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Television — 1880 Or So
Album: Television
Avg rating:
7

Your rating:
Total ratings: 1604









Released: 1992
Length: 3:28
Plays (last 30 days): 4
O rose of my heart, can't you see
I don't belong to misery
Though she speaks fine with subtle art
Such misery clothes the rose of my heart.

Now what I see in the long twilight
A star falls down on a hill so white
On a hill so white.

A face that glows in a golden hue
No-one in this world knows what they do
I take my oath and I make my vow
For the tender things are upon me now.

In the fragrance sweet of the evening air
I could leave this world quite without a care.

O rose of my heart, the vision dims
the time is brief, now the shadow swims,
A powerful a real fine hat
Cause that's for you and that's where that's at.

Now what I see in the long twilight
A star falls down on a hill so white.

O rose of my heart
O rose of my heart
O rose of my heart.
Comments (183)add comment
Oop! Thought it was Lloyd Cole 
Oddly enough, I don't recall ever hearing these guys on the radio back in the 90's when it was released. Well, perhaps not so oddly.
Thank you, RP. Hearing things I've never heard before is why I subscribe.
Lloyd Cole all day!!
 adavey wrote:

Lloyd Cole, anyone?




Cousin, don't be ridiculous. 
In recent interviews marking the amazing 40-year anniversary of Stop Making Sense, Chris Frantz (with the other Heads sitting and nodding right next to him, believe it or not!) talked about how he and David used to go to CBGB's and watch The Ramones (who they would later do their first Europe Tour with), Patty Smith, and Television. I've always thought that Television might have been a big influence of theirs!
 siqbal wrote:

Gosh, seems I'm not the only who thought this was Lloyd Cole! 

Apparently there's a connection (and some bad blood) there:

https://trouserpress.com/forum...



i was sad to hear the bad blood, as i love both acts. lloyd cole was one of my very favorites. such a talent. and i got to see television on their last tour around here (pittsburgh) and they were still great. it was before the death of verlaine, anyway.
 siqbal wrote:

Gosh, seems I'm not the only who thought this was Lloyd Cole! 

Apparently there's a connection (and some bad blood) there:

https://trouserpress.com/forum...



Interesting read...their vocal style is definitely hard to differentiate. And still very much enjoy both bands, and obviously very different musically.
Gosh, seems I'm not the only who thought this was Lloyd Cole! 

Apparently there's a connection (and some bad blood) there:

https://trouserpress.com/forum...
man this sounds like Future Islands to me and that's okay
got to see them live about 4 yrs ago. so great.

(RIP to 3rd dude from left on cover, forget his name)
 adavey wrote:

Lloyd Cole, anyone?



i thought so too, for a second. miss him.
Rest in Peace Tom Verlaine! I saw Television live in 2006 on Hurricane Festival in Germany. It was a great gig. It´s on my mind forever!
I had always thought that was Lou Reed song. I’m a big dummy!
Sounds like Lloyd Cole to me. Like it.
 m3andros wrote:

The lead singer for Television sounds eerily similar to Lou Reed. Agree?


Not really, other than the talking/phrasing style.  Lou Reed had a deeper voice.  Tom Verlaine was certainly influenced by Reed though.
I've always dug how playful these guys are at every turn. The tasty guitar doing those satisfying runs and twisty riffs, those clever lyrics sung in quirky Ocasek/ Orr-style, those cathartic tempo shifts, and that bright, shimmering production -- it all astounds me every single time!
Hadn’t heard this one before. One that I do enjoy, but haven’t heard on RP is “Television Saved my Life”.
 m3andros wrote:

The lead singer for Television sounds eerily similar to Lou Reed. Agree?




Sacrilege.
Love this typically mesmerizing effort by one of the original NYC CBGB pioneer bands... They influenced so many! This one makes me want to hear some Luna...
The lead singer for Television sounds eerily similar to Lou Reed. Agree?
Never heard of them. My bad!
One of the best bands of the era.
 powerhuge wrote:


Exactly what I was thinking - thought it might be LC at first



mee too!
Lots of comments pointing out that Television had been around for years before LC & the Commotions - true, but having just sampled the earlier Television albums I didn't hear anything that reminded me of this or LC & t Cs sound...
I remember buying Marquee Moon when it cam out in '77 (I think). An amazing sound for the time.
 jbuhl wrote:
More Television in the rotation please.
 TV on the Radio

 adavey wrote:
Lloyd Cole, anyone?, this is a more recent album, but sane
Television started in the 1970's. This is a more recent song, but same style as their first album. Lloyd Cole would have been inspired by it, not the other way round. Just the way he sings perhaps? 
 adavey wrote:
Lloyd Cole, anyone?
 

Yes, instantly!! 
 jbuhl wrote:
More Television in the rotation please.
 

No Brainer!
More Television in the rotation please.
Love it!  Hadn't heard this song.  Verlaine was the best of the punk/nw guitarists.  Really wonderful.  Thanks for playing this Bill & Rebecca!
Wow - been 6 years since my last comment about this song.

