(TV) New Member

["Mark M." <markm@adnc.com>]

Jeeez.... I only signed on to the list yesterday and already the
discussion has got me going on all kinds of stuff (mostly nostalgic)..

Michael mentioned Human Sexual Response playing on WERS (Emerson
College, right?) in Boston.. spent many hours listening to that station
during my art school days.. if I ever heard TV on the radio anywhere, it
was probably there.  Boston was a great place musically back then; I
used to work just down the street from the Paradise, where there was
always something good:  Mission of Burma.. great band...,  Richard
Thompson (whom I know has been discussed here quite a bit lately..
another favorite of mine from way back in the Fairport Convention days)
would come through there.. Aimee Mann was a skinny little kid barely
able to hold up her bass in her three-piece band whose name I have
forgotten.. and lots of others.

Todd mentioned seeing NRBQ on the Simpsons.. I caught that too and
couldn't believe those guys are still kicking.. used to see them years
ago around Amherst, Mass where I grew up and they were (are?) based, but
never got into their music that much, probably because they were just
the local bar band to me.

I'm a fan of TV from way back.. in fact I still have my original copies
of MM and (the red vinyl) Adventure.. two of only 10 or so vinyl LPs
(out of hundreds) that I cared enough to bring with me when I moved from
Boston to California about 14 years ago. (Of course, I neglected to also
bring my turntable and that was the time of the CD takeover, so they sat
in my closet unplayed for years.) ...Followed Tom's and Richard's solo
careers for a few years into the '80s, but as they started to fade from
the bins at the stores, I kind of lost track until the reunion album..
which I was pleasantly surprised with and still listen to often.
(Adventure has always been my favorite although I know MM is really the
better of the three).

Then.. came across a lonely single CD copy of MM while browsing at my
local Tower Records a couple of years ago, and had to pick it up,
remembering what a great record that was (and it was only $9.99) and
having not heard it for for 15 years or more... Of course, that really
rekindled my interest in what they might be doing currently so with a
quick look over at Amazon.com, came up with Tom's "Miller's Tale".. from
which I was just absolutely floored at how much great solo material from
Tom I had missed over the years.

I have since bought all of Tom's albums that I didn't already have
(except "Warm and Cool") on vinyl from Subterranean Records in NY,
played them through a turntable into my Mac and burned them onto CDs
(for preservation purposes as well as the ability to listen to them in
the car) and have enjoyed a virtual flood of new (to me at least)
material.  Flash Light and The Wonder are two of the greatest examples
of writing and playing that I have ever heard... It's frustrating to
realize that there is more great material from that period that has
never been released, and maybe never will be, since that kind of music
is becoming hardly a blip on the screen of the commercial music world
these days (not that it was much of one then either, I guess). I'm still
struggling with the idea of flying up to Seattle for a couple of days to
see the gig up there.. kind of expensive though, considering I'd have to
shut down my business and fly on short notice, etc., but maybe it's the
closest they are ever going to come to San Diego...  Sounds like kind of
a small venue (a church?).. anyone know how many tickets are going to be
available?

One other item of discussion... has anyone ever heard Echo & the
Bunnymen's live (I think) cover of "Friction"??? I remember hearing it
several times way back when, and think that it was pretty cool, but have
never been able to find it on disk.  They are due to release a huge 4 or
5 disk box set with lots of b-sides, covers, etc. in  July, and that cut
will be on it.  I've always thought that their music and Will Sergeant's
playing is very related to Toms's... the unpredictable melodies and
guitar textures, especially.

Sorry to be so long-winded on my first input...

Mark M.

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