Re: (TV) Videos /' Hummable' Melodies/hooks in Television's &

["Mark G. Ryan" <mgryan@cruzio.com>]

"Casey, Leo J" <CaseyL@VOLPE.DOT.GOV> wrote:
> 
> Just to be clear, I find these discussions fun and 
> very interesting--I'm not out to attack anyone here.

Thanks---same here.

> but I thought we were discussing 'humability', 
> potential 'hitability', commercially accessible, 
> or melodicism, but now in mid-stream your 
> changing to a whole different criterion: melodic 
> complexity.  That's ok , but if you want melodic 
> complexity in Television or Verlaine's solo stuff 
> I/we/you can supply it in droves.

All I am saying is that his melodies tend to be more
spare than most, and isn't that interesting.  I think
we agree on that.

> 
> IMHO "Glory" could've been a big radio hit; 
> partly because it's melody is so great, and 
> partly because its melody is so simple---simple 
> but deceptively simple esp. the very beginning 
> where Verlaine goes up/down? the fret.

I won't argue: "Glory" should have been a hit.

> 
> Whenever I had parties with most attending 
> not ever having heard Television/Verlaine, 
> (say 85 out of 100 attending party), invariably 
> the songs that got most common folk, 
> non-wavers, non-musical-cognoscenti, 
> non-intellectual-rockers, Non-NYorkers, 
> non-dancers, or fans of e.g., Billy Idol, 
> on the dance floor were: 
> "Glory", "Kingdom Come", "Always", "See No Evil", 
> "Mr Blur" and "Breaking In My Heart".

That's good to hear.   My experience (out here on
the US West Coast) is that hardly anyone actually listens 
to music anymore, even at live performances.  They just 
keep talking on their damn cell phones.  ;-)

> 
> >Your comment "not the 23 minute version" speaks 
> >volumes about why Television scared off the commercial 
> >audience.
> 
> Yes, of course, but it was meant to be humorous. 
> OTOH: How do you explain the fairly large commercial 
> success of PHISH or the Grateful Dead or other 
> current groups whose live sets include real 
> long versions of their studio songs?

Well, in most cases, FIRST they got big, THEN they get
self-indulgent.  For example, Radio Head releasing Kid A as their
answer to "Wavy Gravy", or Neil Young from Harvest onward managing 
to include at least a couple of horrible songs on every album, just 
so all the great ones aren't taken for granted.

On the other hand, Television inexplicably decided to include "Rocket" 
on what was supposed to be its come-back album, with predictable results.  
Might as well put a label on the cover: "Warning: not for air play!" 

> 
> >It's just that the songs are so good we don't notice.  
> >I find this remarkable. 
> 
> Very well put (but some people notice).

Too few, I fear, to put much gold in the coffers of Verlaine & Co.--
but who knows what the future may hold.  If Jerry Rice can play in
another Superbowl--after 14 years---anything is possible.

Mark
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