Songs And Other Things

Description

The true test of originality for any musician occurs when you hear an instrument play and you instantly know who is playing it. For electric guitarists, Hendrix certainly qualifies; Page and Clapton do too. Perhaps Eddie Van Halen stands out among the legion of imitators. You probably have your own list, but for us, Television's guitarist and solo artist Tom Verlaine stands shoulder to shoulder with these legends. His self-taught style, influenced by jazz, largely devoid of effects, and his vibrato sound (oh, that tone!) make every Verlaine solo a Verlaine solo. The fact that he was a fairly accomplished and idiosyncratic songwriter is just a bonus. Real Gone Music is very, very proud to announce that we have arranged with the Verlaine estate for the release of Tom's last three solo albums on LP; Songs and Other Things is the last record he released, the same year (2006) as the entirely instrumental Around. As the title suggests, it was indeed a return to lyrics and singing, the first record with "songs" since The Wonder in 1990 (although the first track, "A Parade in Littleton"—one of the "Other Things"—is a discreet and funky instrumental that would have felt at home on a late Talking Heads album). The free time clearly allowed Verlaine to build a solid cache of compositions, with "Nice Actress" and "The Earth Is in the Sky" among the highlights. The album also marks a welcome return of Verlaine's enigmatic lyrics, which, as always, provoke wonder while having an intuitive sense. But ultimately, it is the incredible guitar work—skillfully supported by Fred Smith of Television fame and Jay Dee Daugherty of the Patti Smith Group, among others—that elevates Songs and Other Things to essential status, worthy of its exalted position as the last album of Tom Verlaine's career. Original bassist and engineer Patrick Derivaz has mastered the album for its vinyl debut; Jutta Koether, Verlaine's long-time partner, contributes the notes.