee Moon' a bit, but all of them held up well enough! Nothing really bad, so this ends right in the middle for me.
Lots of catchy riffs and tunes so the album never felt boring. I also didn't feel like anything really grabbed me in particular. Cool listen and you can hear that a lot of later bands took influence from this sound.
an original, complex, interesting and highly listenable. Hard to categorise but some lovely guitar interplay and atmospheric songs. The title track is just beautiful
ok punk rock but nothing special
Lovely little rocker. Very nice guitar and drum work.
Tough one to have right after close to the edge. Enjoyed the 3 minute songs, rest not for me
Nothing stood out too much but still enjoyed it
Underrated. Shit's good
I really liked the instrumentation of this whole album. I wish the vocals weren't so whiny/new wave sounding - I probably would have rated it higher if that were the case
I'm not even sure what to say about this but I really liked it. Post-punk is quickly becoming one of my favourite genres and this is a great representation of what's awesome about it.
I really liked this. Good overall vibe, and I loved the guitar playing. Would play this regularly.
Big fan of this album in general. I was already familiar with it and I've gone back and forth on it a bit. Overall, the quality is really there and I'm there with it. However, the title track is too long and I get bored with it. Similar with the last song. Those tracks being shorter would put it in 4.5 territory, but as it is, it's like a 3.75. 3.75/5
One of the first non-metal albums I fell in love with. Tom Verlaine’s guitar tone shook the hell out of me, and it sounds as good as ever. Not all songs are equal, but it still sounds quite fresh A-, bordering on an A
Very good. Different style of punk than I'm used to. More meandering and romantic rather than rebellious. No anthems but that's to its benefit. Enjoyable overall.
This is one of the best albums of rock music ever. Television is post-punk in the best way and unique in their clean, controlled style. Every track is a wonderful little journey.
I'm really into this one. There's a slight punky vibe mixed in with some epic instrumentals. To me Venus feels like it could be a Talking Heads song sans David Byrne. Marquee Moon is an epic anchor at the center.
Surprised how much I like this. The thing that was most striking for me is how similar this is to another, more recent, band - Clap Your Hands and Say Yeah. I could really hear the DNA of that band in Television. The vocal delivery, despite being "talky" (which can turn me off sometimes) seemed controlled and skillful - an intentional decision rather than a lack of skill. The interplay between the two guitars stuck out to me too - one doing strong, percussive rhythm, and the other doing arpeggiation or melodic runs. Lots of great catchy basslines as well. Sounds like it was initially underappreciated but well recieved by critics. This might make it into my regular rotation.
Prog-punk masterpiece, or the birth of post-punk right alongside the rise of punk itself? Only thing I can think of to compare it to would be maybe Wire, but even then they're more like distant cousins at best, since Wire, at least at their onset, went with a sound that was closer to more "conventional" punk with their manic bursts of energy and short songs. Not all punk is barre chords and vitriol. We used to play the title track regularly on the jukebox at The Replay and the 8th St Taproom to get our moneys worth.
Listened a couple times while working but felt like I needed to deliberately listen so I grabbed a beer and went for a walk in a nice 75 degrees summer. Definitely can see how many bands were influenced by this song. So many little moments I was like “hey, this sounds like The Strokes, The Wire, Dexys, insertrockpunkbandhere”. A couple tracks don’t quite do it for me but there’s a nice formula here. I like the interplay between vocals and instrument. Dynamics, they got it. Fav tracks: Friction, Marquee Moon
Amazing instrumentals, held back by a questionable vocal performance from Tom Verlaine. Personally it's just very grating most of the time, but when they let the instruments play, i catch myself enjoying the album quite a lot. Especially at the half way point of the track "Marquee Moon".
Why do they look like just released prisoners of war?
