Legendary Television guitarist Tom Verlaine passed away at the age of 73 on Saturday, and today's Video Of The Day, the title track taken from their 1977 seminal debut album, 'Marquee Moon', is dedicated to Verlaine. Indeed, last year, due to illness, Television cancelled their special guest slot on Billy Idol's UK tour (see below), when they were due to play 'Marquee Moon' in full, originally hailed by critics as one of the most striking and original recording debuts in years. Formed in New York’s East Village in 1973, Television’s influence was felt worldwide with a particularly major effect on British Post-Punk Rock as well as American Indie rock. The scissory, cascading guitar lines, the jabbing vocals, and the ‘psychotic calypso’ drumming demonstrated that there was nothing punky or muddled about Television - it had the silvery clarity of a poised knife. 'Marquee Moon' was ranked #128 on Rolling Stone’s list of the 500 greatest albums of all time. It was also ranked #2 on Uncut magazine’s 100 Greatest Debut Records, and #3 on Pitchfork Media’s list of the best albums of the 1970s.
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