Still love Television, love this album and love this song.

Would also love to hear more Television on RP.
6.9 WTF, shame on you, at least 8 this!
The Cars with special guest Lou Reed.
 adavey wrote:
Lloyd Cole, anyone?
 

Exactly what I was thinking - thought it might be LC at first
 adavey wrote:
Lloyd Cole, anyone?
 
I thought the same thing
Killer keyway'd from Under the Pressure! <3
Never heard of this band before.  Sounds good.  Thanks again RP.
Marquee Moon
 Veniceholly wrote:
Lloyd Cole, right?
 
 
These guys were around long before Lloyd Cole.
Lloyd Cole, anyone?
This is new to me.....an I am so very impressed.  Thank you RP
Sounds like Matt from The National. Can't stand his voice either.
 horseplayer wrote:
The inscrutable Bill plays this but nothing else from Television, go figure.  OK yes, Marquee Moon is on the playlist, but still, there's a whole lot more from these guys that seems like it would fit on Radio Paradise.  No offense Bill, still love ya, but geez!  


 
Agree.  Elevation, Foxhole, Glory, Call Mr Lee .  All worthy of RP play. 

I am almost certain the 2 people who listen from Mongolia would enjoy more Television.


The inscrutable Bill plays this but nothing else from Television, go figure.  OK yes, Marquee Moon is on the playlist, but still, there's a whole lot more from these guys that seems like it would fit on Radio Paradise.  No offense Bill, still love ya, but geez!  

 pcc wrote:
Reminds me of Future Islands..

 
The members of Future Islands were around 12 years old when this album came out and were several years away from being born when Television's first album was released.
Richard Loyd is the guy doing the work on this song.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lhDI0HN9HH0


Check out Verlaines style on the Jazzmaster back in the day. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jtZYdVNflsA
Is this the vocalist for The Church"? "...like a real...rep...tile"
 Yup. Sounds like Commotion's "Perfect Skin". 
tembaco wrote:

Me too. 

 


 Floyd62 wrote:
Wow, I would have bet that this was Lloyd Cole. 
 
Me too. 
Wow, I would have bet that this was Lloyd Cole. 
YAY! I haven't heard this one in so long!!!!
 {#Yes}crockydile wrote:
This sounds like a Ric Ocasek project...
 

 idiot_wind wrote:
The guy has something stuck in his throat. He's just gotta hack it up and stop the recording! 

 
Verlaine has always sounded strangled with his singing. 
 idiot_wind wrote:
The guy has something stuck in his throat. He's just gotta hack it up and stop the recording! 

 
Go back to listening to Justin Bieber
The guy has something stuck in his throat. He's just gotta hack it up and stop the recording! 
Exactly.
 

Ptijoc wrote:
Great to hear, Tom Verlaine and Télevision. This song is not my favorite, but i'm so glad to hear TV. More, more!

 


Please, pay this guy a voice!
 pcc wrote:
Reminds me of Future Islands..

 

Yes, very similar to that FI song we hear occasionally on RP.
Don't bogart that joint my friend.  
Still relevant, for too long overlooked, more, much more please.
Great to hear, Tom Verlaine and Télevision. This song is not my favorite, but i'm so glad to hear TV. More, more!
 coloradojohn wrote:
Visionary... Brilliant... Understated Understanding of All and Everything set to a grooving beat rife with urgent angstful urbanified lyrics.

 
yeah yeah yeah!  : )
Great band.  More please.
 Bobert_ParkCity wrote:
I see no evil in playing this...

 
...and I spoke no evil while it played.
Reminds me of Future Islands..
Love this band, always happy to hear anything they have done.
Visionary! Brilliant! Understated Understanding of All & Everything set to a grooving beat rife with urgent, angsty, and urbane lyrics...
 Veniceholly wrote:
Lloyd Cole, right?
 

 
LOL. Close, but nobody can approach Robert Quine's NYC guitar.
I hear Lou Reed more than anyone else. Quite likeable.
 softjeans wrote:

I was just thinking these guys listened to a lot of Bowie.

 
And Bowie then listened to a lot of Television and Verlaine afterward.
 crockydile wrote:
This sounds like a Ric Ocasek project...before he hung out with good musicians.
 
I won't call you clueless - I'll just ask that you listen to more Television or at the very least read about how ridiculously amazing Tom Verlaine and Richard Lloyd are as musicians.
Lloyd Cole, right?
 
More of this great band please.

Just saw them a few month's back.

What amzaing players. 
I was so grateful when this album came out ... was a little disappointed overall at the time ... but this song sounds great to me now.  Less is truly more ... especially when the less is a few choice notes from these guys.
Sounds so fresh. Hard to believe this is now over 20 years old..
How 'bout a few more cuts from "Marquee Moon" added to the mix here?
that song is super man!  Thank you intellegent folks for the little history bits, wondering did the Voidoids ever make other RP music besides Blank Gen?
 toterola wrote:
It ain't "Marquee Moon", but it'll do... {#Yes}

 


i also hear cole a bit. love him, too.
 toterola wrote:
It ain't "Marquee Moon", but it'll do... {#Yes}
 

Naw...GIMME "FRICTION"!
 Stingray wrote:
For a second I really thought it was LLOYD COLE!

