Television Marquee Moon 1977, Adventure 1978

My brother plays this game I call "If Golf". He discusses a good round with me, and he'll say, "If I hadn't three-putted those last two holes, I would have had an 82", or some such thing. I tease him about it, because of course that isn't what happened. I also recognize that it is the way he analyses his game performance, and one of several reasons that he is a better golfer than I am. What's that got to do with Television?

Television released Marquee Moon in 1977 to critical acclaim and disappointing sales (except in the UK, where it made it to #30 on the charts). The next year, they made Adventure, which was again well received critically, and again didn't sell. Then the band broke up for multiple reasons, only one being their lack of sales.

But "What If" Adventure had been the debut followed by the masterpiece of Marquee Moon? Would things have been different? Adventure is a good record, and would seem to be more accessible than Marquee Moon. It may have attracted more listeners with its easier to take, somewhat less challenging sound, while still being smart art punk just right for 1977. Then Marquee Moon would have been a bold, dramatic step forward and been successful. Then maybe Television would have had a career like Talking Heads or the Ramones, two bands they shared the CBGB stage with.

Probably the records weren't marketed enough, or correctly, and that's why they didn't sell. But Marquee Moon has become such a highly praised landmark of a record, and it is such a killer, it seems a shame that it went mostly ignored when it was released. 

"What if" you wished you could hear a record with similarities to Marquee Moon? Well you can. Just dance on down to the record store, or Bandcamp, or your streaming service, and check out Evolution Here We Come from 2022 by Chris Forsyth. The guitar interplay between Forsyth and Tom Malach is interestingly angular and similar to the fascinating work of Television. Not a clone, but not so far removed  either.

A Few Power Pop Gems

Power Pop. The sound of melodies and hooks produced by big guitar-based rhythms and sweet harmonies. Usually. The sound dates back to the Beatles, Who, Beach Boys and Byrds. The tag was originally applied to Raspberries, Big Star, and Badfinger in the early seventies and later to Romantics, Dave Edmunds and Dwight Twilly. I took a stab at definition by example back here.

Since the eighties, there's been many a great power pop band. Only a few, and those are often on the fringe of the genre, have become big stars. The rest develop cult followings and tour clubs like mad to make a living. Whatever music you like, it can be hard to keep up, and so some slip through the cracks. Like most of these:

Splinter The Place I Love 1974. This overlooked gem was released on George Harrison's Dark Horse label and features Harrison producing and playing guitar. Never straying far from Badfinger/Beatles territory, the harmonies and songwriting are excellent.

Beagle Sound On Sound 1992. A Swedish band that sounds surprisingly American. None of those awkward non-English phrasings. Pretty much perfect power pop. The 1993 follow-up Within is good, too.

Something Fierce (MN) A Sound For Sore Ears 1996. Not to be confused with the Houston punk band with the same name, This Something Fierce pounds out catchy toe-tapping melodies.

Ice Cream Hands' Memory Lane Traffic Jam 1997 (great title) is a great place to start. The Good China 2007 rivals and maybe even betters it. Aussie band does power pop like they were born to it. 

Sloan's latest is right there with their best. It's been since the late nineties that they put together a string of three great ones, but 12 2018, Steady 2022, and now Based on the Best Seller 2025 are all excellent.

I've also updated the the Labels list over on the right so there is now a Power Pop label you can click on to see all of the Power Pop related entries.

Jerry Lee Lewis Rock & Roll Time 2014

Jerry Lee Lewis was the wild man in the early days of rock and roll and rockabilly, crashed his career early when he scandalously married his 13 year-old cousin, reinvented himself as a country star in the seventies (his greatest success), was inducted into the rock and roll hall of fame in the inaugural class, toured regularly throughout his life, had his best selling album in 2006 (Last Man Standing, a duets record), and died in 2023. Nine years before his passing, at age 79, he made this record.

What makes it so good? 

1. Jerry Lee Lewis was a great singer. His phrasing, his depth of feeling, his swagger, he really is a fine singer. He's different at 79, but not enough to matter.

2. Great songs. Two by Kris Kristofferson, two by Chuck Berry, others by Jimmie Rodgers, Johnny Cash, Jimmy Reed, Al Kooper and Ronnie Van Zant, Chris Kenner and Dave Bartholomew, Mack Vickery, and an obscure one by Bob Dylan.

3. Fine sympathetic and supportive production from Steve Bing and Jim Keltner, who also plays drums. 

4. Killer band. Jerry Lee plays piano in his idiosyncratic style while Keltner and Rick Rosas hold down the rhythm, and then there's an army of talented guitarists: Ronnie Wood, Keith Richards, Neil Young, Kenny Lovelace, Waddy Wachtel, Doyle Brammel III, Nils Lofgren, James Walbourne, Greg Leisz, Robbie Robertson, Jon Brion, and Derek Trucks. 

5. Unlike the two successful records before this, it's not a duets record, so Jerry Lee gets to shine without sharing the spotlight.

It was, for all intents and purposes, his last record. Talk about your late career masterpiece.

Allen Toussaint 1938-2016, Jon Cleary Occapella! 2012, Stanton Moore With You In Mind 2017

 

Allen Toussaint was a producer, songwriter, pianist, singer and arranger of skill and renown. He produced many hits for New Orleans artists in the sixties. He continued to produce for many non-New Orleans artists throughout the 20th century, and recorded twelve solo records. His late career solo output was outstanding, including The Bright Mississippi 2009, Songbook 2013 and American Tunes (2016).

His work is represented by many wonderful records. His own seventies output is summarized on The Allen Toussaint Collection 1991. His writing and producing can be enjoyed on Holy Cow! The Best of Lee Dorsey 1985, any of a number of Irma Thomas compilations such as Sweet Soul Queen of New Orleans: The Irma Thomas Collection 1996, or any of the fine records by The Meters, who were his house studio band for many years. He arranged the horns for The Band's great live Rock of Ages 1972.

Jon Cleary, a New Orleans transplant, made his delightful tribute Occapella! in 2012. The record features Cleary on all instruments on eight of the twelve songs. Like most New Orleans artists, Cleary is reverential, and having a real good time. You will, too.

 

Stanton Moore entered the studio in 2017 shortly after Toussaint's passing and cancelled previous plans for the session so he could honor Toussaint. His deft trio is joined by mostly New Orleans guests singing or playing horns on another selection of Toussaint's marvelous songbook. 

One of Allen Toussaint's famous compositions is Everything I Do Gone Be Funky. The title sums up his career. Dive into Allen Toussaint's output, and you gone be funky too.