RE: (TV) Unfavorable review of Richard's new cd

["Pontrelli, Paul Jay" <jPontrelli@stites.com>]

The essence of a great rock and roll singer isn't about having, say, the
perfect tenor; it also requires great statements on such subjects as girls,
cars, politics, beer, etc. To that end, as guitarist with underground outfit
Television, Richard Lloyd (along with Tom Verlaine) achieved near perfection
on the critically lauded album Marquee Moon. Lloyd's latest solo release,
The Cover Doesn't Matter, however, pales significantly in the wake of its
predecessor, badly marred as it is by his weedy, atonal singing voice
(though that never stopped Neil Young) and especially by its lyrical
paucity. 
The Cover Doesn't Matter is Lloyd's fourth solo album since Television's
demise, and his first since 1987. Full of spirit and the kind of guitar
licks that warm the cockles of the rock fan's heart, these structurally
sound, home-studio recordings are not merely a little light in the lyric
department but often downright trite. Would that he had he dug a little
deeper on "She Loves to Fly," where his attempt to describe a free spirit
reads like a grade-school poem: "She loves rolling down the highway/ And I'm
glad she's going my way." 

Backed by bassist Peter Stuart and drummer Chris Butler, when it comes to
Lloyd's guitar playing such a lack of extraneous embellishment is a plus.
Rather than some vulgar Vai or Satriani showman, he's a soul-ridden boogie
guy, like Young or Keith Richards. 

Though the poppier "I Thought" has a great riff and catchy melody, backed by
exuberant go-go beats, and the lilting guitar and pacific breeze of a rhythm
in the closing track, "Cortege," is simply dreamy, only a doting mother
would still be smiling when it comes to the vocals. The Cover Doesn't Matter
has some great music, but you'd be hard-pressed to find a great song. -
Linda Laban 
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