1001 Albums Summary

What a strange album. I don't know that I can classify this as good or bad, it is simply an artifact. It's definitely interesting to see an earlier phase of this band, who I only knew previously through their disco hits, but ultimately I do think this is really uneven. Because it's like, oh Marley Purt Drive is great, Suddenly is great, Whisper Whisper is great. But then it's like, why is there a whole song about Thomas Edison? Why are there two random symphonic instrumentals in a row? Why is the title track seven and a half minutes long? The most interesting thing about this album to me personally is that I think this style of music is overall much more to my taste than their disco era stuff, but also sounds exactly like a lot of other popular bands of the era. So my knee jerk take was "well, I'd be much more likely to listen to this than later Bee Gees, probably", but actually no, I wouldn't. I'd be much more likely to listen to the Byrds or whatever, if this was the kind of music I was in the mood for. So I guess I've learned that going disco was the right move for them, that's what I've gotten out of the listening experience. Is it good? ...Maybe Do I like it? Not really Is it essential? Absolutely not Would I purchase it? No Will I ever listen to it again? No 1/1089

I suspect that this is the kind of album that works better for people who have enough technical knowledge of guitar playing to form opinions more nuanced than "this sounds cool". For me, a person who knows nothing and is going off vibes, this a perfectly cromulent album. If you told me it was your favorite album of all time I would fully support you, but unfortunately it's left me a little cold. Is it good? Deffo Do I like it? Thumb sideways Is it essential? Genuinely I don't know. I'm not getting a lot out of it, but many other people clearly do, so who am I to say no? Would I purchase it? Nope Will I ever listen to it again? Maybe! Probably worth a revisit and I might try another Television album in the future 2/1089

I've actually listened to a good amount of later Fiona Apple and I think that's working against this album a little. If I'd heard this first I think it might be a 5! Also the second half of this worked a lot better than the first for me - I think I needed some time to sink into it. This feels like an album I have to be in the appropriate mood for. Criminal is still one of the greatest songs ever written though. It's crazy that they released two singles from this album before that, it's clearly the one. Is it good? For sure Do I like it? Yes Is it essential? Yes Would I purchase it? Maybe Will I ever listen to it again? Definitely! I think this is gonna be better on a relisten 3/1089