Friction

Television

“Friction” by Television

Yes, Tom Verlaine turned out to be a drug-addled wreck, and it hurt his creative output.  True, they probably shouldn’t have fired Richard Hell.  And yes, despite that they opened up the whole CBGBs scene, Television doesn’t sound anything like what we think of when we think about Punk.  But Marquee Moon is one of those few records I’d recommend to absolutely anybody.  Every millisecond of this record is perfect, and it’s so utterly unique that I can’t think of a single other record to compare it to, except to say this: Marquee Moon was to first-wave Punk what Double Nickels On The Dime was to Hardcore, the exception that blows all the rules out of the water.  If you haven’t already heard this album, don’t walk but run—trample the homeless if you must—to your nearest record store and get yourself a copy.  You can thank me later.