"Marquee Moon" - Television
Q: Mommy, how come when Phish records a 10+ minute song mostly consisting if one guitar solo, it's duller than a staring contest with Helen Keller, yet when Television does it, I pee my pants with joy?
Well, I'm glad you asked. Without a doubt, the centerpiece on Television's 1977 guitar-rock masterwork is the title track, and essential to anyone who knows what a guitar string smells like.
Look up "guitar interplay" in the dictionary and they should supply you with an MP3 of this track. The beginning makes awesome usage of panning, as the two riffs fit together. A simple bass line joins in the part, though, in my mind, the song doesn't really "begin begin" until that hot drum fill.
Singer/lead guitarist describes a vague situation involving "lightning striking itself", as the song builds to the first chorus. The ascended guitar riff is like sugar on the tongue of a magic elephant.
There I stand `neath the marquee moon
Just waiting...
Mucho credit must be given to the fabbo drummer, who completely sets the groove in motion.
The tension sets in after the second chorus, and the first (short) guitar solo takes place. It's a chaotic explosion of squealing harmonics, all over the fretboard like Mexican jumping beans. Keep in mind that it's just a warm-up for the treat later...
"Well, the Cadillac
Pulled up to the graveyard.
Pulled up to me
All they said..."Get in! Get in."
Then the Cadillac, it went back into the graveyard
Me? I got out again."
Jesus Christ, those ringing notes, the drums elevating the whole thing to a new chorus.
"I ain't waiting, uh nuh!"
The same chords as the intro start up again alone, but the mood has changed in those four and a half minutes. The bass and drums join in, and soon a moaning, wiggling guitar string. So subtle, so brilliant. It sneaks up on you, builds up slowly, with the drums on the same page. A little bit higher, maintaining the melodic beauty. It's a beautiful solo, almost painting a picture through single notes. It doesn't just get louder and faster, it gets bigger, more urgent. We're almost up to seven minutes right now, and this solo makes me wanna drive off the Grand Canyon.
At about 7:30, we're treated to ascending guitar notes again, a common theme with Television. Listen to the crashing symbols after every new note. We're past the point of no return when the three staccato notes repeat and ascend. The drums are having seizures all over the place, when it changes the The Edge-like ringing harmonics and little fluttering guitar snippets.
We're past nine minutes now. It stops. Just the cymbals, whispering. An almost hip-hop like drum intro. The same repetitive bass. And then there was light!
I was listening, listening
To the rain
I was hearing, hearing
Something else...
Part 1 of live version from Washington, 1993 (it was all I could find):
Part two of live version from Washington, 1993 (it was all I could find):
(Copyright 2007 for Hilbert_Cheesecake productions. Good day.)
Well, I'm glad you asked. Without a doubt, the centerpiece on Television's 1977 guitar-rock masterwork is the title track, and essential to anyone who knows what a guitar string smells like.
Look up "guitar interplay" in the dictionary and they should supply you with an MP3 of this track. The beginning makes awesome usage of panning, as the two riffs fit together. A simple bass line joins in the part, though, in my mind, the song doesn't really "begin begin" until that hot drum fill.
Singer/lead guitarist describes a vague situation involving "lightning striking itself", as the song builds to the first chorus. The ascended guitar riff is like sugar on the tongue of a magic elephant.
There I stand `neath the marquee moon
Just waiting...
Mucho credit must be given to the fabbo drummer, who completely sets the groove in motion.
The tension sets in after the second chorus, and the first (short) guitar solo takes place. It's a chaotic explosion of squealing harmonics, all over the fretboard like Mexican jumping beans. Keep in mind that it's just a warm-up for the treat later...
"Well, the Cadillac
Pulled up to the graveyard.
Pulled up to me
All they said..."Get in! Get in."
Then the Cadillac, it went back into the graveyard
Me? I got out again."
Jesus Christ, those ringing notes, the drums elevating the whole thing to a new chorus.
"I ain't waiting, uh nuh!"
The same chords as the intro start up again alone, but the mood has changed in those four and a half minutes. The bass and drums join in, and soon a moaning, wiggling guitar string. So subtle, so brilliant. It sneaks up on you, builds up slowly, with the drums on the same page. A little bit higher, maintaining the melodic beauty. It's a beautiful solo, almost painting a picture through single notes. It doesn't just get louder and faster, it gets bigger, more urgent. We're almost up to seven minutes right now, and this solo makes me wanna drive off the Grand Canyon.
At about 7:30, we're treated to ascending guitar notes again, a common theme with Television. Listen to the crashing symbols after every new note. We're past the point of no return when the three staccato notes repeat and ascend. The drums are having seizures all over the place, when it changes the The Edge-like ringing harmonics and little fluttering guitar snippets.
We're past nine minutes now. It stops. Just the cymbals, whispering. An almost hip-hop like drum intro. The same repetitive bass. And then there was light!
I was listening, listening
To the rain
I was hearing, hearing
Something else...
Part 1 of live version from Washington, 1993 (it was all I could find):
Part two of live version from Washington, 1993 (it was all I could find):
(Copyright 2007 for Hilbert_Cheesecake productions. Good day.)
Labels: Television
