lacked the blues basis that is the bedrock of classic hard rock - it was based not on blues, or country, or even pop: it was a sound unto its own, referencing itself to nothing but its own existence. Guitarists Tom Verlaine and Richard Lloyd played off each other with melody and precision, while bassist Fred Smith and drummer Billy Ficca worked the rhythm section around the beat as often as they sat right on top of it. Verlaine provided the bulk of the writing, bringing in a set of tunes whose moments of stark clarity offset the many other moments of beautiful lyricism.

Ultimately, it's a fine example of as close as there is to a perfect debut album, brilliant from start to finish: edgy yet familiar, melodic yet strong, fresh yet traditional. It 's so good, it's quite possibly the best album of the late 70's punk/new wave scene. Unfortunately, it was so good that the 1978 follow up album, , couldn't hope to be able to live up to expectations.

Critics panned it, calling it glossy at best, or even formulaic - built by blueprint in a lab as it were. Consequently, most people just didn't bother with it. But close to thirty years have passed, and holds up pretty nicely.

Not quite as good as that first album, but pretty close, with at least a couple of moments that rival anything on - I'm thinking about the songs "Foxhole" and "Ain't That Nothin'" in particular. Both albums were reissued a few years ago with bonus tracks, including the original "Little Johnny Jewel" single that predates either album. I always thought (despite their one reunion album in the 90s) it's too bad Television didn't have enough momentum to make a go of it the first time around.

But looking back on these albums from a distance of thirty years, I'm thinking maybe it was just as well - after all, if they're still good enough to be talked about thirty years later, then maybe they simply translate over space and time, and perhaps long after many mainstream acts run out of tricks and illusions, Television's and will continue to work their magic, reaching out from the past to speak to listeners in the future. lacked the blues basis that is the bedrock of classic hard rock - it was based not on blues, or country, or even pop: it was a sound unto its own, referencing itself to nothing but its own existence.