Tom Verlaine ... rediscoverd!!

 

This Saturday no blues or jazz artist will be rediscovered. We shall deal with television, not the brain-killer device, but with the brain and leader of Television, a band considered influential in the development of punk and alternative music. 

Famed for his trailblazing work as the singer and guitarist of the seminal New York punk band Television, Tom Verlaine also carved out an acclaimed and eclectic solo career. Born Thomas Miller in Wilmington, Delaware in 1949, Verlaine (who borrowed his name from the French symbolist poet) was trained as a classical pianist but gravitated toward rock music after an encounter with the Rolling Stones' "19th Nervous Breakdown." In 1968, he and bassist Richard Meyers (later Richard Hell) moved to New York's Lower East Side, where they and drummer Billy Ficca formed the group the Neon Boys. After the addition of second guitarist Richard Lloyd, the band renamed itself Television. [allmusic.com]

The Miller's Tale: A Tom Verlaine Anthology [1996 Compilation]

Any career retrospective of a man like Tom Verlaine was bound to be lacking in some respects, but The Miller's Tale is about as good as it could be, given that the man's career has spanned nearly 20 years and a large number of consistently good albums. All three Television albums are represented here, but for some reason "Foxhole" from Adventure is missing, as is "1880 or So" from Television. Choosing a fair selection of tracks from Verlaine's solo albums is a near-impossible task, but there's enough good material on The Miller's Tale to keep most fans happy. Everyone would have different favorite choices, but you can't argue with the quality of songs like "Postcard from Waterloo," "Lindi-Lu," and "At 4 A.M.." Unfortunately there's no new material here, meaning that dedicated fans will already own the songs, but it's a good introduction to the great man's career. [allmusic.com - review by Jim Harper]

If you like the work of Verlaine and Television or if you like to discover them, check "Miller's Tale"!!

 

My Compilations # 20 : VA - Covered With a ... Woman's Touch [Part 01 & 02]

 

As you already know, I like cover versions of songs and to hear a song covered by a singer of a different gender from the original, is often intriguing.

Today I want to share with you a collection [two parts] with women, singing songs which were first released by male singers or bands. 

Part #01 was my latest contribution for “My Compilation Series” of Butterboy’s Compilations blog, where you can find it. Here is Part #02 with additional songs.

I will not say if the songs are better or worse than the originals or in a different style from that you associate with the artist doing the covering, yet it's up to you to say if they managed to make it totally their own.

I hope you will enjoy listening!

 

Tuesday's for Covers #13: A Song For You by Leon Russell [1970]

 

According to songfacts.com : Russell wrote this song for the singer Rita Coolidge, whom he was dating at the time. They met in the late '60s when Russell was one of the top session piano players and Coolidge was getting started as a singer. Russell wrote a song called "Delta Lady" about her that Joe Cocker recorded in 1969. She was again his muse on "A Song For You," which finds him singing about their deep connection when they are alone. It's a very intimate love song that hits hard with a line in the last verse:

"I love you in a place where there's no space or time"

From all the artists who have sung "The most beautiful song ever written", as it was called by Rita Coolidge, I choose the following versions for you.

Amy Winehouse

Donny Hathaway

Merry Clayton

Here is the original by Leon Russell