'My head was spinning. My oh my!' / RE: (TV) Tom interview from 2006

["Leo Casey" <LeoCasey@comcast.net>]

I totally agree with Leif. I really appreciate Deb tracking this down, but
the interview itself was one of the most confusing ones with Tom I have ever
read. I also agree his lack of follow-up Qs (or asking poor ones) was
criminal.

There's also some mistakes and silliness. E.g.,  
Interviewer: "...noticed in looking over your solo albums that Jimmy only
makes a sporadic appearance here and there.   well, that's what I picked up
on and that's why I wondered why there wasn't more of that in the studio
context. Might I suggest that for someday? It's something a lot of people
don't know about."

Not true Rip's all over 4 of TV 's 8 solo albums!
Also, despite the interviewer love of it, IMHO "Words From The Front" was
the 2nd worst solo album he ever did. 

Leo's initial analysis and possible solution to interview's strange
references/comment on Flashlight: 
Maybe either the Interviewer mangled his tape or his notes and left out the
part where TV mentions songs from The Lost Album aka The B-Sides Album aka
The London/Bascombe Sessions.  And it's that album that TV is responding to
when TV says: Actually, Ripp didn't play on it at all! (Laughs) The idiot
A&R man insisted that I use another guitarist.

Ditto for TV's comment on the horrible mix done by some young fool; TV's not
talking about Flashlight's mix.  But the stupid interviewer thinks Tom is
discussing Flashlight so the interviewer answers, "Paul Duffy was the
mixer", and TV doesn't know or remember who Duffy was [it was 20 yrs
earlier]. Fact I just verified: Paul Duffy mixed Flashlight but that's moot
since TV's talking about The Lost Album not Flashlight.

Interviewer: It [the mix] just makes it sound so '80s, it's so unnecessary
because it was music that transcended time and now it just sounds so dated.

IMHO, there was never anything wrong with Flashlight's mix and it doesn't
sound dated.  Again I think the interviewer talking about the B-
sides he bought (e.g., Shimmer')

On the other hand we have this which totally blows my mind and my initial
analysis and solution to the confusion: 
Interviewer: It would be really nice if, well I don't what the possibilities
of getting them back in your possession and fixing them would be. TV: No,
you can't really do that. Sometimes, if you pay for it yourself, you can
remix it, but ****Collectors Choice****, who knows what their game is.

Collectors Choice did TV's re-release Tom's eponymous solo album, Dreamtime.
WFTE, and Flashlight! So maybe Tom is talking about Flashlight afrerall.  Or
maybe Collector's Choice around 2006 purchased the rights to The Lost Album
and TV wonders whether they will improve the mix of The Lost Album?!?  

Independent to all of the above: I think it was Joe Thorton who 2 years ago
posted to the MM List about how he had met Jimmy Rip in Spain and Rip told
Joe he did not play on The Wonder.  

But I say Rip absolutely plays on Flashlight!  

On the other hand there's this which that totally messes with my head: 

Interviewer: So, in a way there's kind of like, in terms of a pure Tom
Verlaine album, you have to jump from 'Cover' to 'Warm & Cool.'
TV: In terms of mixes, yeah. In terms of a sound thing, maybe half of 'the
Wonder' *****isn't as bad in terms of a mix as 'Flashlight' is.*** I still
like those songs and he couldn't screw it up too much because what's on tape
is what's on tape but certainly putting in all of these drum samples doesn't
help it.

Could the interviewer have edited the transcript [he claims not] , or was
Tom using Flashlight as 'short-hand' to refer to the Lost Album that has a
small direct connection to Flashlight? Or was Tom losing his mind/memory?

My head hurts! "My head is spinning. My oh my!"  

Philip! Keith! Anyone! Please come to the rescue.  Offer an explanation or
theory that will make this claim that the mix of Flashlight is horrible all
go away.

Leo

-----Original Message-----
From: tv-owner@obbard.com [mailto:tv-owner@obbard.com] On Behalf Of leif
joley
Sent: Friday, September 28, 2012 6:40 AM
To: tv@obbard.com
Subject: RE: (TV) Tom interview from 2006

I have to disagree. The only fabulous thing with this interview must be that
fans are delighted by the sight of a lenghty conversation with Verlaine,
since
there are rather few of them. But to me it's sloppy, un-edited, without
necessary follow-up questions, and it tries to cover too much ground. Many
times nothing of real value comes out of the Q&A. I also sometimes read
Verlaine's answers like he's becoming a little tired of the interviewer and
doesn't want to give proper responses to the questions. The funniest thing
in it is the comments about Bill Laswell's appearance on "Miss Emily" (a
particular fave of mine) off "Cover".

Downright confusing is the part about Jimmy Rip's input on "Flash Light".
Did
or did not Rip played on it? I might be a little dumb but can't understand
the
reasoning there.

The complications about the follow-up to "Cover" is well-known, with all the
recordings that were later used as B-sides, but I wasn't aware that Verlaine
didn't approve of the mix. That said: Personally, I've never had any
problems
with the "Flash Light" sound. To me, it's not especially "80's", and if it
is,
then I think the production (and mixing) makes full justice to these songs.
Big, loud, blaring, with many guitar playing things going on throughout. To
me, it makes for a LP that's in my personal grading is tied on a second
place
(together with "Dreamtime") if we're talking about his solo catalogue -- but
none can challenge the first one as being the best one.

Leif J, Sweden
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