I’m not too positive on this one. I can’t really say anything bad about it, but there isn’t much good either. See No Evil and Friction were the only songs that actually had me interested in listening. The only other note I had while listening to this was that Elevation had a *very* familiar sound to it, but it was something I absolutely could not place. Everything else was just nothing special to my ears. I wish I had more to say, I really do. Marquee Moon is definitely one of the albums of all time.
Television has shown up on my Spotify when I let the genres play out after listening to a number of albums off this list. I even added a song to my downloads to play for my beautiful wife, 1880s or So, so I could get her opinion. For me, I kinda dig them and was excited to see them show up. First thing that surprised me was his album was from 1977. I would have never guessed they were from the 70s but here we are. I really enjoyed the 1st half of the album and I just saw on Spotify, their 4 most popular tunes are See No Evil, Venus, Friction and Marquee Moon. Also my favorite songs off this album even though Marquee Moon went on a little too long. I also enjoyed Elevation and Guiding Light. I can see how this guy's voice may wear on people but seem to work this band and their music. I can't say anything blew me away but will say I enjoyed most of this album (as well as some of their other songs) and though they were solid. Not sure I would Television their own place on my Spotify, but I am certainly up for checking out their other albums. They are distinctive enough I'm starting to recognize them when the pop up when the genre starts to play out after albums are over. Anyway, solid for me, just not great. 3.5 but will score 3. 3
Well I'll be a monkey's uncle. Ghost covered See No Evil on their latest covers EP "Phantomime". I had no idea this was a Television song. I probably ought to look at the original versions when Ghost covers a song. Across their career they've covered more than a few songs from this list, that's for sure. Needless to say that See No Evil set things off to a good start for me. I'd been meaning to listen to Television since they got a bunch of vinyl represses when I worked at Green Light, but never got around to it. That was the first I'd heard of them and their influence on punk music. Moving from See No Evil to the rest of the album I have to say that I enjoyed it throughout. The basslines are groovy as hell and there's a sweeping discordant quality to the guitar that I can't quite describe effectively. I also quite liked the vocals here and how they and the music seem to be talking back and forth at times. A few songs that were a little too jammy to leave a huge impression outside of how it makes me feel, meaning I don't see them getting stuck in my head or anything but they're cool to listen to nevertheless. Namely the title track, clocking in at 10 minutes long. A lot of proto-romantic themes that bridge the gap between punk and New Wave almost perfectly. Marquee Moon is an example of when punk started getting sad and thoughtful. 4.5
2.5 Man, I really, really wanted to like this album. A band involved in the late 70’s CBGB scene that would go on to influence a number of artists that shaped alternative rock, including Joy Division, Pixies, R.E.M., and Sonic Youth? What a resume, one that seems like it would be an immediate sell to me on paper, but I just don’t hear any of that here. The album starts strong enough with See No Evil and has another high point in the title track, but everything else here is so boring. I don’t hear the punk influence, and I don’t hear the bands listed above or anything like them, instead I’m just hearing a style of artsy funk rock similar to The Talking Heads - a group I’ve historically not been the kindest on. Contextually, yes, I can see how this album could be considered monumental - it really doesn’t sound like any style of rock that had come before it, but that doesn’t make it any more enjoyable to me. Just because you did it first doesn’t necessarily mean you did it the best, and in this case I would rather just listen to the bands these guys influenced. I have no idea what they saw in this album that I didn’t (and I listened to this three times looking for it), but at least it resulted in much better music.
3.5 really, few bops but they all sound very similar
Adding into the music that clearly inspired my favorite rock bands today, bit of the blade runner affect but really really solid.
the singer can barely sing, very little musicality in the voice, which is a shame cause the guitar is pretty solid. marquee moon is a great sounding song that is way too long. most of the songs are too long
It was alright
This a fantastic album, one I always forget about about for some reason. The title track is especially great. The singing is a bit patchy in places, but hey, it's proto punk I guess? 9/10
Classic album with a lot of solid tracks
Good 8 song rip. Title song is the best
I would've dismissed this as bland dad rock, but the guitar hooks are amazing!! Guiding Light and Marquee Moon are the best tracks.
