My pulse quickened. “Hold
on .Youth” I said to myself, “It might not be here.” Gripping the paper so tightly that I nearly
tear it, I read on. It will be in
Melbourne. In October. At the Grand Star Reception Centre (and Bingo
Hall) in North Altona, no less. I start
to smooth out the paper whilst my paroxysms of joy almost cause me to choke on
my coffee. A colleague asks me what’s
happening. I say, almost in tears, scarcely
believing the words coming out of my mouth.
“Television are coming to play the Marquee Moon album in its entirety”. My colleague’s response – “Who?” - couldn’t
have bought me down to earth faster if I’d tried.
I didn’t know how to respond. How to explain that the seminal influence of
the New York Punk scene of the late 70s, a legendary live act and the creators
of one of the single greatest albums in my collection (i.e Marquee Moon), tracks
(i.e Marquee Moon, the title track) and live album (take your pick from The
Blow Up or Live At The Old Waldorf) is coming to my humble city FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER. Finally a chance to hear the strangled vocals
of Tom Verlaine and his spiralling, dizzying guitarscrapes as it duels against that
of Richard Lloyd’s or anyone else that Verlaine deigns to be In the band. (I subsequently
checked Wikipedia which confirmed that Jimmy Rip has replaced Lloyd in the
band.) But I know that such an explanation
wouldn’t clarify matters and so I did the only thing I could do. I finished my coffee went to my office and,
although a busy day awaited, cued up the only album I wanted to hear;
(# 296) Television –
Marquee Moon (extended) (1977)
This is the single greatest album of the New York Punk
scene. Today, this is not regarded as an
opinion, but accepted wisdom. Although
the great strength of the early releases of the Ramones, Blondie, Richard Hell’s
Blank Generation and even Talking Heads ’77 was that anybody could reproduce
them, no one even 36 years later has come even close to recreating the
intricate magic that resides within the grooves of this album. A simple
uncluttered production places the emphasis firmly on the guitar interplay
between Verlaine and Lloyd and at the heart of just about every number is illuminated
by playing so fiery that it obliterates everything in its path. The centrepiece
is the awesome 10 minute title track with magnificent support from See No Evil,
Friction, Elevation, Prove It and Torn Curtain.
My extended version of the album contains alternate versions of a number
of tracks but, more importantly, the Little Johnny Jewel single.
Whilst I was playing this, it dawned on me that I hadn’t
read the rest of the original album. On
doing so I discovered that not only was this to be Television’s only Victorian show
but that admission was limited to just 5000 tickets. Then I noticed who else was on the bill. The Breeders playing the Last Splash album
(only Victorian show), the reformed Jesus Lizard (ditto), Australian alt
legends The Scientists, stoner rock originators Sleep, The FXXk Buttons,
Lightning Bolt, a tribute of Rowland S Howard curated by Mick Harvey among
others with more to be added. Not
bad.
Within the havoc of the rest of the day, I managed to buy a
ticket and play just one more album:
(# 297) The Breeders –
Last Splash (1993)
The Breeders was originally a vehicle for the Pixies’ Kim
Deal and Throwing Muses’ Tanya Donnelly.
The latter had left to form Belly by the time this album was released
and a couple of tracks betray her influence even though Deal wrote all the
tracks. Opener “New Year” is a track
full of Pixies lie wonder which segues into the wonderful Cannonball. With its memorable guitar and bass lines,
percussive attack and Deal’s vocals, it was a well deserved global hit. Divine Hammer was a more than worthy follow
up. The latter tracks on the album are reminiscent
of the relatively sparse sound of their debut album Pod. 
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