(TV) Pitchforkmedia reviews Verlaine (mixed)

[Jay <piazzasanmarco@yahoo.com>]

http://pitchforkmedia.com/record-reviews/v/verlaine_tom/songs-and-other-things-around.shtml



Greatness is a curse. Nearly 30 years after they were
recorded, Television's Marquee Moon and, to a lesser
degree, Adventure still cast an intimidating shadow of
influence and timelessness. And while the band was
eventually mesmerizingly tight, it was always Tom
Verlaine who was at the eye of the storm. He penned
virtually every song, and his singular approach to the
guitar made sure his extended solos never drew scorn--
even in the midst of the less-is-more milieu of punk
and early new wave. So regardless of what musical
avenues Verlaine wanted to explore post-Television,
his fans-- myself included-- are perpetually and
admittedly unfairly dissatisfied.

Now, 14 years since his last release, Verlaine has
unveiled two new albums: the vocal Songs and Other
Things and the instrumental Around. No, they are not
Marquee Moon Revisited, but based on the players he's
chosen to collaborate with, it seems he's trying to
recapture some of his former glory. On Songs, Verlaine
is joined by a host of musicians including Patti Smith
Group drummer Jay Dee Daugherty and Television bassist
Fred Smith, while Around's timekeeping belongs solely
to Television drummer Billy Ficca. Somehow, though,
the chemistry just isn't there. 

Songs' best moments occur when Verlaine complicates
the pop formula with serious tension. On "Orbit", for
example, the song oscillates between spritely verses
and dark, brooding choruses. Elsewhere, though,
Verlaine's songwriting suffers from a legacy of
imitators: "The Earth Is in the Sky" sounds like it
could have been an outtake from Luna's Penthouse (to
which Verlaine contributed some searing solos).

Around, on the other hand, is a less memorable listen
by sheer dint of what it is: an instrumental album.
Too many of the songs are flimsy and fragmentary,
never shaping into anything substantial and coming
across like incidental music. This makes sense, given
Verlaine has been scoring silent films from the
archives of the Columbus, Ohio-based Douris
Corporation since 1999. But without a context to lend
an emotional charge, these songs are too sparse and
atmospheric to be truly affecting music.

Even if neither Songs nor Around match Verlaine's best
work, much of his vitality remains in tact. On Songs'
"Nice Actress", he outdoes Lou Reed for detachment,
aloofly spitting lines like: "Never said you were some
fucked up act-uh." And his guitar playing is still
stunning, veering from fluttering, singing lines to
noisy squalls that detonate without warning. But,
apart from such expressive guitar work, these songs
are dim and winking in comparison to Verlaine's bygone
triumphs.

-John Motley, April 13, 2006




 


































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