For the most part, 70s classic rock seems to fall on either side of two stars (boring, not worth listening to again) or three stars (has some cool ideas, might listen to it again). This one gets to three stars by breaking the conventions of song structure, having cool guitar sounds, and the lead vocalist singing with a lot of conviction. This works as a cooler-than-you alternative to The Talking Heads, or other early new wave stuff.
Oooh fuck yeah really enjoyed. Absolutely cracking album. Hadn't heard of these guys but that's going straight into rotation. 4.5/5 Many fav tracks but Marquee Moon has to take the cake, what a journey.
A cracking rekkid - full of wit, energy and verve, and a prototypical post-punk album that still reverberates in much of the genre output today. The playful vocal deliveries belies something deeper in the lyrics that I'm keen to dig into. Some great great riffs, and the longer progressive song structures allow for some wonderful movements. Four and a half. Fave track: Friction
With this album a fresh style was forged from the straight up and down New York punk sound of the mid ‘70s. It’s hard to find many examples that better represent how instruments can communicate with each other to create a complete sound. Verlaine’s unique vocal stylings and songwriting paired with clean engineering make for a milestone in rock and roll, and a personal favourite of mine. Fave track: Marquee Moon
AU début je n'étais pas sûr d'aimer mais quand la chanson éponyme de l'album a commencé j'ai vraiment été accroché. C'est dur à décrire, mais il y a un attrait particulier au son de cet album. Le mélange d'influence est très bien fait et sonne très avant-gardiste pour son époque. 8/10
After the first two tracks, I was in a good place with this. Then track 3 is a 10 and a half minute version of track one? Bumbump bumbump for ten minutes. After already hearing it before?
La guitare et ses jeux sont ce que j’ai préféré
I thought I had never heard of Television, but I immediately recognized the first song. This is right up my alley. A great mix of punk and new wave, with some psychedelia moments. This sounds like a combination of so many bands that I love and now I wonder, just how many of them were influenced by this?
4.25
One of my favorite albums of all time. The title song is a top 10 song for me. One if the greatest rock albums ever.
No thank you.
8/10
wayyy better then I remember holy shit this is awesome
Genius. The best first record by any band.
I had notes here but my computer crashed :( This instantly established itself as a 1970s album. It seems a little generic. However, I think it only sounds generic because it seems to have had such wide-ranging influence -- all its sounds have been reused (at least, I think it has had a wide-ranging influence). First impressions: 4/5. I think 7/10 at the end -- 3 or 4. The title song merits a 4.
One of my favourite albums
Interesting Punk album debut by Television.
It's an extremely 70's sounding album that manages to catch you off guard. Personally, my favorite track was Elevation.
First and foremost, I didn't enjoy the whiny vocals. And maybe not so much the repetitive rest of it. It just isn't my thing.
Another new one for me and the first track did catch my ear getting me interested in what may be there for me on the rest of the album. It definitely fell short for me today, though. Even after a second chance listen (that I didn't think I could convince myself to do after the first), at best, I found it tolerable.
I was excited to listen to this one since it seems all the cool kids are into Television. I did not however particularly enjoy most of it. Guess I'm still not a cool kid.
When this started I thought I was in for some 70s punk. I wasn’t expecting Television’s theatrical moments, epic swells, and even a lovely balled… this seems rooted in punk but has evolved beyond the genre. Marquee Moon surprised me with its sophisticated structures and storytelling. There is something very special about this album… it is brilliant!
Categorize this as one of my favorite new discoveries in this exercise. Pretty shocking to think that this is typically a punk band making an album like this, but it just shows the breadth of talent wonderfully. Favorite track: Guiding Light
What a key album from the 70’s
Every song was extremely solid and memorable. Kept hearing the main singers voice sound a lot like Patti Smith.
Just totally doing their own thing. Essential.
