(TV) Lloyd's letter

["earcandy_archive" <earcandy_archive@comcast.net>]

hummm.

I don't want to disparage Richard's magical and "real yogic invisibility"
ability but TV fans who have been following the band for 34 years are
certainly aware of who's playing what on either the albums or in a live
setting.  I appreciate that he felt the need to stay in the background and
allow for one leader of the band for the band's sake.  But wouldn't that
tension have been part of what lead to the band breaking up originally
anyway?  Only Verlaine's songs being played and his vision for the band
being somehow dominant? To fans of TV, it has always been about the magic of
that dual guitar attack with that white hot rhythm section.  Like a coiled
beast slippering & sliding, a mercurial brilliance, a whole greater than the
parts.

Can you imagine how many guitar bands in the '80's & beyond used Television
as its starting point?  How many of those Paisley Pop LA bands (True West
being an excellent example) and those geetar 'n grits bands out of
Raleigh/Atlanta/Jackson (the Windbreakers being a great example) would have
ever existed without Television coming before them?  Is it Verlaine they
were imitating?  nah, great as Tom's songs were, it was that magical dual
guitar interplay that was the band'd legacy.   Nothing invisible about that.

I think most fans who have followed the band all these years have followed
both Tom & Richard's solo careers equally.  Tom has just put out more albums
and has toured worldwide more often so that is part of why he is talked
about more often on the list.  Also, Tom is just a lot more odd and fans
trying to figure him out. Now I'm not so sure...we may be discussing Richard
a lot more often !

I respect the need for Richard to sever all ties with the band for him to
feel free to pursue his own vision.  I'm not sure I understand why that
wouldn't have been possible before, tho.  As Phil's wife rightly stated: its
not like Televison has taken up a lot of those 34 years. From '78 thru '92,
for instance.

Maybe Tom is still being a horse's patooey and demanding that only his songs
could be on the new album that was being worked on?  The final straw?

Richard, you've been revealing your own "talents & force" for years now.
But if your fans are going to get to see/hear more of it in the future then
bravo. and if its part of a "more social phenonmenon" then all the
better...the world could certainly use more light amongst the darkness.

well, as he requests: I won't mention the name of his upcoming release
(can't speak for others).  I've deleted the email that even mentions
it....hush hush 'n all.  I am applying ancient hindu practices to disperse
the thought of it from my mind.  If I don't get a copy of it from him
directly, I won't get one. He never plays Portland, Oregon so I won't be
able to hear it at one of his shows.  Is it possible that I can organize a
small listening party in my area?  If not, then that's okay....I too will
practice invisibility and will cast a fan's yearning from my heart.

we've had a lot of practise, waiting breathlessly between releases over the
years.

Steve
(sobbing unconsoled at the base of the alter that is fandom  : )
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