(TV) Warning! Long & Verbose: Why TV Was/Is Not More Commercially

["Mark G. Ryan" <mgryan@cruzio.com>]

Looks like we have accumulated quite a few reasons for the relative
commercial obscurity of Television:

> (1) 'Most' people's reaction to Verlaine's singing voice;  [Leo]

> (2) So ('too') many things going on simultaneously in his songs for 
> the 'average' listener to take-in or appreciate;  [Leo]

> (3) The actual melodic structure and complexity of his songs work 
> against their potential commercial success. [Leo]

> (4) The 'too' poetic/obscure lyrics;  [Leo]
 
> (5) Too jazzy or complex for the 'rock' audience, too rollicking and 
> crunchy for  the jazz audience. [Leo]

All great points, Leo.  I completely agree.

The last one could be restated as "does not belong to any recognized 
genre".  All of the categories that I've heard used to try to describe
Television ("New Wave" and "art punk" for example) are pretty hopeless.

At least this is a different problem than the punks had, who belonged 
to a recognized genre, but one that was regarded as uncommerical.

> (6) Tom's music is of too high a quality (yes, of course!)  [Leo}

Not sure I understand why quality is bad for commercial success,
but there does seem to be a "negative correlation".

> (7) The choice of the band name Television sucks.   [Brian Young]

>From a marketing perspective, it's a pretty bad name.  No company would
ever use it for a trademark, for example.  As Brian points out, it's 
especially bad for Web searches.

(8) Choices by the band not to promote and market themselves:
> You would also have to be willing to sign to a label, tour extensively, give
> interviews, make videos, put out records more frequently than once every 14
> years, etc. These are all things Television has never been inclined to do.
[Philip Obbard]

(9) Record label indifference and incompetence. [everybody]

(10) Bad luck. [everybody]

(11) Verlaine's melodic minimalism  [Mark et. al.]


There you have it: enough setbacks for ten careers, and yet somehow
it doesn't subtract one iota from their achievement.

Mark
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