Great sound, good mix of songs long and short. The longer music instrumentals were all very enjoyable too
Good album. Not a fan of a song being 10 minutes long, but at least its a good song.
I can respect this but I don’t like it. Musically talented, intricate and interesting. I just really don’t like his tone. It’s a 4 and a 2 so unfortunately have to go right down the middle.
deserves the hype.
Me gusto, bueno, ya me gustaba de antes, aguante los television
Solid album. 3.5/5
Was too drunk to take notes 😂 solid album though, a lot of unique sounds for a punk record, especially for the time
This was probably really cool when it came out but a lot of the sounds seem dated today. Cover art: 7/10
Didn’t dive into the lyrics much on this one cuz I was busy as I was listening but all of the instrumentals were cool. I think my favorite thing about this album is that you don’t see many bands combine the punk/garage rock aesthetic with complex guitar playing and the instrumentals so the album is very unique. Love it or hate it if you wanna hear that sound you have to listen to Television. 👍:marque moon, prove it
Marquee moon is a banger, I also think I recognize it from Tom playing it. That guitar melody was like deep in my subconscious. The rest of the album though….underwhelming. I understand WHY this album is here. But I can’t enjoy an album just off merit alone. I need something sonically interesting to hold onto and where this album stands right now, it is not doing that for me. Im bummed bc this album is super talked about in corners of the internet and i was expecting to see why… I think part of my rating can also be attributed to the kind of day I had when I listened, not much I can do about that. I am only a man.
Been wanting to listen to this album because of all the acclaim it gets. Was going into it thinking I would really love it. And I gotta say I just don’t get the hype. It’s fine, totally inoffensive, but where is the album that is apparently one of the greatest of all time? Maybe its greatness is flying through my untrained ear and out the other. But I just don’t get it. Best: see no evil, marquee moon MMM: ELEVATION DONT GO TO MY HEAD🫢
What a discovery! I've never heard of them before, but Torn Curtain and Marquee Moon were instantly added to my playlist.
Linking together punk, post-punk, new wave, alternative rock and some psychedelic, Marquee Moon truly is an impressive debut. It feels extremely tight, but still very adventurous. I think this listen was the first time the album truly clicked for me - it really is outstanding with each member delivering standout performances.
It always takes some time for Marquee Moon to fully open itself up to me. I’m never fully invested on Side A (with the exception of the behemoth that is the title track). I like the sound but I have the feeling that I’m not allowed to enter Verlaine’s universe - at least not yet. Side B is the complete opposite and I lose myself in every second of it. Maybe it’s because “Marquee Moon” opened everything up just moments before? This is one impressive debut that helped pave the way for so many bands to come.
None of it really stood out
So I love British rock. this should not come as a surprise. This album was wonderful.
I've heard the song Marquee Moon before so I was excited to listen to the rest of the album. This shit slaps hard for 1977. Guiding light and prove it were definitely my least favorite songs but they weren't bad, Just a little slow. Every other song on here is awesome. I could definitely understand people not liking this singing style but I liked it. You can tell it definitely inspired a lot of other bands moving forward. Score: 80 Art: 70
I might be a basic bitch, but I didn't really love this. It's fine, but on a first listen, not my favorite. I can understand why it is influential for the genre. Best parts of the album for me were the instrumentals, especially in the song Marquee Moon. Favorite song was Torn Curtain.
Phenomenal and influential album. Rock, punk, guitar music in general, would never be the same.
I’ll admit it wasn’t a super close listen. What I heard was pleasing but I never had a “wait!” moment that drew me in. Reminded me of The Rolling Stones a bit.
Punk with a brain. Not really my style to return to, but I think I might anyway! Reminds me of the best Thin Lizzy.
I love this album it is so New York it is so proto punk it is very very good
Tight.
Classic Proto-punk record. I really like it
p388. 1977. 3.5 stars. Strange but oddly attractive early alt rock effort. Came cold to this and was surprised how good it is. Points deducted for strained vocals and musical wankage - too many tracks >5 mins, and no-one needs a 10 minute+ track.