PS
Is Lloyd Cole an issue here at all...?


 
Agreed, close your eyes, open your ears & Lloyd Cole comes instantly to mind.  Never a bad thing...
It ain't "Marquee Moon", but it'll do... {#Yes}
Used to jam to this in Tokyo wishing for supplements when there were none to be had...
Well now I'm where there's no place higher, and yup, it's come to life in ways expected that never get old...
God, what a great thing in my life Radio Paradise is!  {#Drummer}{#Propeller}{#Dancingbanana_2}  
Always great to hear...
{#Dancingbanana}woo hoo!  be still my tapping toes ...
 aspicer wrote:
Love this tune - never heard it before RP!  I will say that Marquee Moon is a MUST own album if you even remotely like this.  It was a landmark and influential album for many 80's bands.
 
...and quite a few '70s bands as well.
I see no evil in playing this...
What great guitar work!  
Love this tune - never heard it before RP!  I will say that Marquee Moon is a MUST own album if you even remotely like this.  It was a landmark and influential album for many 80's bands.
Can anybody help?  Did they do a song circa 1980 called When (Two?) Worlds Collide???  Does anybody know?? 
These guys are so good...Marquee Moon and THIS could be all I'd need for awhile if I had some good supplements...
 crockydile wrote:
This sounds like a Ric Ocasek project...before he hung out with good musicians.

 
Television was around when Ric Ocasek was still playing in cover bands.
I think they sound kinda like Yo La Tengo.  Pretty good, tho.
Wrong Lloyd.

Richard Lloyd and Tom Verlaine - one of the greatest guitar duos of all time.

For a second I really thought it was LLOYD COLE!

PS
Is Lloyd Cole an issue here at all...?


 EssexTex wrote:
Poor Mr Hell, if he read these comments he'd feel quite dejected....I refer to the amount of other people who are reminded of someone else before him...err

 
I thought it was Tom Verlaine singing.

Never heard this before, I like it!{#Bananajam}
 softjeans wrote:

I was just thinking these guys listened to a lot of Bowie.
 
I hear a little bit of Love and Rockets, myself.

 babyjuice wrote:

 
I was just thinking these guys listened to a lot of Bowie.


 crockydile wrote:
This sounds like a Ric Ocasek project...before he hung out with good musicians.
 
Richard Lloyd is an excellent guitarist.

10
This sounds like a Ric Ocasek project...before he hung out with good musicians.

Poor Mr Hell, if he read these comments he'd feel quite dejected....I refer to the amount of other people who are reminded of someone else before him...err

Never heard this before...
But I'm very intrigued!
Gonna have to check out more from them.

 andrewimft wrote:
Who are these guys? And why do they sound like other people?

Well, these guys were a very influential early new wave band in the late 1970's/early 80's that never had much commercial success but had a cult following. Critics in NYC kept asking who'd get big first, the Talking Heads or these guys. These guys always made literary lyrics with interesting songs built on often elaborate quirky guitar riffs. Nice to hear them here— they should be a staple of alternative radio.

 
Agreed.  Actually, Television was playing around NYC by 1973 or '74 (originally with Richard Hell on bass).  Great stuff - brilliant musicians.  Their first album (ca.1977?) also pre-dates any Lloyd Cole recording by at least six or seven years.

Wouldn't mind hearing Lloyd Cole some more Bill, hint hint.
 Bocephus wrote:
Yeah...anything off Marquee Moon would have been better, but this is OK.
 

Second that.  Time for an upload.

 bodhisattva1031 wrote:

second , third or maybe even fourth that . . . .
 
Deja vu - just thought - that's Lloyd Cole........
 jools wrote:
This sounds like Lloyd Cole and the Commotions.....
 
second , third or maybe even fourth that . . . .
Who are these guys? And why do they sound like other people?

Well, these guys were a very influential early new wave band in the late 1970's/early 80's that never had much commercial success but had a cult following. Critics in NYC kept asking who'd get big first, the Talking Heads or these guys. These guys always made literary lyrics with interesting songs built on often elaborate quirky guitar riffs. Nice to hear them here— they should be a staple of alternative radio.

K-BILLY wrote:
and Rick Ocasek
no son - Rick listened to them - saw them live at CBGBs before the Cars launched
So, Bill - how about a bit of LC&TC then by way of comparison?
rickhoran wrote:
first thought it was lloyd cole.
Sorry - hadn't seen this!
just said the same out loud
This sounds like Lloyd Cole and the Commotions.....
ScottishWillie wrote:
Thats you and me both.
Looks like a little club we got here.
rickhoran wrote:
first thought it was lloyd cole.
Thats you and me both.
first thought it was lloyd cole.
grusso wrote:
With some Roxy Music icing. I was just thinking - These guys listened to a lot of Lou Reed.