Marquee Moon – Television

Released: 1977

Label: Elektra

When I Bought: 2012

'So man,' he says, leaning back, pushing long, unkempt hair from his face, 'what's your favourite album of all time?'
The fucking nerve. I pretend to think for a moment, then say, 'Marquee Moon.' With a certain type of indie loser you cannot go wrong with Marquee Moon.
The clown nods and says, 'Cool'.

- Kill Your Friends, John Niven.

Yep, Marquee Moon by Television. A cultural touchstone for an entire subculture. A post-punk album that managed to come out before the Sex Pistols' debut album.

A record that bands have built - or tried to build - entire careers on.

So why don't I get it?

OK, I get it's technically good. Tom Verlaine knows his way around the guitar. The band are tight. It's got an energy to it.

But I just can't connect to it.

I tried when I got the album in 2012. I've tried a couple of times since. But there's just a gap.

I should love it. It's got a guitar sound that loads of bands I love have stolen (looking at you, The Strokes). There's a Dylanesque delivery style in the vocal, which usually I'm on board with.

But I just can't get into. I do like it. But I don't love it.

Perhaps it's because this album needs to be heard in context, and I wasn't around in 1977.

Perhaps it's because it's influenced so many bands since that going back to the original feels in itself like a pastiche.

Also, all these claims of it being post punk... with a track that's almost ten minutes long? And another that's 7 minutes? That's pre-punk, that's prog!

If I were at CBGB in the mid-70s, I'd probably enjoy watching Television, but be wishing they'd hurry up so Blondie could smash out some tunes.

7/10

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