(TV) Clarification / Fixated on a Tree / The MM List Blues / Past

["Casey, Leo J" <CaseyL@VOLPE.DOT.GOV>]

Jesse responded: 
>No, it's a NY Timesism. At that time 
>and perhaps still today; I haven't
>been checking - it was NY Times
>style to "Mr." or "Ms." everybody 
>and anybody. 

Yes, I'll grant you I was dead wrong 
that it was just a idiosyncratic of the
Times; however, regarding your
>"I think it shoots your "taking seriously 
>as an artist" hypothesis out of the water!

I think you're being a bit harsh.  I should 
have phrased my conjecture a little more 
deliberately. Something along the lines of 
"Such thoughtful and carefully worded 
analyses of his music and possibly the use 
of the Times' moniker "Mr."? underscores  
how seriously they took him as an artist."
(By the way, how about a possible NY Times 
review of that great band, Mister Mister?) 

In fact, I'd argue that other than the 
press/music critics (and I'm not just 
talking about the East Coast or U.K.),
and maybe a small coterie of musicians 
and listeners practically no one else 
took ever took Tom seriously.  

Yes, I realize some on this list find these 
TV interviews and articles dry as dust
---old hat, a rehash, very old stuff indeed,
the past with a capital "P"--and that a 
small minority on this list--myself included
--take Television's and TV's output way too 
seriously (e.g., when my kid brother, who does 
not listen to Television's music, recently 
referred to "...that song 'Marquee The Moon'...",
I felt compelled to correct him pronto!) 

But taking this music seriously can be part
of the fun, and it doesn't mean some of us
love everything they've ever done--I could fill 
a page (ok--a small page) with my list of 
Television, Verlaine, and Lloyd stuff that I 
think failed, [how about "Traveling" from 
Cover, a real stinker!] and I'm not talking 
here about commercial failure. 

OK, I admit it, I was more than a 
little disappointed at the reaction 
to my last post (but then I'm sure most
of us occasionally feel that way about 
the reactions --or lack thereof--we get).
I take the time to type up this quite long 
interview and review (with a few outri? 
comments of my own).  A freakin' interview 
that contained a few new nuggets about 
TV's song writing and melody construction 
process, which I thought might be somewhat  
interesting and provoke some comments--
and what is the response: 4? retorts 
(excepting Gregg Luvoxx's) that totally 
fixate on a sentence of mine (albeit 
pretty stupid as originally written), but 
responses that totally neglect the actual 
real content of post.  Talk about not 
seeing the forest for the trees!

But I recall someone wrote a couple of months
ago that the MM list seemed to running out of 
steam--almost moribund on the topic of 
Television. Ninety percent or more of the 
postings seem to deal with other bands, 
which on one level can be very interesting, 
as far as it goes.  I think someone else 
responded with something like how much more 
can there possibly be to say/dissect about 
Television and TV that hasn't already been 
uttered on the list before--especially about 
a band who other than Lloyd hasn't released 
anything new since 1992. 

In fact, here it is--I found it--it was my man, 
Raymond, who perceptively? said: "This list is
dying on its feet at the minute - has this 
something to do with the fact that there's 
only so much we can say about TV without 
boring each other to death?" 

Maybe I'm just suffering from the post 
Holidays and winter blues and my expectations
for this list are too high. 

Three more hypotheses you can shoot down:  

One: The very fact that Television did 
a limited tour last year, the resulting 
European and Chicago boots'availability, 
and Verlaine's/Television's[?]upcoming 
appearances this Spring, have in a 
strange way somewhat undercut the whole 
raison detre of the list. Could it be that 
a lot of people are satiated---they've 
finally OD-ed on TV.

Two: Tom Verlaine has no confidence in 
himself.  He lost his a long time ago (egads, 
a musician can stand only so much commercial 
rejection and lack of financial success); time 
has passed him and Television by; his best work is 
behind him---way, way  behind. He's a has-been
and knows it. They were just coasting during last 
year's reunion mini-tour! There will never be 
another TV release (except for the Music for 
Film DVD) until after Tom croaks from lung cancer.  
Maybe the masses are right--maybe they're just 
a band who made marginally interesting music, 
an acquired taste, who appeal to a tiny group
of listeners-----a band who are vastly
over-rated?  

Three: "The past is not dead; in truth the 
past is not even past." (WF) Free copy of 
"Lindi Lu" EP to first person to identify 
author---just kidding about EP! 

		Leo (who may regret he ever 
posted this, probably just needs a long 
vacation--preferably someplace warm with
light, some Prozac, and the now once-again 
Indie, Rykdisc, to sign Mr. Verlaine to a 
contract---in that order.)
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