Re: (TV) A message from Richard

[Steve Rovner <serovner@mindspring.com>]

Joe,

Very well put, and I whole-heartedly concur with your comments.  I first got into Television in the late '70s like many of us, but by the late '80s they were somewhat of a distant memory to me.  Yeah, I bought Tom's solo albums, listened to them, but they never really connected with me.  Bought Richard's as well, and played those more than Tom's.  Then, in 1991 I was just sitting around the house, doing whatever, with the radio playing in the background.  I didn't even notice the song that was playing until the guitar solo.  It literally made the hair on the back of my neck stand on end.  I stopped what I was doing, forced to listen to a few more songs until the DJ came back on and announced that the song was "Call Mr. Lee" by Television.  I had no idea that they had reunited and recorded a new album.  The solo of course, was by Richard.  It's still a vivid memory to me, and a strong reminder of what got me back into being the Television fanatic.  Richard's guitar playing.  

I very much look forward to hearing his new CD, and wish him much success going forward.  He deserves it.  

I think I'll fire up "Call Mr. Lee" on my iPod right now and reminisce over that moment back in 1991.  The only difference now is that I've lost all my hair in the interim, so there is no hair on the back of my neck to stand up anymore!

- Steve 

-----Original Message-----
>From: Joe Hartley <jh@brainiac.com>
>Sent: May 4, 2007 10:51 AM
>To: tv@obbard.com
>Subject: Re: (TV) A message from Richard
>
>On Fri, 4 May 2007 13:00:10 +0100
>Keith Allison <keith@marquee.demon.co.uk> wrote:
>> First of all, thank you for your continued support of our band and its 
>> members.
>
>It's been my pleasure to support Richard and his music, whether in 
>Television or elsewhere, for years.  
>
>Those of you who have been around for a while know that I've taken the
>minority view a number of times that I feel that Richard's the "better"
>guitarist in Television, and that I feel his solo work is superior to
>Tom's.  I'll always remember the shocked look on Leo's face when I offered
>this opinion while we were waiting in line to attend TV and Jimmy Ripp's
>"Music for Films" performance 6 or 7 years ago :)
>
>I cannot imagine what it has been like for Richard to willingly accept
>playing "second banana" to Tom for all this time, but it has ever been thus.
>The compositions have all been Tom's, with naught but the occasional 
>co-writer credit for Richard, even though his solo work proves him to be
>an excellent songwriter.  Nor do we ever hear Richard take a lead vocal;
>Tom's always claimed that for himself.  Still, there must have been 
>satisfaction in the results, since he's willingly kept himself in the
>situation for 35 years (though not necessarily continuous!).
>
>I will enthusiastically support Richard in his new works, and I even
>understand the need for him to remove himself from the Television umbrella
>in order to do so.  I've been extremely fortunate to have seen Television
>the 3 or 4 times that I have.  I look forward with great anticipation
>to the upcoming performances by Richard with the new group, as well as the
>release of The R------ M----- album.
>
>This earthling will accept what is, anticipate expectantly what is to come,
>and accept the joy in it all.
>
>To summarize:  Thank you, Richard.
>
>-- 
>======================================================================
>       Joe Hartley - UNIX/network Consultant - jh@brainiac.com
>Without deviation from the norm, "progress" is not possible. - FZappa
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