Richard Hell & The Voidoids - Blank Generation

Where did it go? Why isn't this in print anymore? Why did they change the version of Down At The Rock and Roll Club on the CD? Why the revised album cover? I don't have any answers, but I do have this on vinyl and it's just as important as Television's Marquee Moon, albeit from a completely different world.

The story goes that Hell, as a member of Television, left after every one of his contributions was removed from their set list, except for Blank Generation, and when that went there was no reason to stay. With that said, it's easy to understand the familial lineage between these songs and Television's, although it seems less likely that Hell's ousting was due to a rivalry and more because his songs were far poppier than what Verlaine and company were creating. Live and learn, for better or worse. In Hell's favor, he got Bob Quine and the future Marky Ramone, as well as the song that made him famous.

This is punk when it wasn't a catch-all buzzword, this is when it was rock and roll with an edge. Tom Petty said punk was rock without the sex, though I'd imagine he might not have been paying that close of attention, or maybe he simply didn't listen to Richard Hell.

This is a rip of an original US Sire Records pressing of Blank Generation. It's been declicked but I'm picky about my settings so I'm sure you'll be satisfied. Enjoy!


Richard Hell & The Voidoids - Blank Generation

01 Love Comes In Spurts
02 Liars Beware
03 New Pleasure
04 Betrayal Takes Two
05 Down At The Rock and Roll Club
06 Who Says?
07 Blank Generation
08 Walking On The Water
09 The Plan
10 Another World



Anyone else think Betrayal Takes Two sounds like it could have been a Television song?

Television - Demos 74-75

I've been on a Television kick lately, playing Marquee Moon a lot. If you've never heard it, I'd suggest PBthal's incredible rip of an original vinyl pressing, although the 2003 reissue, which comes with some very nice bonus tracks, is worth grabbing as well. That said, PBthal's rule is not to share his web address so you'll have to google him yourself. Hell, I'd put him in my blog list to the right but again, he likes to remain as invisible as possible.

Anyway, wanting to learn more about the earlier line-up of Television, which Richard Hell was a member of, I went looking for goodies and found the Richard Williams and Brian Eno produced demos from 1974 for Island Records. Interestingly, six songs were recorded during these sessions, one of which was Blank Generation, but Hell left the band, by his own statement about a month after making these recordings, so I guess it makes sense as to why that track wouldn't have appeared on copies of the demo that were passed around. Really unfortunate as, in retrospect, who wouldn't want to hear that version of the song?

I also found some demos from 1975 which may have been self-produced by the band and recorded at Patti Smith's place. The wonderful Hard On Love is a standout of immense proportions, making everyone wonder why the hell it didn't get re-recorded. As for Little Johnny Jewel, it's the same version released as a single and probably taken from a vinyl rip as it's a lot cleaner sounding than the rest of the demos, but it is from these sessions so it deserves inclusion.

I've gotta give credit to some fellas known as the Wacko Brothers who compiled these tracks from various bootlegs and assembled a torrent with the eleven tracks presented here and another rip of the Eno demos from a vinyl source. I decided to leave the vinyl rips off because they're the same tracks but sound quite bad due to their lo-fi bootleg nature. The vinyl tracks were also playing at the wrong speed and I pitch corrected them, but what's the point in listening to them when you've got the superior versions? The only potential reason is a slightly longer version of Marquee Moon, but it's the same take so I have no idea where the roughly twenty additional seconds come from. So again, thanks Wacko Bros, I don't take credit from those who did the work before me and you fellas, assuming you are more than one person, did a great job!


Television - Demos 74-75

01 Prove It (12/74 Eno Demo)
02 Friction (12/74 Eno Demo)
03 Venus (12/74 Eno Demo)
04 Double Exposure (12/74 Eno Demo)
05 Marquee Moon (12/74 Eno Demo)
06 Hard On Love (8/75 Demo)
07 Friction (8/75 Demo)
08 Careful (8/75 Demo)
09 Prove It (8/75 Demo)
10 Fire Engine (8/75 Demo)
11 Little Johnny Jewel (8/75 Demo)