It’s hard when you’ve only ever listened to one album by a band for so long, you think that that album is the band. Worse, it’s the band’s “classic” and the one everyone knows.

When I first heard this, I thought, “What happened?” It’s only natural. I have heard Marquee Moon more times than I could possibly count and there’s not much here that resembles that record (more the second side than the first). The more sedate songs that dominate the record, and the first side in particular, do not sound like the Television that I know. Had I heard this record immediately after hearing Marquee Moon for the first time, that might have been a virtue. But with at least a decade and a half of listening to Marquee Moon, the seeds were sown for disappointment.

But, on further listens, it’s clear this is a change of direction, not a retreat. It’s not a huge change of direction but it’s enough to make this record sort of live up to its title, instead of what I suspect most people wanted, Marquee Moon 2.

And I admire that. And with additional listens I’ve come to see that there are some good songs here, even if they are less immediate. Moreover, it’s the same band, still fully capable of being the Television you know and love when they want to, even if you have to wait for it.

I cannot foresee a time when this will become my favourite Television record, but it’s a pretty damn good record by the greatest “New York guitar band” in history.

8/10

All tracks written by Tom Verlaine, except where indicated.

• “Glory” 3:11
• “Days” (Verlaine, Richard Lloyd) 3:14
• “Foxhole” 4:48
• “Careful” 3:18
• “Carried Away” 5:14
• “The Fire” 5:56
• “Ain’t That Nothin'” 4:52
• “The Dream’s Dream” 6:44

Read my reviews of Television records. Or, read my reviews of albums from 1978.