Tom Verlaine RIP

For new sounds, old sounds and favourite sound discussion...

Moderators: sunny, BzaInSpace, runcible, spzretent

Post Reply
angel-sighs
Known user
Posts: 358
Joined: Thu Jan 20, 2022 6:35 pm

Tom Verlaine RIP

Post by angel-sighs »

Another absolute great gone at 73 after a short illness.
Television quite simply one of my favourite bands ever (i include Adventure and the especially underrated s/t record in that).
He was also pretty unprolific and reclusive so now[*] we'll never get that next album. What he did leave was incredible though.

Foxhole -Old Grey Whistle Test 78
https://youtu.be/BKgyjw478B8

Rather than just the obvious here's a live cut from the reuinion period which achieves total vertical take off. 1880 or so.
https://youtu.be/lhDI0HN9HH0

And what could be one of his last studio recordings? Turning Dylan's Cold Irons Bound into a moody soundscape
https://youtu.be/G8blDM3XqVg
ro
Known user
Posts: 1594
Joined: Sat Dec 03, 2005 5:45 pm
Location: LET THE LIGHT BE FOREVER GREEN

Re: Tom Verlaine RIP

Post by ro »

this is a tough one indeed.

praise emptiness.
her rose colored dress…
sunray
Known user
Posts: 3131
Joined: Wed Sep 19, 2007 10:07 pm

Re: Tom Verlaine RIP

Post by sunray »

That 1880 Or So clip is great. Thanks.
Nineteen...Nineteen...Six Five
spzretent
Site Admin
Posts: 5587
Joined: Thu Jan 01, 1970 1:00 am
Location: Motor City

Re: Tom Verlaine RIP

Post by spzretent »

This indeed is a gut punch.
Always been a big fan of Television and Tom Verlaine's solo stuff.
Saw him solo 3 or 4 times and finally saw Television in 2019 here in Detroit.
Tom Verlaine brought something new to the table regarding rock guitar.
His Television guitar solos are sublime.
I will leave a link to this often over looked final vocal track on Marquee Moon.
http://www.lilmoxie.com
Detroit, Music, Sports and Other Stuff(including Spiritualized, Spacemen 3)
angel-sighs
Known user
Posts: 358
Joined: Thu Jan 20, 2022 6:35 pm

Re: Tom Verlaine RIP

Post by angel-sighs »

ro wrote: Sun Jan 29, 2023 12:39 pm this is a tough one indeed.

praise emptiness.
her rose colored dress…
Took me a little while to place those lyrics.
We should definitely be celebrating not just his guitar playing. Theres also the lyrics, the singing, the whole persona which was really arty, a little detached, always intruiging
sunray wrote: Sun Jan 29, 2023 4:28 pm That 1880 Or So clip is great. Thanks.
Its a goodun isn't it? There is a view that the s/t album is a bit Television lite and they really came alive in concert. This one just keeps building and pulsing

And yeah Guiding Light is another great choice spzretent. Really delicate and beautiful, the guitar lines are like light reflecting off a puddle to me or something. I am really glad i got off my arse and went down to see the band in London a few years back. Guiding Light wss the song I managed to capture on video.

One final thought- i wonder what these means for unfinished 4th Television album and any archive stuff?
ro
Known user
Posts: 1594
Joined: Sat Dec 03, 2005 5:45 pm
Location: LET THE LIGHT BE FOREVER GREEN

Re: Tom Verlaine RIP

Post by ro »

angel-sighs wrote: Mon Jan 30, 2023 12:27 am the guitar lines are like light reflecting off a puddle to me or something.
that is lovely
MrBadger
Known user
Posts: 25
Joined: Fri Dec 03, 2021 10:12 am

Re: Tom Verlaine RIP

Post by MrBadger »

Saw Television twice...

First at Manchester in the early 2000s, supporting Patti Smith (should have been other way round). They started with an utterly mesmerising warm up...I can still remember the amazing clarity and sharpness of his tone (and Richard Lloyd's) when they started playing. This gig was also memorable for TV spending a fair bit of time between songs fiddling with his amp which drew mock (or was it?!...their r/ship seemed rather prickly) yawning/eye rolling from RL.

Then a few years ago in Belfast for the Marquee Moon tour - no RL this time but Jimmy Rip who curiously used a metronome on stage to get into the timing of each song. In typical TV style the tracks weren't played in album order and the set finished with a wonderful unreleased (I think) song, 'Persia'.

