Tom Verlaine - Verlaine's Original Self Titled Mixes

After Television's initial break-up, Tom Verlaine decided to go the solo route and started recording his self-titled debut album. It's generally noted that his first album doesn't sound like Television, but that's not to say it doesn't not sound like Television. A lot of the songs started life as Television leftovers and you can't avoid the comparison when Fred Smith and Jay Dee Daugherty, Television's rhythm section, reprise their role on that band's leader's debut. The whole thing is a little messy and a little meta, but a lot of post-break-up records bear a considerable resemblance to pre-break-up status so there is no real shock there. What is surprising though is that Verlaine's then label, Elektra Records, decided to pass on the his initial mix of the album, choosing instead to have Bob Clearmountain remix it. The label complained that Verlaine's mix was too rough and unpolished, similar to Television's debut, Marquee Moon. A little surprising when you consider how much of a success that album was compared to Television's follow-up, Adventure, which has a more polished sound. Clearmountain, expectantly, brought that polished sound to Verlaine's debut and that was mostly the end of it until 2002. Verlaine's original mix had been circulating between private collectors and on bootlegs prior to it's brief but accidental release Collectors' Choice Music. They used the wrong master for initial pressings of the reissue CD and most of those copies were shipped to early mail order purchases. It was corrected by the time the disc made it to retail.

This isn't a rip of one of the accidental pressings, rather it's from one of the bootlegs CDs that were floating around years prior. All things considered, the sound here is quite good, but it's not an easy call between Verlaine's mixes and Clearmountain's. Both have their perks and questionable points, easily making both worth having. In retrospect, it's rather amazing that they didn't reissue this original mix via Rhino Handmade or another platform, though that probably means someone with some clout would prefer this version to remain somewhat forgotten. After all, this is a transitional album that doesn't necessarily find Verlaine in top form, though his follow-up, 1981's Dreamtime, is a firm reminder of how powerful he is and Television were.

A lot of people stop at Marquee Moon as it's such an incredible record. They should give Adventure a chance, but they should also give Verlaine's first few solo records that same opportunity to shine. It's easy to expect too much after the brilliance of Marquee but you'll find plenty to absorb on Verlaine's solo records, especially Dreamland and this, his solo debut. All the better to have his original draft of the album to compare against the final product. After all, which should be considered the final product, the artist's work or the label's approved version?


Tom Verlaine - Tom Verlaine: Original Verlaine Mix

01 The Grip Of Love
02 Souvenir From A Dream
03 Kingdom Come
04 Mr. Bingo
05 Yonki Time
06 Flash Lightning
07 Red Leaves
08 Last Night
09 Breakin' In My Heart

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)