Is this the only Tom Verlaine interview? It's awesome to hear him, like ClueSign says, he sounds much more clear-headed and easy-going than I expected. Great interview!
This is a fairly interesting interview in which Verlaine seems comfortable and talkative enough compared to other occasions when he's been testy and tight-lipped, such as when he appeared on KCRW live in 2006 and was not feeling the good vibrations with host Nic Harcourt. I really enjoy his guitar playing when he's on, rather than just going into more pointless jamming. A good example is his spectacular solo in a live TV appearance with Television performing "1880 or So" which is available on this site. That solo, after a nice but briefer solo by Richard Lloyd, is one of the greatest guitar solos I've heard by anyone (and I'm a big Mark Knopfler fan as well). As for this interview, I agree with his assessment of the cover of "Friction" by Echo and the Bunnymen (on their excellent "Bedbugs and Ballyhoo" EP) being a great version of the song that largely recreates the original. I enjoyed Verlaine's solo acoustic albums as well, with songs like "Mountain" and "Saucer Crash" as representative of his best on those albums that sometimes feature sonic noodling like someone tuning up and playing around before starting to record an actual song. But I can tell you he doesn't always come across well in solo acoustic live performance. I saw him at a small club in southern California in a solo acoustic performance where he was so awkward and ill-at-ease that it was hard to sit through and most of the small audience walked out before long. Again, at his best, Tom Verlaine with Television or solo is a powerful presence on the guitar.
You were doing great until you mentioned you are a Mark Knopfler fan. Turned me right off. Knopfler just bores me - I think Tom Verlaine is far more interesting, as is Richard Lloyd.
@@zedhex Well, I hope you at least finished reading my full posting. You're entitled to your opinion regarding Knopfler, but I question whether you've listened to the range of his solo work at least until the last two or three albums that have gone steadily downhill, sadly. In my view, he has more variety or range and is more than just a skillful player pleasing mainstream rock tastes. He's an excellent songwriter and now seems more intent on making the guitar parts subservient to the song rather than doing showboat solos. Only in the last few years has his output merited being called boring. Verlaine is more erratic, in my view. He has a tendency to be indulgent, too often puts out uninspired songs, and his vocals are thin, though for me an acquired taste. At his best, he is more than interesting; he's powerful, creative, and distinguished as a guitarist when he puts the effort and the inspiration into it.
@@davidellis5141 Cover (1984) and Flash Light (1987) are great albums. The CD version of Cover had serious omissions unfortunately. Flash LIght is sheer genius apart from the uninspired first track (which should have been replaced by the song "Anna", recorded at the same time).
I have a feeling that Verlaine was a bit of a dick when he was younger but Richard seems mostly bitter about how Verlaine usually overshadows his contributions to Television.
@@michaelgraham9774 Verlaine gets name checked all the time and Lloyd basically never. Richard Lloyd was a massive part of the sound. I’d be a bit pissy too I suppose.
@@Dreyno Richard Lloyd didn’t receive writing credits on songs he had a key part in creating, allegedly. Also Tom Verlaine was a control freak, which is why there is very little recorded material and very little footage of them back in their prime and they never toured. Lloyd doesn’t seem like an arrogant person to me so I believe him
That's right. It was also released on the ROIR label and called "The Blow-Up" (originally on cassette and later on CD). It's a pretty cool live album. The only thing better is the limited release Rhino Handmade CD/LP called "Live at the Old Waldorf". That recording is pristine while the ROIR album is more like a lower fidelity bootleg.
That recording was the first time I heard Television after reading about them, I read they influenced The Edge (I was big into U2 at the time)@@ronbo11
Richard Lloyd mentioned that Tom wasn't really into drugs and drinking. I believe it's probably because he lost his brother early on from a drug overdose (that's on Richard Hell's book)
@jelly jimmy lee doesn't velvet underground have a song named Venus in furs? Lol I heard Chinese rocks was written for Richard Hell because he wanted a song like "Heroin"
*I sees 'em likes I tells 'em. In real time not convoluted or anything. I slid celery across my plate to launch half an egg into the wall. 'Tain't kid M, nor kid N. It's kiddo!*
@@RioRav You don’t need a degree to diagnose something like narcissism. Like OCD, if someone has compulsive rituals and magical thinking, there’s nothing else it could be. Bro stop diagnosing yourself, you have no idea if you have stomach indigestion we need a doctor. This isn’t autism or bipolar. Ive also read the DSM and hundreds of psychology books so Im also one of those rare people that doesn’t misuse words like narcissism.
Tom Verlaine-genius. Never heard him talk before.
He was hot so was Richard Hell
wow - he sounds really relaxed and happy to chat.
Is this the only Tom Verlaine interview? It's awesome to hear him, like ClueSign says, he sounds much more clear-headed and easy-going than I expected. Great interview!
RIP my hero
I just wanted to see Television one more time …. And now this awful news.
I’m from SF and this is awesome dude… thanks ☺️
This is a fairly interesting interview in which Verlaine seems comfortable and talkative enough compared to other occasions when he's been testy and tight-lipped, such as when he appeared on KCRW live in 2006 and was not feeling the good vibrations with host Nic Harcourt. I really enjoy his guitar playing when he's on, rather than just going into more pointless jamming. A good example is his spectacular solo in a live TV appearance with Television performing "1880 or So" which is available on this site. That solo, after a nice but briefer solo by Richard Lloyd, is one of the greatest guitar solos I've heard by anyone (and I'm a big Mark Knopfler fan as well). As for this interview, I agree with his assessment of the cover of "Friction" by Echo and the Bunnymen (on their excellent "Bedbugs and Ballyhoo" EP) being a great version of the song that largely recreates the original. I enjoyed Verlaine's solo acoustic albums as well, with songs like "Mountain" and "Saucer Crash" as representative of his best on those albums that sometimes feature sonic noodling like someone tuning up and playing around before starting to record an actual song. But I can tell you he doesn't always come across well in solo acoustic live performance. I saw him at a small club in southern California in a solo acoustic performance where he was so awkward and ill-at-ease that it was hard to sit through and most of the small audience walked out before long. Again, at his best, Tom Verlaine with Television or solo is a powerful presence on the guitar.
