Re: (TV) Beware of Sales Pitches

[Keith Allison <keith@marquee.demon.co.uk>]

In message <20030603205059.96194.qmail@web11006.mail.yahoo.com>, Philip
P. Obbard <pobbard@yahoo.com> writes
>Besides, how's this for ironic: Television released a live album this year,
>entitled LIVE AT THE ACADEMY NYC (taken from a 1992 show). You could buy this
>CD at their 2003 gigs. Since then, you can't buy it anywhere - even if you try
>to contact the email address listed on the CD - *except* from the one store in
>NYC that is also the single biggest source of 'commercial' Television bootlegs.

You know, I was just thinking, wouldn't it all just be so much easier if
we just transferred all this admiration we have to a "proper" band - ie
one which wanted to succeed rather than one which is 'led' by someone
who, for whatever reason, seems determined to be as big a commercial
failure as possible?

That Richard Thompson, now, there's a Gent. Just looking at the back of
Mock Tudor and there's a list of URLs where you can, hey!, find out more
about the music and its creator(s). Novel idea. You can find out where
to buy his work - you can actually buy it! And, you see, reading in the
recent Mojo about the tensions which tore apart RT's personal and
creative partnership with his wife, and which informed and directed both
their work, is actually far more interesting than wondering why Tom V.
and Mike Carlucci don't talk to each other. It's their business and
anyway it's boring. I mean, who cares, you know?  Tom Verlaine has a
manager to look after his interests, he doesn't need us.

My son is just going through a huge Nirvana phase and, with all the
hormonal angst of a 14-year-old, he sees Cobain as a tragic figure,
rather than a rather sad, self-obsessed and immature fuck-up. Which is
fine for a 14-year-old but we should all be old enough to get past the
"Poor Tom" crap and just get pissed off at the complete disdain and
indifference with which our favourite band seems to regard its fans.

Ms "X"  - this is not an attack on you - but you mentioned: "It was Tom
who first asked me to post under an anonymous name, back in 1998". I
mean, if this is true, how sad is that? Why? If the guy posted to this
list or the Yahoo Group and said, "Stop sending out fucking copies of my
live work!" then I might seriously consider it. As it is, I couldn't
give a fuck what he thinks about it, any more than he appears to give a
fuck about anything much other than silly games, self-pity and treading
his own lonely, weary, circular road. What a waste of an incredible
talent - there was a time when Verlaine could have been huge and he
settled for being Small. If only I didn't love 'Dreamtime' so much... if
only Marquee Moon wasn't a work of art... if only, you know..?


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