One of the greats....
angel-sighs
Known user
Posts: 358
Joined: Thu Jan 20, 2022 6:35 pm

Re: Tom Verlaine RIP

Post by angel-sighs »

Thanks for that MrBadger. I only saw them once myself, think it was 2016 something like that. Unfortunately Richard Lloyd long gone but Jimmy Rip doing a fine job. There was no stage presence at all and Toms voice was pretty sketchy. But i was just there to hear them play, and i really enjoyed.
I think they played Persia that time too. A long proggy number with almost eastern sounding riffs right? Shame we never got that 4th album.
Feedback Forever
Known user
Posts: 106
Joined: Fri Jan 16, 2004 12:52 pm

Re: Tom Verlaine RIP

Post by Feedback Forever »

Here's a clip from Norwegian telly in 1992 of Television doing "Call Mr. Lee - don't know if it's available outside Norway, but it's pretty good:)

https://tv.nrk.no/serie/gundersen-og-gr ... /avspiller
angel-sighs
Known user
Posts: 358
Joined: Thu Jan 20, 2022 6:35 pm

Re: Tom Verlaine RIP

Post by angel-sighs »

Feedback Forever wrote: Thu Feb 09, 2023 8:23 pm Here's a clip from Norwegian telly in 1992 of Television doing "Call Mr. Lee - don't know if it's available outside Norway, but it's pretty good:)

https://tv.nrk.no/serie/gundersen-og-gr ... /avspiller
Thanks a lot for this! It works. Nice awkward interview with Tom at the start too. I always wondered why Call Mr Lee didn't become more of a setlist staple. Being the signature single from that album.

Some cool links i found

Patti Smith Remembers
https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2023 ... m-verlaine

Nels Cline remembers
https://tidal.com/magazine/article/tom- ... te/1-89316

And this article i find really sweet for some reason. Tom was a regular at rifling through the cheap books outside The Strand. Imagine just bumping into him there

https://lithub.com/tom-verlaine-was-the ... -customer/

Musician deaths don't usualltly affect me that bad, but for some reason this one and Scott Walker did
MrBadger
Known user
Posts: 25
Joined: Fri Dec 03, 2021 10:12 am

Re: Tom Verlaine RIP

Post by MrBadger »

angel-sighs wrote: Tue Feb 07, 2023 9:03 pm Thanks for that MrBadger. I only saw them once myself, think it was 2016 something like that. Unfortunately Richard Lloyd long gone but Jimmy Rip doing a fine job. There was no stage presence at all and Toms voice was pretty sketchy. But i was just there to hear them play, and i really enjoyed.
I think they played Persia that time too. A long proggy number with almost eastern sounding riffs right? Shame we never got that 4th album.

Yes that sounds like Persia...some good live versions on You Tube.

I think a fair bit of the 'stage presence' first time round came from Richard Lloyd...not just the eye rolling I mentioned but there was a lot of muscularity to his playing and demeanor. He looked rather 'on edge'...
angel-sighs
Known user
Posts: 358
Joined: Thu Jan 20, 2022 6:35 pm

Re: Tom Verlaine RIP

Post by angel-sighs »

Yeah I guess Lloyd may have provided a bit more intensity going by videos i have seen. Jimmy Rip plays the parts great but he would always be more of a session musician role rather than being any kind of foil for Tom or getting in the spotlight

Although from what i have heard , Tom definitely liked having control over the band. But he no interest in being a frontman or putting on a 'show'. I found a video of him playing with Patti Smith and although he was playing lead guitar lines he was literally sat down on a chair at the side of the stage! ( a bit like someone else we know..)
Feedback Forever
Known user
Posts: 106
Joined: Fri Jan 16, 2004 12:52 pm

Re: Tom Verlaine RIP

Post by Feedback Forever »

angel-sighs wrote: Sun Feb 12, 2023 6:53 pm
Feedback Forever wrote: Thu Feb 09, 2023 8:23 pm Here's a clip from Norwegian telly in 1992 of Television doing "Call Mr. Lee - don't know if it's available outside Norway, but it's pretty good:)

https://tv.nrk.no/serie/gundersen-og-gr ... /avspiller
Thanks a lot for this! It works. Nice awkward interview with Tom at the start too. I always wondered why Call Mr Lee didn't become more of a setlist staple. Being the signature single from that album.

Some cool links i found

Patti Smith Remembers
https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2023 ... m-verlaine

Nels Cline remembers
https://tidal.com/magazine/article/tom- ... te/1-89316

And this article i find really sweet for some reason. Tom was a regular at rifling through the cheap books outside The Strand. Imagine just bumping into him there

https://lithub.com/tom-verlaine-was-the ... -customer/

Musician deaths don't usualltly affect me that bad, but for some reason this one and Scott Walker did
My pleasure! I'm sure there is more footage of other great bands on the same show. I vaguely remember watching it with my dad as a kid.
Post Reply