(TV) Re: Swedish Radio, Alt. "Always" / 'Softer and Tender' is OK Sometimes

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

Warning this post has nothing in it about the Strokes, 
so you might want to hit your DELETE key.

Not to be disagree for the sake of being a contrarian, 
but I actually prefer the EP/Zero-cd version of "Always".  

It's ending has always made the hair on the back of my neck  
stand up---the majority of the songs on "Dreamtime" have 
great 'hard', song-ending solos, so, I like that the 
alternative "Always" ending is a little softer, more 
romantic[?] than the original.

Also, whenever I saw/heard TV live [not acoustic!] 
during the 1980s (except on only one occasion)---and 
on all the "Carried Away" boots---I was/am a little 
disappointed that TV never played a version of this  
song that was closer to the way either of the versions 
sound on "Dreamtime" (i.e., tender, yearning, wistful, 
romantic, etc.). 

My theory is that he was a little 'afraid' he might be 
'hooted at' by (or felt he had to pander to) the majority 
of the audience, who invariable wanted to hear him play 
all songs in the set---and especially the solos---hard', 
and who whenever he would deviate (e.g., some versions of 
"Penetration" and/or "Scientist Writes A Letter") would 
scream out in a disapproving tone, 
"Rock n' roll!! Tom, Tom, Rock 'n roll!"

Even in Television shows the last couple of years, there 
always are more than a few bozos, who yell out similar 
exclamations during and after the song "Rhyme" (or worse yet 
talk incessantly during it). 

I realize there are many on MM List who are not particularly 
fond of 'Rhyme'. However, I find that without such songs in 
Television's (and TV's 1980s) set, the performance becomes 
a bit one-dimensional---for me if every song is a guitar 
rave-up, it gets a little monotonous [I can almost hear some 
people groaning that I'm nuts, a musical wimpoid, or a blasphemer]. 


Leo (who despite what you may think from above, whenever asked what 
he considers himself, always answers 'a rocker'.)  

PS: I realize that there were several other reasons why TV focused 
primarially on the 'hard stuff' in concert, not the least of 
which was not having  sufficient Warner Brs./Virgin support ($$) 
to include keyboards on tour (or even an additional keyboard player!).
Think of a concert version of "Kingdom Come", or "Flash Lightning", 
embellished with organ (or "Always" by piano). There's an interview 
on Keith's site about the lack of tour support. 

Last but not least, there's the fact that the softer songs are 
much more difficult to carry-off in a live setting. Ms Secret X once 
said that when she asked TV (for some Lister), shortly before 
the 2001 Chicago Metro Television concert, why on that tour 
they tended to play basically the same collection of songs, and 
never played stuff like "Days", "The Dreams Dream", 
"Carried Away", etc., he responded that those songs were 
"too delicate" to be successfully played live. 
(Yeah, I know in 1978 they played "The Dreams Dream".)
 

-----Original Message-----
From: tv-owner@obbard.com  Behalf Of leif
joley
Sent: Wednesday, January 21, 2004 12:27 PM
To: tv@obbard.com
Subject: RE: (TV) Wonky trainspotting "See No Evil" observation, heated
debate part deaux
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