Gloriously glorious! The best 70's post-punk sound, it hits the sweet spot in my eardrums just right. These guys are fucking cool and I dig 'em. People rag on punk bands for having no musicality, but Television is skillfully creative with their instruments and sound without being overbearing about it. Amazing album end to end.
throw away your television, now
Это шикарный альбом. Один из лучших, что создали в арт-панке. Слушается на одном дыхании. В каких то моментах это бодрая и весёлая музыка, в каких то грустная и меланхоличная. Уникальный альбом, ставлю ему 5/5
Based on the first track, I was anticpating yet another uninspiring punk album, but it was better than that. Nothing really grabbed my attention though.
Really enjoyed listening to this album. Took me right back to late 70s.
Banger. Largely influential. Big time fun.
I’ve always found this album interesting. I can tell how it influenced many post-punk bands that came after…
this album is actually mega sick. I was expecting it to be just like another of the stooges one but it's actually really good. marquee moon, torn curtain, Venus, loads of the tracks are really cool. good album guys.
glam art punk. This has been a grower for me. I like it more each listen.
Very catchy so far, loving the bass playing. I don't know, kind of reminds me of a more rocky CCR. Got that southern rock twang, at least to my ears anyway! Maybe even a bit of the Doors. (Crawling King Snake) I'm all over the place today. I think on my first listen through of this record I was rather perturbed that 'Marquee Moon' was nearly 11 minutes long, but it doesn't seem so bad this time. And the main guitar motif is excellent! Yeah, that was fuckin' awesome. The second half dragged a touch, but that was great. 3 / 5 stars.
I dig it.
What a nice surprise! Very good
Me encantó. Solo conocía una canción de él (Marquee Moon, obviamente) y, por alguna razón, en cuanto vi la portada del álbum, supe que sería algo bueno, qué tremendo sentimiento de satisfacción tuve cuando me di cuanta de que, efectivamente, era un muy buen álbum. No hay una sola canción que no quiera escuchar. Aunque a veces puede sonar un poco raro, solo hace falta esperar para ver cómo usa ese mismo sentimiento "extraño" y lo transforma en algo que suene excelente. Por último, no estoy muy convencido con "Turn Curtain" siendo el closer, pues los fade outs nunca han sido de mi agrado, personalmente, creo que cambiarla por "Prove It" hubiera sido un mejor orden, pero tampoco es mayor problema. El álbum es excelente, a mi parecer, tiene las 5 estrellas más que merecidas
very hippy-like, it's ok
Yeah expected more from the proto punks but then who am i kidding right?
Love this. Still sounds great
Good fun.
I've listened to this before, it's alright, good pleasant listen, but somewhat forgettable.
Was alright, nothing too standout
Cool ambul with awesome guitars
Marquee moon is a really great song, I thought that Franz ferdinand was inpired by them so I looked it up and they were, but the leader of the band said he didn't like Television and thought it the comparisons were annoying. Anyway I think television is one of those blueprint bands that everyone has taken inpiration from. The singer also sounds like David Byrne.
Enjoyed this. Particularly the guitar solos on the track Marquee Moon
Really cool guitar record and way ahead of its time. Love it. 8/10
Timeless.
I like it. I particularly enjoyed the run of songs from Marquee Moon to Prove it. I also appreciate that the arrangements and the guitar work are a bit more interesting and complex in approach than a lot of other punk/post punk bands, at least early in the scene.
i dunno it's fine
Good not best
Such an awesome title track that I hardly ever listen to the rest of the album. Foolish, because it’s really good in that Talking Heads way, but with more love for traditional rock rather than anti-rock for the sake of it. Cool, not punky. A high 3 (would be a 4 for the title song on its own).
Un álbum increíble, una mezcla de guitarras y ritmos que me impresionó para la época.