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Unlike "punk rock" in general, which took its cue from other bands associated with CBGB in New York City, many critics consider Television's accomplished music to be experimental, proficient, abstract, and langorous. Many music fans, in retrospect, choose to categorize Television as post punk.
The group comprised Tom Verlaine ( vocals and guitar), Richard Lloyd (guitar), Fred Smith ( bass guitarThe electric bass guitar is a stringed instrument similar to the electric guitar, but larger in size and with a lower range. It is also closely related to—and inspired by—the double bass, and shares things in common with a range of bass instruments. It is) and Billy Ficca ( drumFor other kinds of drums, see drum (disambiguation). A drum is a musical percussion instrument, consisting of a membrane which is usually stretched taut over a cylindrical tube that is open at the other end. The membrane is struck, either with the hand ors). Though Verlaine and Lloyd were, respectively, "lead" and "rhythm" guitarists, they often rendered such labels obsolete: "Lloyd was the guitarist who affected the tonalityTonality is the character of music written with hierarchical relationships of pitches, rhythms, and chords to a "center" or tonic. Tonic is sometimes used interchangeably with key. The term tonalit was borrowed from Castil-Blaze (1821, Francois Henri Jose of the music more often than not, and Verlaine and the rhythm sectionRhythm section refers to the musicians whose primary jobs in a jazz or popular music band or ensemble is to establish the rhythm of a song or musical piece, often repeated riffs or ostinatos. It may also refer to the instruments of those musicians. In the the ones who gave the ear its anchor and familiar musical elements. Listen only to Lloyd, and you can hear some truly off the wall ideas being played." (Handa)
An early version of the group, The Neon Boys , was comprised of Verlaine, Ficca, and bassist/singer Richard HellRichard Hell ( 1949 ) born Richard Myers, was the frontman for the early American punk band Richard Hell and the Voidoids''. Their 1977 album, Blank Generation, contained many elements that would become identified with punk, from the nihilism of the title. The group lasted from late 19721972 is a leap year starting on Saturday (click link for calendar). Events January events January 2 the Pierre Hotel Heist Six men rob the safety deposit boxes of the Pierre Hotel in New York City. Loot is at least $4 million January 5 President of the Un to early 1973Events January events January 1 United Kingdom, Ireland, and Denmark enter the European Economic Community now known as the European Union January 3 Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) sells the New York Yankees for $10 million to a 12-person syndicate led, and recorded a few singleAlternate meanings: Single (disambiguation In music, a single is a song considered commercially viable enough by the artist and record company to be released separately from an album, usually featuring on an album as well. It is often accompanied by severs.
In late 1973, the trio reformed, calling themselves Television. They recruited Lloyd as a second guitarist and began performing. Later, Hell left the group; he would later form his own influential bands The Heartbreakers in 1975, and Richard Hell and the Voidoids a year later.
Television earned a reputation as an impressive live act; their large fan base was enough to persuade CBGB owner Hilly Crystal to give Television a regular Saturday night gig at his club, which had previously been devoted to country music, bluegrass and blues music. Television was perhaps the first "punk rock" group to perform at the club, which was to become, along with Max's Kansas City, the epicenter of the infant punk scene.
Televion's first album, Marquee Moon, is often regarded as a classic. One reviewer writes the album was "revolutionary" and "comprised entirely of tense garage rockers that spiral into heady intellectual territory, which is achieved through the group's long, interweaving instrumental sections." (Erlewine)
Television split up after their second album, Adventure . The band members had traditionally had very independent and strongly held artistic visions, making the band's career somewhat spotty. The band broke up after Richard Lloyd and Tom Verlaine decided to pursue solo careers in 1978, but Richard Hell was the first to depart the band. They briefly reformed for an eponymous third album in 1992. The band split again after the tour supporting the third album.
After being wooed back onstage together for the 2001 All Tomorrow's Parties at Camber Sands, England , they have played a number of dates around the world, and continue to play occasional New York dates and tour on an irregular basis.