Television (Television album)

Television
Studio album by Television
Released	September 28, 1992
Genre	Art-punk
Length	42:40
Label	Capitol
Producer	Television
Television chronology
The Blow-Up (1982) Television (1992) Live at the Old Waldorf (2003)
Singles from Television
"Call Mr. Lee" Released: 1992

Television is the third and final album by American rock band Television. It was released on September 28, 1992, 14 years after the band's second studio album and subsequent breakup in 1978. A video for "Call Mr. Lee" was filmed and briefly aired on MTV.

Reception

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[1]
Robert Christgau	B+ [2]
The Encyclopedia of Popular Music	[3]
Entertainment Weekly	A [4]
Rolling Stone	[5]

Television has been generally well received by critics. Rock critic Robert Christgau wrote, "I prefer the more rocking, songful old Television, but it's a tribute to Tom Verlaine's conceptual restlessness and force of personality that in a world where alternative guitar means making noise or mixing and matching from the used bins, these four veterans have regrouped with a distinct new sonic identity. Droll, warm-hearted, sophisticated, cryptic, jazzy yet unjazzlike, they sound like nothing else—except, just a little, old Television". ^[2] David Fricke of Rolling Stone said, "It was worth waiting fifteen years." ^[5] Per Milo Miles of The New York Times , "Trying to adjust after a long layoff, these musicians have assembled a scaled-down Television, though one with exquisite design details." ^[6] Ira Robbins of Entertainment Weekly hailed it as "a shadowy album no less edgy or atmospheric than their first two. The band's filigree of interwoven guitar patterns has gained in maturity and refinement, but songwriter-singer Verlaine’s unique vision still comes through loud and clear." ^[4]

Track listing

All tracks are written by Television.

No.	Title	Length
1.	"1880 or So"	3:41
2.	"Shane, She Wrote This"	4:21
3.	"In World"	4:12
4.	"Call Mr. Lee"	4:16
5.	"Rhyme"	4:47
6.	"No Glamour for Willi"	5:00
7.	"Beauty Trip"	4:22
8.	"The Rocket"	3:21
9.	"This Tune"	3:42
10.	"Mars"	4:56

Personnel

Television

• Billy Ficca – drums, production
• Richard Lloyd – guitar, slide guitar on "Beauty Trip", production
• Fred Smith – bass, vocals, guitar, executive production, mixing
• Tom Verlaine – vocals, guitar, executive production, mixing

Technical

• Vera Beren – production assistance
• Joe Brescio – mastering
• Patrick A. Derivaz – engineering assistance
• Mario Salvati – engineering, mixing

References

1. Deming, Mark. "Television – Television | Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards | AllMusic". AllMusic . Retrieved December 23, 2014.
2. Christgau, Robert. "Robert Christgau: CG: Television". robertchristgau.com. Retrieved December 23, 2014.
3. Larkin, Colin (2011). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music (5th concise ed.). Omnibus Press. ISBN   978-0-85712-595-8.
4. Robbins, Ira (October 23, 1992). "Television". ew.com. Retrieved August 4, 2021.
5. Fricke, David (October 29, 1992). "[Television review]". Rolling Stone . Retrieved December 23, 2014.
6. Miles, Milo (October 11, 1992). "Recordings Review; Scaled Down, Television Returns". The New York Times . Retrieved December 23, 2014.

External links

• Television at Discogs (list of releases)