Farewell, Tom Verlaine.

If you haven’t heard already, the massively influential guitarist, singer, and chief songwriter of New York punk icons Television passed away on Saturday at the age of 73. His unique approach to the guitar - which took more inspiration from free-jazz saxophonists than it did rock guitarists - and impassioned, wailing vocal style helped cement the group’s debut Marquee Moon as one of the greatest albums not only in '70s punk history, but of the entire decade as a whole.

Marquee Moon is a perfect record; the climax of Verlaine’s solo on the album’s title track is one of the only times I’ve ever heard a punk band get truly transcendent.

Songs like “See No Evil” and “Elevation” are rabble-rousing enough to place Marquee Moon alongside classics like the Patti Smith’s Horses and ex-Television member Richard Hell’s Blank Generation in the CBGB canon of classic NYC punk. But between the album’s crisp high-fidelity production and Verlaine’s smooth, legato guitar melodies, it’s easy enough on the ears to be enjoyed by fans of almost any genre. I’ve always (somewhat) jokingly said that Marquee Moon is the missing link between Steely Dan’s Aja and the Dead Boy’s Young, Loud, and Snotty, all three of which were released in the same year.

The first day in the studio came in November 1976. Andy said, “Well, I did manage to set the drums up last night. Got a good sound. Wanna hear it?”
He put on this tape he’d made. And, by God, from the speakers came this humongous, pumped-up John Bonham drum sound. Tom started freaking out. “No! No, no, no, no, no! We don’t want that! You need to take that apart!” Andy was outraged. “Well, why did you hire me? That’s what I’m famous for. Fuck this! I’m getting a flight back!”
For the next few days, Andy would mutter, “Oh, right, so, this is some kind of New York thing. You want to sound bad like The Velvet Underground. You want to sound crap like The Stooges. I see…” — Television’s Richard Lloyd on recording Marquee Moon with producer Andy Johns

Following Marquee Moon, Television were faced with the impossible task of making a fitting sequel to what had become an instant cult classic. And Adventure, the group’s second and final release before their initial split in 1978, was about as close as they could’ve come. Standouts here include “Glory,” “Foxhole,” “Carried Away,” “The Dream’s Dream,” really the whole album.

Luckily for us, Television’s official discography is just the tip of the iceberg. While their pepped-up Marquee Moon demos recorded with Brian Eno in 1974 might not possess the maturity or depth of the album’s final version with Elektra Records, they’re still worth checking out. The group's enthusiasm and excitement here is undeniable.

And we’d be remiss not to mention our favorite release from Verlaine’s solo career, the radio-friendly Tom Verlaine. The album shows just how large of a creative role Verlaine played in Television; strip away the extra layers of gloss, and Tom Verlaine could’ve just as easily been Television’s third.

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If you aren’t a fan already, chances are you’re aware of Television in some capacity. You’ve likely come across the infamous Marquee Moon cover - now a pop art staple - somewhere on social media, maybe while lost deep in the youtube rock-o-sphere, perhaps plastered on the window of some tasteful record store (it’s a classic for a reason). Regardless, now is as good a time as ever to revisit the record in its entirety. You won’t regret it. —Jackson Todd