Marquee Moon is the debut studio album by American rock band Television. By 1974, they had become a prominent act on the New York music scene and generated interest from a number of record labels. The band rehearsed extensively in preparation for Marquee Moon and, upon signing to Elektra Records, recorded most of its songs in single takes. Television's frontman Tom Verlaine produced the album with sound engineer Andy Johns at A & R Recording in September 1976.
For Marquee Moon, Verlaine and fellow guitarist Richard Lloyd eschewed contemporary punk rock's power chords in favor of rock and jazz-inspired interplay, melodic lines, and counter-melodies. Verlaine's lyrics for the album combined urban and pastoral imagery, references to lower Manhattan, themes of adolescence, and influences from French poetry. He also used puns and double-entendres to give his songs an impressionistic quality.
When Marquee Moon was released in February 1977, it received widespread acclaim from critics and unexpected commercial success in the United Kingdom, but sold poorly in the United States. It has since been viewed by critics as one of the greatest albums of the American punk rock movement and a cornerstone of alternative rock. Television's innovative post-punk instrumentation on the album strongly influenced the indie rock and new wave movements of the 1980s, as well as rock guitarists such as John Frusciante, Will Sergeant, and The Edge.
"Marquee Moon" is the title track from American rock band Television's first album, Marquee Moon. It was written by Tom Verlaine.
In the United Kingdom, "Marquee Moon" was released as a single on April 1, 1977. Its first pressing was as a 12" single only, limited to 25,000 copies, with the song in stereo on one side and in mono on the other side. Subsequent pressings of the single were as a 7" single, with the track split into two over the A-side and B-side.
Each of the song's three verses begins with a double-stopped guitar intro before Billy Ficca's drums come in, and after the second chorus Richard Lloyd plays a brief guitar solo. After the third chorus, there is a longer solo by Tom Verlaine, based on a jazz-like mixolydian scale, that lasts for the entire second half of the song. On the original vinyl edition of the album, the song faded out just short of ten minutes, but the CD reissues have included the full 10:40 of the take. In concert, the band has sometimes extended the song to as long as fifteen minutes.
I knew it musta been some big set-up.
All the Action just would not let up.
It's just a little bit back from the main road
where the silence spreads and the men dig holes.
I start to spin the tale
you complain of my diction
You give me friction
But I dig friction
You know I'm crazy about friction
My eyes are like telescopes
I see it all backwards: but who wants hope?
If I ever catch that ventriloquist
I'll squeeze his head right into my fist.
something comes tracking down,
What's the prediction?
I'll betcha it's friction...
Stop this head motion... set the sails.
You know all us boys gonna wind up in jail.
I don't wanna grow up
there's too much contradiction
Marquee Moon is the debut studio album by American rock band Television. By 1974, they had become a prominent act on the New York music scene and generated interest from a number of record labels. The band rehearsed extensively in preparation for Marquee Moon and, upon signing to Elektra Records, recorded most of its songs in single takes. Television's frontman Tom Verlaine produced the album with sound engineer Andy Johns at A & R Recording in September 1976.
For Marquee Moon, Verlaine and fellow guitarist Richard Lloyd eschewed contemporary punk rock's power chords in favor of rock and jazz-inspired interplay, melodic lines, and counter-melodies. Verlaine's lyrics for the album combined urban and pastoral imagery, references to lower Manhattan, themes of adolescence, and influences from French poetry. He also used puns and double-entendres to give his songs an impressionistic quality.
When Marquee Moon was released in February 1977, it received widespread acclaim from critics and unexpected commercial success in the United Kingdom, but sold poorly in the United States. It has since been viewed by critics as one of the greatest albums of the American punk rock movement and a cornerstone of alternative rock. Television's innovative post-punk instrumentation on the album strongly influenced the indie rock and new wave movements of the 1980s, as well as rock guitarists such as John Frusciante, Will Sergeant, and The Edge.
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