You were doing great until you mentioned you are a Mark Knopfler fan. Turned me right off. Knopfler just bores me - I think Tom Verlaine is far more interesting, as is Richard Lloyd.
@@zedhex Well, I hope you at least finished reading my full posting. You're entitled to your opinion regarding Knopfler, but I question whether you've listened to the range of his solo work at least until the last two or three albums that have gone steadily downhill, sadly. In my view, he has more variety or range and is more than just a skillful player pleasing mainstream rock tastes. He's an excellent songwriter and now seems more intent on making the guitar parts subservient to the song rather than doing showboat solos. Only in the last few years has his output merited being called boring. Verlaine is more erratic, in my view. He has a tendency to be indulgent, too often puts out uninspired songs, and his vocals are thin, though for me an acquired taste. At his best, he is more than interesting; he's powerful, creative, and distinguished as a guitarist when he puts the effort and the inspiration into it.
@@timj9418 Dreamtime is a great album from 1981 as is the first but after that its definitely more miss then hits.
@@davidellis5141 Cover (1984) and Flash Light (1987) are great albums. The CD version of Cover had serious omissions unfortunately. Flash LIght is sheer genius apart from the uninspired first track (which should have been replaced by the song "Anna", recorded at the same time).
@@vencejo7572 My 💿 of Cover has 5 Miles Of You Fadiing out prematurely !
Gosh Tom sounded so clear-minded.
was there a time he didn't?
Agree. Sharp and talks like a bloke instead of a wanka
@@frontbum420 On occasion, yes.
One of the best albums ever-Marquee Moon
Great live band. I saw them play once at the Hammersmith Odeon.
TOM!!!!
Too bad him and Lloyd never reconciled. They really created a unique sound.
Didn't Richard leave amicably
a New Yawk elocution another prescient take on touring & sharing guitar parts with Richard 👌RIP TV
When I hear things like this, it makes me wonder whether the picture Lloyd paints of Verlaine is a product of bitterness and little else.
I have a feeling that Verlaine was a bit of a dick when he was younger but Richard seems mostly bitter about how Verlaine usually overshadows his contributions to Television.
@@michaelgraham9774 Verlaine gets name checked all the time and Lloyd basically never. Richard Lloyd was a massive part of the sound. I’d be a bit pissy too I suppose.
@@Dreyno Richard Lloyd didn’t receive writing credits on songs he had a key part in creating, allegedly. Also Tom Verlaine was a control freak, which is why there is very little recorded material and very little footage of them back in their prime and they never toured. Lloyd doesn’t seem like an arrogant person to me so I believe him
@@cardigansarecool Yeah, I think Richard should have got a few more writing credits.
Well... Tom is definitely not a villain, but his controlling personality surely affected the band when they were peaking...
He was Thurston Moore before Thurston Moore was Thurston Moore lol 😅
good call.
Very similar
What's the name of the concert album they refer to al 08:00 ?
Aero? Aerial?
This is a live bootleg album called Arrow
That's right. It was also released on the ROIR label and called "The Blow-Up" (originally on cassette and later on CD). It's a pretty cool live album. The only thing better is the limited release Rhino Handmade CD/LP called "Live at the Old Waldorf". That recording is pristine while the ROIR album is more like a lower fidelity bootleg.
@@julliard thanks!
@@ronbo11 great, thanks!!
That recording was the first time I heard Television after reading about them, I read they influenced The Edge (I was big into U2 at the time)@@ronbo11
tom is great but Richard Lloyd was a juggernaut.
What song did Simple Minds cover? Dont remember them doing a Television or Tom Verlaine song.
Sounds like such a normal guy. Probably one of the few the didn't let heavy drugs get into his music or creativity.
Oh, he welcomed it, at times.. believe me
Moozle Yak How do you know?
Richard Lloyd mentioned that Tom wasn't really into drugs and drinking. I believe it's probably because he lost his brother early on from a drug overdose (that's on Richard Hell's book)
@jelly jimmy lee doesn't velvet underground have a song named Venus in furs? Lol I heard Chinese rocks was written for Richard Hell because he wanted a song like "Heroin"
Is it just me or Tom sounds like Julian Casablancas here?
i think jules tries to sound like a mix of tom and lou reed tbh
*I sees 'em likes I tells 'em. In real time not convoluted or anything. I slid celery across my plate to launch half an egg into the wall. 'Tain't kid M, nor kid N. It's kiddo!*
Jolly good.
******************************
Asmileyfallsapart
Extreme narcissism
Diagnosing people you dont even know on the internet on the other hand paints a real level headed image of you
@@RioRav You don’t need a degree to diagnose something like narcissism. Like OCD, if someone has compulsive rituals and magical thinking, there’s nothing else it could be. Bro stop diagnosing yourself, you have no idea if you have stomach indigestion we need a doctor. This isn’t autism or bipolar. Ive also read the DSM and hundreds of psychology books so Im also one of those rare people that doesn’t misuse words like narcissism.
Whhhaaaa?!?
@smkxodnwbwkdns8369
How so?